In 2026, the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF) celebrates its 20th year! Film submissions are now open for this very special edition of the festival.

SMHAF is one of the world’s largest arts and mental health festivals. It reaches tens of thousands of people across Scotland each year, featuring film, music, performing arts, literature, visual arts and creative workshops.

The festival will return from 19 October to 8 November 2026; the main film screening programme will be in Glasgow from 3 to 7 November 2026. Titles may also be considered for additional dates and locations during the festival.

The festival is led by the Mental Health Foundation, the only UK charity solely focused on preventing poor mental health and building and protecting good mental health. We believe everyone deserves good mental health and that no-one living in the UK should be deprived of this opportunity because of who they are, the community they come from or where they live.

Our programme

Our programme is renowned for championing work by filmmakers with lived experience of mental health problems, exploring how film can challenge stigma and perceptions, and raising awareness about inequalities and mental health.

We invite films that draw attention to personal stories and raise awareness about specific mental health problems, but we also welcome innovative and diverse perspectives on mental health and wellbeing. Films produced in collaboration with communities affected by mental health problems, and by first-time or aspiring filmmakers are also welcome.

Each year, our programme includes a diverse range of feature films, shorts programmes, Q&As, talks and workshops. Our main screening venue is CCA: Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, but we also work with cinemas and community venues in Glasgow and across Scotland.

Awards & Prizes

All films submitted to the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival will be eligible to win an award. The winning films will be selected by a panel, comprised of people with backgrounds in film, in mental health, or both.

All winning films will be screened during the festival and honoured at our annual awards ceremony. In 2025, the ceremony was hosted by Raisah Ahmed and the Grand Jury Prize was presented by renowned actor David Hayman.

Previous award winners include: DIAGNONSENSE (Ane-Martha Tamnes Hansgård, 2024) SILENT MEN (Duncan Cowles, 2024), THIS WEREWOLF COMPLEX (Heather E Andrews, 2024), TOO ROUGH (Sean Lìonadh, 2022), JUDY VERSUS CAPITALISM (Mike Hoolboom, 2020), THAT JOKE ISN’T FUNNY ANYMORE (Hannah Currie, 2019), EVELYN (Orlando Von Einsiedel, 2018), IRENE’S GHOST (Iain Cunningham, 2018), SUMMER, 1993 (Carla Simón, 2017), BECOMING CARY GRANT (Mark Kidel, 2017), and A FAMILY AFFAIR (Tom Fassaert, 2015).

Films by first-time directors, emerging filmmakers, and community organisations are regularly recognised at our awards ceremony.

Read about this year’s award winners here.

How to submit

Visit our FilmFreeway page to find full details of the competition and submit your film. Please read the guidelines carefully before submitting to ensure your film is eligible.

There is a submission fee to help us cover the costs of running the competition but we offer a waiver code to anyone who would find this a barrier to submission.

If you have any questions about the submission process or have any other enquiries about our film programme, please email Rob Dickie at rdickie@mentalhealth.org.uk.

Feedback from filmmakers

Here is a selection of feedback from filmmakers who have shared their work with us and attended the festival in recent years.

The SMHAF team was incredible! Felt truly supported and welcomed, as were the other filmmakers and artists I met. A positive environment, especially given some of the dark topics. It was a light and safe space.

Filmmaker Feedback

They know exactly how to push boundaries and barriers while still creating a really wholesome and genuine atmosphere and experience.

Filmmaker Feedback

This was a wonderful festival. As a filmmaker from New Zealand who was lucky enough to attend in Glasgow, I was always well looked after, the communication was beyond fantastic, and it was a warm and welcoming experience. I would highly recommend this festival – the people who ran it went above and beyond.

Loren Jalyn Kett, Filmmaker

I’m grateful for this opportunity to amplify voices that are rarely heard. My team felt welcomed and free from stigma, which, sadly, isn’t always the case. The discussions during the Q&As were powerful, filled with thoughtful topics and genuine care. This is exactly what we need—a safe space to share and witness difficult subjects within our community.

Elina Bry, Filmmaker

Participating has meant that our project has been shared with a wider audience and given our charity a boost publicly. And, for our participants, [it has given them] a massive boost in their confidence and a great sense of achievement. It has encouraged us to look to source funding for another film project.

Filmmaker Feedback

I leave inspired by other films, people and their stories, and my work is validated through sharing and discussion with the audience. Knowing there are others struggling with mental health and making work is a good thing.

Filmmaker Feedback

This festival is a rare thing – a seamlessly run event that creates caring, safe and welcoming environments in which filmmakers, mental health professionals and informed, curious or ‘theme-invested’ audiences can experience the thrilling and powerful film storytelling the festival programmes, then relax, discuss and share opinions and views with each other and the festival staff too who passionately believe in the power of film to communicate, heal and inspire, and also work tirelessly to make your festival experience a delightful one. Go!

Tim Mercier, Filmmaker