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.
Drama
Horizon
Giancarlo Sanchez
Netherlands
A grieving teenager struggles to control her anger while preparing for a diving competition.
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