Directing Change Program & Film Contest Now Open for Submissions
Directing Change is part of Each Mind Matters California's Mental Health Movement and statewide efforts to prevent suicide, reduce stigma and discrimination related to mental illness, and promote the mental health and wellness of students. These initiatives are funded by counties through the Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63) and administered by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), an organization of county governments working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.
The program offers young people the exciting opportunity to participate in the movement by creating 60-second films about suicide prevention and mental health that are used to support awareness, education, and advocacy efforts on these topics. Learning objectives surrounding mental health and suicide prevention are integrated into the submission categories of the film contest, giving young people the opportunity to critically explore these topics.
Please note that there is a $1,000 cash mini-grant to the school or organization associated with the first-place winning film in the Through the Lens of Culture category! Visit the program website for contest rules, and educational resources about suicide prevention and mental health, to view educational videos, and review the submission toolkit: directingchange.org. Submission Deadline: March 1, 2017.
At a glance the program:
- Offers a free and evaluated suicide prevention and mental health education program that can easily be integrated into a classroom, club, or extracurricular activities
- Supported by the California Department of Education
- Open to high school students as well as youth & young adults ages 14-25 in California in partnership with an organization, club, college, or university.
- Invites young people to develop a 60-second film about suicide prevention or mental health
- Invites young people to create 60-second films for diverse communities, exploring the topics in different languages and from the perspective of different cultures
- Provides schools and organizations with educational resources, prevention programs, and training (while supplies last)
- Recognizes youth and schools/organizations at an award ceremony at the end of the school year
- Awards both the winning team and the associated school/organization cash prizes and awards
Other resources:
- View, download, and share last year’s winning films: directingchange.org/contest-winners-finalists
- View, download, and share films for Diverse Communities: directingchange.org
- Volunteer to judge this year’s films or print and share the attached Judge Sign-Up Sheet: directingchange.org/our-judges
- For more information, email Shanti@DirectingChange.org or visit directingchange.org.