Film is powerful. Film has the power to break down barriers and allow people to tell stories of mental anguish and mental triumph. The Mental Health Warrior Film Festival celebrates films that tell those stories. It will also showcase films from fellow Mental Health Warriors who use the medium of film to tell their stories.

This festival will showcase both independent shorts and feature films as well as screen What About Bob, Psycho 2, and an episode of Monk. It will also have a panel of mental health and film experts discussing the history of mental illness in film.

Not all films will be selected to be screened at the festival. The festival will have an online component. That will be a limited for that weekend password encodes Vimeo channel.

Awards & Prizes

I have decided that it is unfair to compete films against films for awards. If you have a film in our festival, you are already a winner and you will have a laurel you can put one your poster. As a person who has had films in a film festival I think awards and prizes can add a stress to the festival.

There are two Icon awards that this year celebrate outstanding performances in anxiety in film and television. The film award will go to Bill Murray for What About Bob and the television award will go to Tony Shalhoub for 8 seasons of Monk and Mr. Monk’s Last Case. The recipients have not yet RSVPd.

Rules & Terms

1). Must be at least 18 & older to submit your film. Any filmmakers under 18 will not be considered.
2). Submission doesn't mean admission. Not all those accepted will be playing on the big screen.
3). Costs for the submissions go towards the cost of the festival and the proceeds of the festival go to Camp Creatibility and The Rogers Behavioral Health Foundation’s Angel Fund
4). Sexually explicit sequences. bordering the pornographic, will not be accepted.
5). The film doesn't have to be 100% focused on mental health.
6). We welcome international entries but the entries MUST have English subtitles.
7). Shorts have to be under 35 minutes While features have to be a minimum of 75 minutes and a maximum of 120 minutes.
8). You, as the filmmaker, are responsible for all licenses and permits that pertain to your film. You will be asked to provide a release for said licenses as well.