Small Changes Big Transformations

What happens to our mental health when we migrate to another country?
A group of psychologists join forces with humanitarian organizations and provide basic mental health services to a group of Venezuelan migrant women now living in Colombia. A short documentary that talks about the services that were provided to the participants and shows us some of their success stories.

  • Marianne Amelinckx
    Director
    Salta, Mustache Mondays, Blessed and Highly Favored
  • Adam Brown
    Producer
  • Julieta Messmer
    Associate Producer
    Mustache Mondays, Blessed and Highly Favored
  • Marianne Amelinckx
    Editor
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Pequeños Cambios Grandes Transformaciones
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 31, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Colombia, United States
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Marianne Amelinckx

Magna Cum Laude Alumni of Venezuela's most important film school EMA ULA. She started her career as an Assistant Director for Venezuela's award-winning features La Familia (Cannes Film Festival 2017), El Amparo (San Sebastián Film Festival 2016), and La Noche de las Dos Lunas ( Premios Goya 2014) among others.
Her first short film Salta (a queer coming-of-age story) premiered at Tribeca Film Festival 2017 and obtained the Jury’s Mention for Student Visionary Award, won the Best Short Film award at the 20th Pink Apple Festival in Switzerland, and screened in over 15 additional festivals worldwide.
Her second short script Vuela (a queer story about the Venezuelan Diaspora) was one of the Top 5 finalists of the Tribeca Chanel Through Her Lens 2017, Semi-finalist for NALIP’s Latino Lens Incubator 2018, and semi-finalist at McDonald’s Spotlight Dorado 2022 program.
In 2018, she partnered with wife/collaborator Julieta Messmer to write a comedy pilot script about love, success, and Hispanic pride in contemporary America. This Project -Blessed and Highly Favored- won the NALIP Women of Color TV Incubator Grant 2020 and the Yes and Laughter Lab for Social Impact Comedy 2021. With this funding, they shot a short film adaptation of their story that they co-directed and produced. It premiered in Outfest 2022 and continued to be screened at Hollyshorts, NewFest, NYLFF, and Seattle Queer Fest.
In 2021, she directed Mustache Mondays, a 60-minute documentary for PBS SoCal about Queer Nightlife in LA. It premiered at Outfest Fusion 2022 and won the LA Press Award for best LGBT Feature 2022. Her next project is Small Changes Big Transformations, a short documentary about Venezuelan women refugees in Colombia. She is also developing La Barca de La Ilusion, a feature based on a short story by New York Times Bestselling author Lucia Berlin. Marianne has most recently been selected as a finalist in the prestigious Shondaland’s Women Directing Mentorship Program 2023.

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