MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Films focused on mental health took over the big screen in Madison on Saturday as the Mental Health Warrior Film Festival returned for its second year.
The festival was created to give filmmakers a space to explore mental health through storytelling.
This year, organizers received 70 submissions from six continents, with films ranging from dramas and comedies to documentaries and musicals.
Director and producer Patrick McHugh said one of the things he values most is seeing how people from different backgrounds approach the same subject.
“It’s awesome to see where everybody’s different perspectives come from and that’s the big thing that I am excited to see. And internationally, even though it is the same subject, what kind of perspectives they put on their own spin for different things.”
For McHugh, the connection to mental health is also personal.
He said he made a film centered around anxiety before fully realizing how closely it reflected his own experience.
“I went to therapy for the first time after I graduated from college, after I made the film, and then I was actually diagnosed with general anxiety disorder. I was making a film without even knowing that I was making something about my own, personal experience.”
McHugh said filmmaking can be both personal and shared.
“What’s cool is that it’s both a personal and a shared experience all at the same time. It is one of my favorite mediums to do so.”
Mental health advocate Brandon Hillaker said many of the films are built around a message of hope.
“A lot of these movies are built around the message of mental health and hope. And I hope that they actually come to these and find hope.”
Hillaker said that message comes from his own experience getting through difficult moments.
“The impossible is only improbable and sometimes on my hardest days, surviving felt impossible, but it wasn’t and I got through it and that’s the whole message behind my movie.”
The festival was held at Flix Brewhouse in Madison and also serves as a fundraiser for NAMI Wisconsin.
Organizers said 33 films were selected for online streaming this year, giving audiences outside Madison a chance to watch and take part in the conversation around mental health.
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