Cliques and Echo Chambers & Serious Mental Illness

    Films

    Crane

    The Four Noble Truths

    Brotherly

    All Meat Diet

    Where Is My Thought Now?

    Clubbing

    Screenless

    Bonfire

    Plant People

    Meditations Between Us

    Filmmakers

    A young man with dark hair and a friendly expression stands against a backdrop of a serene sky at sunset.

    Aiden Keltner

    San Diego & LA based filmmaker, 2 time Emmy Award recipient, VWI Alum and William Male Foundation Grant awardee. Favourite film: Capernaum

    A man with a beard and glasses, wearing a black shirt, stands in a dark background.

    Jason Eskuzian

    Jason is an award-winning director, writer, producer, cinematographer and soccer fanatic based in Los Angeles.​​​​ ​ Favourite film: High Fidelity

    A smiling woman with long, wavy red hair wearing a pink jacket and green top stands against a plain pink background.

    Kincaid Walker

    ​A graduate of Northwestern University, Kincaid is an award-winning writer, producer and actress, based in LA. Favourite film: The Royal Tenenbaums

    A young woman with long dark hair sits in a theater setting, her expression thoughtful and serene.

    Ashleigh Vaillancourt

    Ashleigh Vaillancourt is an award-winning filmmaker and multimedia artist based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is known for her work exploring themes of personal resilience, and has shown her pieces in festivals and galleries around the globe.

    A young man with curly hair and a warm smile stands in a lush, green garden setting.

    Eric Forbes

    Eric (he/him) is a director and cinematographer from Fort Collins, Colorado, who is passionate about films focused on mental health. He has directed/co-created multiple films on topics including ADHD, family system structures, and climate anxiety.

    A smiling young man wearing glasses and a plaid shirt stands in front of a storefront with signs advertising currency exchange services.

    David McShane

    Director and animator based in London, love stories centered around queerness & fantasy. Primarily work in stop-motion! ​ Favourite film: Pan's Labyrinth

    A man with a beard and curly hair is shown against an orange background, looking directly at the camera with a friendly expression.

    Gavin Seal

    South Asian Québécois Canadian Writers Guild of Canada prize-winning filmmaker and President of Intersectionnel Films. ​ Favourite film: Gattaca

    A black and white portrait of a woman with dark, wavy hair and a pensive expression, set against a textured background.

    Leanne Dimant

    Writer/Director, BFI funded to make a film about a psychiatric patient who builds spaceships.​ ​ ​ Favourite film: Lady Macbeth

    A smiling man with curly hair stands in front of a snowy forest landscape.

    Brandon Hicks

    Brandon Hicks is a writer and cartoonist based in New Brunswick, Canada. He is the author/illustrator of several books and frequent contributor to a number of publications. His award-winning short films have played in international festivals.

    Mentors

    A middle-aged man with a beard and tousled hair gazes directly at the camera, set against a blurred outdoor background.

    Randy Kelly

    Randy Kelly is an award-winning director, editor, and cameraman based in the Ottawa/Gatineau area. With 25 years of experience in film, TV, and documentaries, he focuses on projects highlighting Indigenous cultures, traveling across Canada and internationally.

    A woman with long blonde hair and glasses, wearing a black sweater, is smiling and looking directly at the camera in a dimly lit room.

    Rachel Rose

    Rachel Rose is a filmmaker with a history of telling powerful stories and bringing together awesome queer and femme creatives. 

    A young woman with glasses sits at a table, holding two colorful toy caterpillars in front of a vibrant blue background.

    Fu Yang

    Fu is a stop-motion filmmaker and partner at the boutique animation studio, Cafe LaBobo. She specializes in mixed media storytelling and crafts each project from concept to final. In one of her past productions, she directed a segment for "Yo Gabba GabbaLand!", streaming on Apple TV+.

    A young woman with curly blonde hair and a bright smile stands in front of a backdrop of lush green plants.

    Stefanie Horowitz

    Stefanie Abel Horowitz directed theater for a decade before pivoting to film. As writer / director she most recently participated in the Disney Launchpad: Shorts Incubator program. Her short LET'S BE TIGERS premiered on Disney + in May 2021.

    Ego Plum

    Ego Plum is a Mexican-American film composer, musician, and performer. He is best known for his work on The Cuphead Show!, The Patrick Star Show, Kamp Koral, SpongeBob SquarePants, Jellystone!, Making Fiends and Harvey Beaks.

    A man sits at a mixing console surrounded by various electronic musical instruments and equipment in a recording studio setting.

    Johnny Knittle

    Johnny is a music composer primarily for animation but loves all things sound. At 6, his first dream career was to be a syndicated comic strip artist, ended up on guitar instead. He also enjoys DnD, mainly for the cool dice.

    Austin Wang

    A young woman with dark hair stands in front of a window, gazing out at the cityscape visible through the glass.

    Kyungwon Song

    Kyungwon Song is a Korean-born independent animator based in Bay Area. Her animations often depict non-fiction subjects, and her main media are early film technique and stop-motion.

    A man in a black jacket stands against a dark background, his expression serious and thoughtful.

