Project UnLonely Films is one of the nation’s largest campaigns to raise awareness about the urgent public health concern of social isolation and loneliness.
Created by The Foundation for Art & Healing, Project UnLonely Films celebrates the power of storytelling in film and creates a voice for the loneliness crisis to help people better connect with themselves and others.
Project UnLonely Films (PUF) enjoys the support of luminaries in the filmmaking industry, including celebrated actor and director Steve Buscemi as our PUF Ambassador. Mike Paseornek, former President of Production at Lionsgate Films, is a judge for the award-winning films. The top 8 films receive a cash prize and will be featured in our Season 9 virtual launch event on June 1, 2025.
The 9th season of Project UnLonely Films will launch on June 1, 2025. Over the years, this film-based initiative has been dedicated to raising awareness and reducing stigma around loneliness. It has made a tremendous impact for people struggling with loneliness and has been used as part of national and local program efforts. Past submissions have included films that premiered at Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Palm Spring Film Festival, and DOC NYC. One has even been nominated for an Academy Award!
The Foundation for Art & Healing selects about 30 short films that represent diverse settings, identities, and experiences to shape the story of loneliness and meaningful connection. People from all communities face loneliness, and as such, we encourage filmmakers to share short works that help to explore loneliness from diverse perspectives.
Our film library includes stories related to experiences across the "5 territories" of loneliness:
Trauma: Trauma can lead us to self-isolate and create a smaller world for ourselves in an effort to protect our mind and body. These films showcase the resilience and healing of survivors, through stories of connection.
Illness: Physical or mental illness can isolate us and make it harder to relate to others. Stories about navigating illness inspire compassion and understanding by normalizing a common human experience.
Aging: Getting older comes with wisdom and gratitude, but it can also lead to challenges, including - and exacerbated by - feelings of loneliness. In these short films, people are finding unique ways to connect with themselves and others as they age.
Difference: The experience of feeling different, of not belonging, of not being part of a group– can lead to loneliness. The characters in these films are searching for a sense of belonging, finding their community, or discovering ways to connect to their identity.
Modernity: Our world is at once highly-connected and uniquely disconnected. The films in this category explore the ways we interact with one another – and find community – in our modern world.
In years past, Project UnLonely Films have been supported by Cigna, the AARP Foundation, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Americans for the Arts, and more. Now, more than ever, it’s imperative that we all use the arts as a way to improve health and wellness, advocate for vulnerable populations, and address public health issues.
All selected videos will be made available for free public viewing on our website for at least one year. The Foundation features these films and makes them accessible for free year-round in order to help people navigate loneliness.
Three (3) winners and five (5) honorable mentions receive cash prizes after our launch event on June 1, 2025. Prizes are awarded by Mike Paseornek (former president of Lionsgate Films) and industry guests.
