After receiving a record-breaking 400 submissions, we will be showcasing stunning films that confront and reflect on mental health. These talented filmmakers have brought their stories to life through profound and thought-provoking cinema. We’re excited to share their incredible achievements in mental health filmmaking and engage in conversations about their films and the stories behind them.
With four feature films, 27 shorts, two special screening events and a touring film, we will be highlighting exceptional work from Scottish talent and filmmakers from around the world, including Australia, Canada, Greece and Singapore.
Many of the events feature our pay what you can ticket pricing: £7 / £5 / £3 / FREE. SDH captions are available across the programme.
Explore the programme below and book tickets via the links. Or you can download our Focus on Film leaflet which includes clickable booking links.
Main image: The Werewolf Complex by Heather E Andrews, screening as part of Scottish Stories on Friday 18 October.
Line-Up
Please book for individual events via the links below.
The Taste of Mango
Wed 16 Oct, 8-10pm, Glasgow Film Theatre
Chloe Abrahams’ debut feature is a heart-wrenching and beautiful meditation centring on three generations of women wading through their entangled histories, leaning into themes of identity, history of violence, trauma and healing.
Pay What You Can: £10 / £8 / £6 / £4 / £2 / FREE
Remember 2 Replenish
Public Screening: Thu 17 Oct, 5-6.30pm
Sistah’s Screening: Sat 19 Oct, 2-3.30pm
This immersive screening event delves into the lived experiences of Black women, offering a cinematic exploration of self-care and resilience. The featured shorts highlight the often-overlooked realities of burnout, the pressure of societal expectations, and the journey towards healing and empowerment.
Pay What You Can:
£7 / £5 / £3 / FREE
International Film Awards
Thursday 17 Oct, 7-9pm
Join us to celebrate our winning films across twelve categories – including best narrative feature, human rights and experimental – chosen from over 400 submissions. Hear from this year’s award-winning filmmakers, discover what’s coming up over the weekend and enjoy a drink at our reception.
Free but ticketed
In Dialogue // Documentality:
The Price of Passion Report
Fri 18 Oct, 12.30-2pm
What is the mental health cost of working in documentary filmmaking? This open forum conversation, with speakers including Rebecca Day from Film in Mind, will centre on the latest DocuMentality report exploring the ways in which documentary filmmaking is impacting our mental health.
Pay What You Can:
£7 / £5 / £3 / FREE
In Community
Fri 18 Oct, 2.30-4.40pm
A collection of films that explore collective healing, providing spaces to address anxiety, inner wounds and inequality. These diverse UK-based filmmakers highlight the essential role of community in supporting mental health.
Pay What You Can
£7 / £5 / £3 / FREE
My Dad’s Tapes
Fri 18 Oct, 5.30-7.30pm
A remarkable trove of home movies spark filmmaker Kurtis Watson to investigate repressed memories from his past. Rooted in care, Watson creates space for his family to think through the circumstances that led to his father taking his own life. A poignant and cathartic journey of familial healing and reconnection.
Pay What You Can
£7 / £5 / £3 / FREE
Scottish Stories
Fri 18 Oct, 8-10pm
From Glasgow to the Highlands. An eclectic compilation highlighting uniquely Scottish stories from artists working in Scotland. Each piece is deeply rooted in the personal offering profound reflection and meditation on themes of anxiety, health conditions, and personal relationships.
Pay What You Can
£7 / £5 / £3 / FREE
Interventions
Sat 19 Oct, 12-1.50pm
Come to Cope, Come to Heal, Come to Intervene. Our goal is to identify the root causes of mental health challenges and work toward prevention. These films encourage us to confront our struggles head-on, embracing the power of self-awareness and healing.
Pay What You Can
£7 / £5 / £3 / FREE
Family Ties
Sat 19 Oct, 2-4pm
Family can take various forms and is always central to our existence. This programme of international shorts takes a deep dive into family dynamics, exploring how family shapes our mental health and influences who we become.
Pay What You Can
£7 / £5 / £3 / FREE
Sick Girls
Sat 19 Oct, 4-6pm
In this personal film, director Gitti Grüter engages with five other women living with ADHS to reflect on their shared experiences. Sick Girls weaves together each woman’s story and asks: what does it mean to have your existence not fit within the rigid frame of societal norms?
Pay What You Can
£7 / £5 / £3 / FREE
In/Visible
Sat 19 Oct, 6-8.10pm
A celebration of the festival’s theme, In/Visible. This collection of shorts embraces the visible and invisible and the dissonance in-between, exploring themes of trauma, migration, family and the inner self in unique ways.
Pay What You Can
£7 / £5 / £3 / FREE
Silent Men
Sat 19 Oct, 8.15-10.15pm
In his debut feature, Duncan Cowles embarks on a journey across the UK to ask men about their experiences of mental health, in an effort understand his own struggles of sharing his feelings with loved ones. An important exploration into a taboo topic, grounded in Cowles’ deadpan style and artistic flare.
Pay What You Can
£7 / £5 / £3 / FREE
