Big Boys Don't Cry

Overview: Big Boys Don’t Cry is a spoken word piece written and directed by Joe Byrne. Its aim is to tackle some of the ideas of what it means to be a man in society today, by going straight in and dismantling the commonly used phrase “Big Boys Don’t Cry”. Its main objective is to smash the false idea and belief that men and boys should not show emotion, or by in doing so you are somehow weak or inadequate. It touches on subjects such as suicide, loneliness, isolation and the social conditioning that`s shaping the generations of males now growing up amongst us. It is a call to action for men to open up and not to be afraid to express themselves freely.
It is estimated that in 2015 in the UK and Ireland alone there were 6,639 suicides and of those 4,997 were males.

Director

Writer

Producer

Editor

Country Originated

Joe Byrne

Joe Byrne

Joe Byrne

Aidan Quigley

Ireland

High Flying Jade

Overview: Walking the line between mindfulness and adrenaline rush, an American, bipolar, aerialist tries to reconcile her suicidal inclinations, her past life as an air traffic controller and the pressures of training for opening night at the Vietnamese circus.

High Flying Jade is the true story of a bipolar woman from Los Angeles who moved to Vietnam and joined the circus in Hồ Chí Minh City. In the US, Jade was an air traffic controller but repeated attempts at suicide culminated in hospitalization. She was eventually diagnosed and treated for bipolar disorder. Now, she tries to manage her unique brain chemistry with learned-mindfulness and focused aerial training. We meet her one week before the opening night of her first ever performance in a real, big top circus.

Director

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Country Originated

Katherine Sweetman

Katherine Sweetman

Jayjit DasGupta

Jade White

Viet Nam

Chatter

Overview: A mixed woman battles her inner voices of self-doubt.

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Director Statement: Based on my own experience as a suicide survivor. I wanted this to be a one shot because when self-doubt takes over, I don't get to edit the scene.

Director

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Producer

Key Cast

Country Originated

Natasha K Lewin

Joe Byrne

Roger Roth,

Angel Hunter,

Haley Schwabel

Ashley Grezbien,

Kimberly Jackson,

Janab Kareem Davis,

Linda Walton,

Natasha Rose Capener,

Shanera Richardson,

Nicole Serrat,

​Angelica Robinson

United States

​It Is Me

Overview: "It is Me" is produced by MEAN Productions and directed by Angharad Gladding. It looks at the struggles of mental health, in particular, anxiety. This artistic documentary is told from multiple perspectives from those who struggle with anxiety or those who have witnessed it. It is based around three illustrations which were also created by the director earlier this year. Each illustrator gives a different point of view from those who struggle with anxiety.

Director

Writer

Producer

Key Cast

Country Originated

Angharad Gladding

Angharad Gladding

Mean Productions

Imogen Young,

Aiden Dickens,

Izzy Christensen,

Juliet Powley,

Tasituale Masoe,

​Angharad Gladding

New Zealand

Yellow Line

Overview: Yellow Line, a film written based on a true story about human psychological struggles. Struggles as such can't be cured by just medication. Sometimes, all it takes is just a simple connection that is relevant. Yellow was written, planned, shot, edited, music sound design and finished in 48 Hours

Director

Writer

Producer

Key Cast

Country Originated

Kionz.C

Iman Abdullah

Kar Men Yap,

Emily MSQ,

Kionz.C

Iman,

Kar Men Yap

Malaysia

Nervosa

Overview: Jade lives with her friends Rex and Bo in a secluded mobile home, surrounded by a dense conifer hedge. At first sight, it seems like a normal friendship, but soon it turns out to be more like a hostage situation. Meanwhile, a woman is desperately trying to get through to Jade.

Director

Writer

Producer

Key Cast

Country Originated

Thessa Meijer

Thessa Meijer

Julia Rombout,

Reinier Selen

Nora el Koussour,

Sarah Janneh,

Merel Pauw,

Souad el Aidi Keehnen

​Netherlands

Here Today

Overview: A high school girl struggles to find her own identity with a new group of friends and discovers that together, their choices have an impact beyond what they ever imagined. This universally autobiographical tale, written by 16-year-old Meredith Grace Dabney, is a reminder of vulnerability, life’s connections and most importantly that words and actions, however small, affect everyone and everything.

Director

Writer

Producer

Editor

Country Originated

Erica Arvold

Meredith Grace Dabney

Astrabeta Creations,

Meredith Grace Dabney, 

Erica Arvold, 

Isaac Deitz,

Erik Lingvall,

Taylor Fedele,

Viviana Chavez

Meredith Grace Dabney,

Cece Kelly,

Isaiah Asher Hanley,

Kjay Saifullah,

Andrew Hunter,

Thomas Martin,

Piper Collins,

Sophia Sharma

​United States

Collapse

Overview: A writer struggles to cope with the trauma and stresses of a loved one who has passed.

*This film was made in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Director

Writer

Producer

Key Cast

Country Originated

Phillip Lehn

Phillip Lehn

Phillip Lehn

Phillip Lehn

United States

Mood Atlas

Overview: The treatment of Bipolar Disorder often entails years of trial and error, whereby patients are required to change their medications numerous times across a lifetime - mood stabilizers, antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs, anti-anxiety pills, sleeping pills, and so on. Mood Atlas is a short documentary exploring Bipolar Disorder through one man’s experiences, and his search for hope in neuroscience. Shane is participating in a research study in which a team of scientists are mapping the brain, in order to better predict, diagnose and treat Bipolar Disorder. The psychological tests administered to Shane act as a device, for the film viewer, to enter Shane’s psyche and his history. Within his own life they act as a means of giving him hope; people are working to better understand his condition and he can offer something to others who struggle as he does.

Director

Writer

Producer

Key Cast

Country Originated

Mia Mullarkey

Mia Mullarkey

Alice McDowell

Shane

Ireland

Finding Justice

Overview: Finding Justice tackles the devastation caused by wrongful conviction through the journey of Jeffrey Deskovic. After serving 16 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit, Deskovic has strived to rebuild his life. The film follows him as he finishes law school and runs a foundation that frees the wrongfully convicted, all while dealing with lingering trauma.

Director

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Country Originated

Hannah Miller

Hannah Miller

Hannah Miller

Jeffrey Deskovic

United States

Deeper Than Blue

Overview: “Deeper Than Blue” explores a shadowed medical
crisis that affects mothers called postpartum depression.
Told through Amanda Munday; her heartbreaking and empowering
story of her experience with postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter Fiona.

Director

Writer

Producer

Editor

Country Originated

Devon Robertson

Devon Robertson

Nicole Hayward

Connor Vowel

Canada

How Speaking About Suicide Can Save Lives

Overview: There is an often overlooked significance of suicide in media, both negative and positive. Dwight Holton, CEO of Lines for Life, explores how individuals who interact with and discuss suicide can make a difference in saving lives.

Director

Writer

Producer

Key Cast

Country Originated

Marissa Dingman

Marissa Dingman

Marissa Dingman

Dwight Holton

​United States