We are moving stories

“I initially started making this film as a way to learn more about my sister after her death than perhaps I could during her life. When she committed suicide I put all of her belongings into storage, everything from her old socks to her beautiful large-scale artwork and personal journals. Having been a doc editor for many years I foolishly thought that filming the experience would somehow provide a protective layer from the grief I knew I would have to finally face. As the project grew I realized that I am not alone with this kind of storage space, and was motivated to keep moving forward so others who had lost someone to suicide could see that they are not alone.”

“The world we’re living in is so culturally saturated in suicide that it’s hard to read the newspaper or turn on the TV without encountering a statistic or story about its potential causes, its commonest victims, or the latest celebrity lost. What so often gets left out of the picture is the visceral experience that accompanies mourning these kinds of death: the tangible dangers and intangible sensations that appear in suicide’s wake. Opia is meant to make those experiences more emotionally accessible for people who haven’t gone through such losses themselves, in order to bridge the gap between mourners and their friends and family.”

“Shige’s story resonated with me — here was a man who seemed to have a unique way of understanding suicide and suicide prevention, operating this non-profit and serving traditional food (oroshi mochi) to create a nostalgic trigger that rekindles a reason for attemptees to live.”

“In Australia, suicide takes more lives than skin cancer… Psychs On Bikes takes us on a journey to understand how we can change this statistic by starting a conversation.”

“Perhaps the biggest development was the interview with the lead character Prentiss. All the time spent staring at the train tracks has enabled him to come to deeply insightful thoughts regarding the subject matter.”

“You’ve probably never seen a short drawn completely with crayons! This film will make you laugh and really feel something. It will make you reflect on the people in your life and will make you grateful for the life you have.”

“There’s a philosophy in treatment that I believe is relevant to everybody, whether or not you struggle with OCD. The idea is to lean into uncertainty. When you can accept that the answer to “what if” is often “maybe,” you can move past sticky thoughts.”

“As the director, I embraced the fluid nature of documentary filmmaking, allowing the narrative to evolve organically. This meant being open to following new leads, adjusting the production to incorporate emerging themes, and ensuring that the final film was a truthful representation of the lived experiences of those involved. This approach not only enriched the storytelling but also reinforced the film’s mission to shed light on the realities of mental health and suicide prevention with genuine empathy and understanding.”

“You should watch this film because this is something that I feel needs to be seen. Even if you aren’t suffering from depression or anxiety or suicidal thoughts, other people are and I think it’s important to understand and familiarize ourselves with the way they’re hurting.”

“You should watch the film because the world we live in today is filled with negativity. This film aims to send a positive message to its viewers and encourages people to seek help if they are suffering from depression. Statistically speaking, some of the members of the audience are most likely suffering or have suffered from some severity of depression and I hope that it could help them.”

“People have watched this film and have had such surprising responses - gasping, laughter, tears. It seems to take everyone by surprise and we’re proud of that.”

“Jon wrote this film after his own weird interaction with a suicide hotline where he was told to “Keep it to five minutes” and upon the hotline operator realizing she messed up, he ended up comforting her. That odd comedic moment inspires the tone of this short. Jesse and Jon both have had their own experiences with depression and suicidal thoughts and wanted to expose the messier reality to dark moments in life. They’re not necessarily all melodramatic and life can be funny even when you’re feeling your worst.”

“Because it’s a fun black comedy that tackles some serious issues but not in an intrusive or in your face kind of way. And the main character Penny is just a cool chick.”

“People don’t really talk about their experiences with suicide and depression. It is a huge taboo. It was also hard to make a film about it, but we wanted to take up that challenge in DRYLAND. We made the lead girl a swimmer and used the water as the voice of the quiet emotional process that her and her mother go through in the film.”

“You should watch this movie because everyone should. Who doesn’t love a coming of age film? A buddy film? A road-trip film? There is stellar music, beautiful landscapes, and so much that these characters can teach.”

“This film is about leaving childhood behind, and entering womanhood and the control men and religion have over us, especially in the 1940s. I set it in a time inspired by the 40s because it was a time of experimental psyhcology which was often performed on women. The film plays with time, jumping from past memories which affect the present for this little girl. It speaks to the rules we are expected to abide by, whether by society, politics or religion and how they are forced upon us at such a young age. At some point, we have all felt restricted so it’s relatable.”

“You should watch this film because it’ll make you feel like you’re in the same room as these characters. The conversations will stick with you as you evaluate your own viewpoint on the topics the film covers.”

“Unknown to many in my first two years of college I had a really rough start. I dealt with bullying, harassment, relationship issues, cheating, accepting myself as gay, and sexual trauma. I eventually hit a breaking point during my sophomore year in November of 2014 and almost hung myself in my dorm room closet. A memory of my mom and the guilt of what it would do to her and my family made me stop and I ended up dropping out of college to get away from my problems.”

“Jumper tackles topics that are still considered taboo in Middle Eastern cultures such as Suicide and LGBTQ issues. These issues are not openly discussed in our community. We’ve been told our film is compelling, moving and hopeful.”

“The underlying themes of the film are loss, obsession and redemption. These might not be universal in the sense that not everyone has been truly obsessed by someone or something, and I suppose there might be people in the world who don’t struggle with the need for redemption. Everyone deals with loss in their own way, however, and we think this film is very much a window into the connection between those emotions.”

“If you’re a fan of boundary-pushing filmmaking that takes risks, I hope Look At Me is the kind of film for you. It’s an authentic exploration of my personal journey with self-image, body image, and bulimia. Through this film, we aim to break down stigmas surrounding mental health, encouraging open and compassionate discussions. The unique storytelling, with me portraying myself in a vulnerable role, provides an immersive experience, inviting you to connect with my journey.”

“It’s a short, psychological thriller that takes you on the journey through the labyrinth of Audrey’s mind. Even though it’s a surreal, stylized piece, you can relate to Audrey’s struggle and want to find out what happened to her dead sister and anyone gets scared of their own minds sometimes.”

“It’s a naturalistic film that follows one character throughout one day. It’s subtle, delicate and very emotional. You (the audience) should watch because it’s timely, personal (probably to many viewers) and hopefully makes you think long after the film is finished.”

“While this film heavily draws from my own personal experience with my mental health, it evolved into a greater exploration of how to express different unique mental states through animation. After talking with many people who were open and brave enough to share their experiences with me, I have come to believe we are in desperate need of films that express how we each subjectively experience our thoughts, as our experiences are often a lot more common than we realize.”

“The whole idea of “If only I’d known and I could have said…” about someone who has killed themselves is mentioned a lot in the wake, and as much as it’s vitally important to ask people how they are, and to listen to people when they say they’re feeling down; there’s a lot of guilt left in people about how they didn’t talk or reach out someone. This film focuses on both how there is people willing to talk to you, and would never want to see you go through with a suicide; but also some people who are so far gone that there’s nothing short of tying them up that will stop them from going through with the deed. It’s a delicate line to balance on.”

“The story revolves around a group of friends in their 20s that are coming of age and at a point to where they are trying to determine who they will be for the rest of their lives. After losing someone very close to them to suicide, it gives this search for meaning even more gravity. ”