    Breech Harani

    Breech Asher Harani, a filmmaker and time-based media artist from the Philippines, creates poignant, experimental films on society and the environment. He is the first Filipino Young Creatives Awardee by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and a 2020 Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 honoree.

    Jurors

    The image shows a woman with vibrant blue hair, wearing a blue blouse and an elaborate necklace, smiling warmly against a plain background.

    Margaret Kroen

    Margaret Kroen is a clinical social worker from Baltimore. In her long diverse career, she’s learned that all people have both beauty and pain inside. Art nourishes beauty and sends love to the pain.

    A smiling woman with glasses stands in front of a vibrant, blooming pink azalea bush in a lush, green outdoor setting.

    Katelyn Bessette

    Katelyn Bessette is the Development Director at Bridges to Change, an Oregon nonprofit providing housing, peer support and behavioral health treatment.  BTC hosts the PDX Recovery Film Festival in Portland. 

    A man with a serious expression sits on a bench in front of a rocky, cave-like background.

    Nich Perez

    Nich Perez is a Filipino-American filmmaker and educator, blending human connection with storytelling. Through his nonprofit, the Nonprofit Film Collective, he crafts powerful narratives that inspire change. His latest film, letters to eleanore, explores disability, hope, and community.

    A smiling young man in a gray suit stands in front of a modern glass and steel building.

    Juan Sosa

    Juan Sosa, M.D. is a psychiatrist with sub-specialty training in forensic and addiction psychiatry. Dr. Sosa appreciates the use of various art forms, including film, to highlight and reflect on the impact mental illness has on those diagnosed.

    A young woman with long, wavy brown hair stands in front of a window, wearing a brown coat and a black skirt.

    Athena Russell

    Athena Russell is an award-winning actress, writer, director and producer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Having amassed a resume of over 45 professional film and TV credits both in front, and behind, the camera.

    A middle-aged man with a beard and tousled hair gazes directly at the camera, set against a blurred outdoor background.

    Randy Kelly

    Randy Kelly is an award-winning director, editor, and cameraman based in the Ottawa/Gatineau area. With 25 years of experience in film, TV, and documentaries, he focuses on projects highlighting Indigenous cultures, traveling across Canada and internationally.

    A young woman with long, wavy reddish-brown hair stands outdoors, smiling at the camera against a backdrop of trees and a body of water.

    Michelle Jobes

    Dr. Michelle Jobes is a dedicated public servant working in substance use disorder research with an eye and heart always on reducing the stigma of substance use disorders and mental health.

    A young woman with long brown hair and glasses, wearing a yellow floral-patterned sweater, stands in front of a plain white wall.

    Nicole Kennedy

    Nicole Kennedy (she/her): a filmmaker, published writer, researcher, and recreation therapist who specializes in mental health. Her work is based upon her own experience with schizophrenia and the associated stigma.

    Rebecca Miller

    Becca Miller, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Yale Department of Psychiatry. She directs Peer Support at Connecticut Mental Health Center.

    The image shows a man with long, curly dark hair and a mustache wearing a white shirt and a red and black plaid jacket, standing in what appears to be an indoor setting with a plain background.

    Charlie Staunton

    Charlie Staunton is a poet and performer and filmmaker from Hereford. He loves words and uses them often both in his professional and personal life with varying effects, all of them interesting. He has performed on stages national and international and has been commissioned to write for organisations like the BBC, Channel 4, MIND, and The National Trust. You can find him and his work online and on the radio in all the magical places one tends to look.

    A smiling young woman with short brown hair wearing a striped shirt stands in front of a mirror in a room with a wooden floor and white walls.

    Cassidy Civiero

    Cassidy Civiero (he/him) is a transgender filmmaker with a focus on content related to climate change, mental health & mindfulness, and gender & sexuality. His latest film, Return to Nature (2024), won Critic's Choice at the Experimental Film Fest after a three-month premiere at the Penticton Art Gallery as part of their exhibit, "Gifts of Madness". He is a writer and co-executive producer for the series You're My Hero (2024) on CBC Gem. Cassidy believes anything is possible, both in life and on screen.

    A smiling woman with short dark hair wearing a purple blouse stands in front of a blurred blue and green background.

    Emily Diamond

    Dr Emily, a lover of illustration and arts, studies mental health and societies under strain from climate destabilization. Favourite film: The Last Emperor

    Natalie Cook

    Natalie Cook is a filmmaker-poet. Her poetry film, BACKWARDS GOD, was the 2020 Grand Prize Winner of the AT&T Film Awards. She is the founder of Atlanta Word Works. 

    A smiling young woman with long brown hair wearing a black sweater stands against a plain white background.

    Meagan Brown

    Meagan Brown (she/her) is a Montreal-based film and television editor. Her work has been featured on channels such as CBC and Noovo. When she's not editing, Meagan can usually be found puzzling.

    A smiling woman with curly dark hair wearing a gray shirt and resting her chin on her hand against a plain gray background.

    Shenuka Corea

    Shenuka Corea is a visual storyteller from Sri Lanka and is the creator of the animated shorts ‘Sweet Oranges’ and ‘The Plastic Horror’. She is currently working on a graphic novel. In her free time, Shenuka enjoys fiber arts and Dungeons and Dragons.

