In "Looking Up," the camera turns its lens on three individuals whose lives intersect through a shared love for birdwatching. As the story unfolds, each character opens up about their personal battles with mental health, navigating the turbulent waters of burnout, depression, anxiety, and trauma. This short film doesn't sugarcoat life's challenges, but it gently reminds us that sometimes, the simple act of reconnecting with nature—watching birds, in this case—can be a powerful remedy.

Looking Up

Seventeen-year-old Emily Jimenez struggles with mental distress but feels unable to seek help due to her Latinx immigrant family's cultural stigma around mental health and help-seeking. When her parents, Raul and Elena, witness the extent of her emotional challenges, they confront their doubts about mental health treatment. Despite initial resistance, they decide to support Emily by embracing therapy, realizing that overcoming stigma is essential to helping their daughter heal.

Nuestro Apoyo

Sam adjusts to living at a mental health residential facility having just been given new diagnoses and coming out of a major depressive episode.

and Yesterday and Today and Tomorrow

A young college student full of grief and loneliness after finding out about the unexpected suicide of her best friend must make the ultimate life or death decision.

One Less Lonely Ghost

Saisha has always been a fighter—both on the mat and in life. As she prepares for an upcoming karate tournament, she’s also battling something far more challenging: the weight of hiding her mental illness from her parents.&nbsp;

Saisha

Filmmaker and upcoming college graduate Sully Styles examines the worst year of his life, his freshman year of college, through the poetry and music he wrote that year.

Watching

Shorts Block No. 4 - Youth In Mental Health

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A Chicago-based film festival about mental health. 

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