NAMI Miami-Dade County expects to attract thousands of people and seat close to 800 people at the forth annual Reel Minds Miami Mental Health Film Festival at the University of Miami’s Donna E. Shalala Center, 1330 Miller Dr., on Sunday, May 19, from 2 to 5 p.m.
This year’s festival will showcase six short films. The narratives behind these films will share a range of life experiences meant to inspire, heal, and empower people. Following each short film, an individual with a lived experience of a mental health challenge will speak on the film’s topic for a few minutes providing further insight about the message behind each film.
This year’s lineup is comprised of films from a variety of talented directors, including a member of the International Cinematographers Guild, a multi-award-winning actor and Navy Veteran, and an award-winning filmmaker. The six films were chosen out of almost 200 submissions based on their compelling storytelling and way of educating and dispelling the myth behind mental illness. Submitted films were judged by film makers, clinicians, high school and college students, individuals with mental illness and their family members.
The 2019 lineup includes Terms of Us by director, writer, producer Roberto Sanchez, a Cuban born, Miami raised Navy Veteran who has a recurring role on Queen of the South. Additionally, Sanchez will be speaking at the festival.
Other films include Baby Steps from Los Angeles director Eric Dyson; Misdirection by Carly Usdin, a University of Central Florida graduate with Miami ties, now an award-winning filmmaker based in Los Angeles; Reverie by Nick Markham; Saving Billy by Vickie Adams, and UkeLayla, directed and produced by a team of recent Miamians and graduates from the University of Central Florida.
“Films are a compelling storytelling form that connects with our deepest sensibilities, and research suggests that film festivals have a positive impact on stigma and recovery in mental illness,” said Kathryn Coppola, executive director at NAMI Miami. “That’s why for the fourth consecutive year, NAMI Miami-Dade is showcasing a curated list of short films inspired by the lives of those who have been affected by mental illness. Together, we can spark the awareness that makes the difference in our society.” NAMI Miami’s goal is to “end the silence” and to start the conversation about mental health proving that recovery is possible.
Individual tickets are $10; family of four (two adults and two children 18 and under) are $25. Scholarship tickets are available for those who can’t afford them. To obtain a scholarship ticket, call 305-665-2540. To purchase tickets, go to: 2019ReelMinds.Eventbrite.com, https://NAMIMiami.org/, or
www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-reel-minds-miami-mental-health-film-festival-tickets-53748815153.
Pay to Park is available at the UM parking garages and parking lots at $1.50 per hour, maximum $8; Purple Parking lot located at 5424 San Amaro Dr., and Pavia Parking Garage, 5615 Pavia St.
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