    A smiling young woman with wavy brown hair stands in a park setting with trees and greenery in the background.

    Tam Nguyen

    Dr. Tam T. Nguyen is a clinical psychologist and serves as the Director of Ambulatory Mental Health & Addiction Care for Sutter Health. An expert in developing, implementing, and running large-scale mental healthcare projects.

    A woman with long blonde hair and glasses, wearing a black sweater, is smiling and looking directly at the camera in a dimly lit room.

    Rachel Rose

    Rachel Rose is a filmmaker with a history of telling powerful stories and bringing together awesome queer and femme creatives. 

    A smiling young woman with long brown hair and glasses stands in front of a window, with a cheerful expression on her face.

    Katie Bendel

    I like learning about mental health, helping other people feel less alone, and spending time outside (with my dogs)!​ ​ Favourite film: Billy & Molly

    A young woman with glasses sits at a table, holding two colorful toy caterpillars in front of a vibrant blue background.

    Fu Yang

    Fu is a stop-motion filmmaker and partner at the boutique animation studio, Cafe LaBobo. She specializes in mixed media storytelling and crafts each project from concept to final. In one of her past productions, she directed a segment for "Yo Gabba GabbaLand!", streaming on Apple TV+.

    Daksha Arora

    A woman with dark hair and a warm smile, wearing a bright yellow top, stands in front of a lush, green background.

    Ligia Houben

    Ligia Houben is a professional Grief Coach, Life Transition Specialist, founder of My Meaningful Life, LLC and The Center for Transforming Lives in Miami.

    A man wearing a dark jacket and a cap stands in a forested area, with blurred trees and foliage visible in the background.

    Alex Nystrom

    Alex Nystrom, an Ojibwe writer, director, and producer from Minneapolis, explores identity in contemporary Native stories. A 2021 Native American Media Alliance fellow, his pilot Between made the 2022 Indigenous List. He works in Los Angeles as a director’s assistant.

    A young woman with blonde hair lies in a hammock, her face partially obscured by the fabric.

    Mikaela Ivanco

    Dedicated and creative health promoter with over a decade of experience in evidence-based health promotion. 

    The image shows a young woman with long dark hair wearing a light purple shirt, standing in a natural outdoor setting with blurred foliage in the background.

    Hao Zhou

    Zhou is a filmmaker from Southwest China, making films in narrative and documentary genres.​ ​ Favourite film: Days of Being Wild

    A young woman with curly brown hair is smiling brightly, seated on a concrete surface with a blurred background.

    Olivia DePaul

    An Occupational Therapist who loves helping others reach their full potential.​ ​ Favourite film: Airplane!

    Jon Kieran

    Jonathan Kieran is a film programmer hailing from Essex County, Massachusetts. He currently serves as the Atlanta Film Society’s Programming Director. 

    A smiling woman with wavy blonde hair stands in front of a brick wall, wearing a pink blouse and appearing to be in a cheerful mood.

    Julie Colman

    Head of Production at Rural Media and Rural Studios and I absolutely love films that make an impact!​​ Favourite film: Cabaret

    Nic Altobelli

    Nic Altobelli is an independent Producer based in Vancouver, working locally and in Toronto and LA. They are passionate about telling stories that reflect diverse experiences and prioritize improving access to underrepresented artists.

    A man in a black jacket stands against a dark background, his expression serious and thoughtful.

    Breech Harani

    Breech Asher Harani, a filmmaker and time-based media artist from the Philippines, creates poignant, experimental films on society and the environment. He is the first Filipino Young Creatives Awardee by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and a 2020 Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 honoree.

    Elizabeth Ayiku

    A smiling woman with curly, vibrant hair and a floral scarf against a plain background.

    Jane Carter

    I am a socially conscious psychologist who is full of mischief, and a lover of motorcycle trips! Favourite film: The Lobster

    The image shows two young women, one operating a professional camera and the other standing next to her, in what appears to be a film or photography studio setting with various equipment and props visible in the background.

    Belen Garcia

    Belen Garcia is a Mexican Cinematographer who lives and creates in Vancouver, Canada. Belen is a proud member of Apertura, a Mexican community of female cinematographers. She was recently selected for the 2022-2023 ASC Vision Mentorship program.

    Dylan Dunn

    Assistant Director at SAFE Project (Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic). Serving over 450 colleges and universities seeking to implement harm reduction, addiction recovery, and anti-stigma initiatives. 

    Richard Espinoza

    Dr. E is a psychologist passionate about expressive arts therapy, applying cinematherapy to help healing. Favourite film: The Silence of the Lambs

    Elizabeth Hancq

    Elizabeth Sinclair Hancq was the director of research at Treatment Advocacy Center, where she led the creation of and publishes mental services and policy research related to serious mental illness.

    A black and white portrait of a middle-aged man with short gray hair and a serious expression, set against a dark background.

    Perry Voulgaris

    Creating, managing, launching and distributing programming in screen-based, immersive and experiential media.​ ​ Favourite film: Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert