On Thursday 10 May, the International Film Awards will take place at the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow. Celebrating high achievement in filmmaking that addresses mental health, this annual event is always a welcoming, inspiring and joyous occasion. 

Directors and others involved in the creative process will be present to share insights and stories about how these films came to be, and there will be an opportunity to see excerpts from all the winning titles. 

On the night, we will also be announcing the winner of our prestigious Grand Jury Prize, awarded to a film that combines outstanding cinematic achievement with what the jury considered to be an important and heartfelt exploration of mental health. The evening will conclude with a drinks reception.

Over the following three days, we will be screening all the winning titles and a host of further selections, curated entirely from submissions received from around the globe. More than 30 titles will be screened in total – many of them premieres – filmed as close to home as Glasgow and as far afield as Australia, Senegal and the USA.

In keeping with our theme of Beginnings, young people’s experiences are represented throughout our programming, both in specially curated selections and individual titles. Whether rooted in fact or fiction, many of the films we are presenting explore how mental health is shaped by our formative experiences, viscerally demonstrating the importance of empathy, friendship and support for children, teenagers and young adults.

As always, we will be hosting post-screening discussions after both features and shorts programmes, wherever possible featuring filmmakers and others involved in the productions on show. Often proving as enlightening as the films themselves, we hope that these conversations will continue after the screenings and stay with you well beyond that. We will be announcing details of attending filmmakers and Q&As very soon. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or keep an eye on our website for announcements.

There are vital stories to be found across this year’s programme, told with passion, creativity and cinematic flair. These films deserve to be seen and experienced by a wide audience, so we encourage you to join us for as many screenings as you can during our four days at the CCA this May.


2018 AWARD WINNERS

Animation

Maybe It’s Me

Dimitris Simou

UK

An animator reconstructs images from his past, revealing his love for his grandfather and the unreliability of memory.

Fri 11 May, 5.30pm | UK Shorts

 

Community

Riding Through the Dark

Katrina Brown

UK

Elite and non-elite cyclists tell of the demons they encounter as they ride through mental and physical darkness.

Fri 11 May, 5.30pm | UK Shorts

 

Documentary

Crazy

Lise Zumwalt

USA

A man living with schizophrenia comes into conflict with the healthcare system as he attempts to exercise control over his treatment.

Fri 11 May, 8pm

 

Drama

Horizon

Giancarlo Sanchez

Netherlands

A grieving teenager struggles to control her anger while preparing for a diving competition.

Sat 12 May, 2pm

 

Experimental

below the neck, above the knees

Desiree Dawn Kapler

USA

A filmmaker shares diaristic stories from her life, contemplating her community’s experiences with bodily trauma.

Sun 13 May, 3.30pm | Embodied Trauma

 

Personal Narrative

Sanctioned

Dominique Murphy – de Neef

UK

After a sexual assault, a young woman uses life modelling to re-examine her relationship with her body.

Sun 13 May, 1.30pm | Embodied Trauma

 

Short Documentary

Rocknrollers

Daan Bol

Netherlands

A young singer is supported through his depression by his two best friends – his bandmates.

Sat 12 May, 5pm | International Shorts

 

Short Drama

Being Keegan

Stephanie Zari

UK

A naval officer returns to his childhood home in Liverpool and the scene of a traumatic incident from his youth.

Fri 11 May, 5.30pm | UK Shorts

 

Voices of Experience

Lou Bëth Xayma

Piniang, Abdoulaye Armin Kane and Sébastien Demeffe

Belgium

Using stop motion techniques, artists at a Senegalese psychiatric clinic explore their experiences with art therapy.

Sat 12 May, 5pm | International Shorts

 

Youth Perspective

But Honey, You Look Fine

Jennifer Leonforte

Australia

A young filmmaker documents her closest friend’s struggle with bulimia, using footage they recorded together.

Fri 11 May, 3.30pm | Youth Perspective