
120 minutes
18+
Talking about mental health and sharing these stories is a vital practice in today's world, these filmmakers have crafted beautifully gentle and tender stories reflecting the human condition.
These films are a testament to the power of cinema, and the compassionate stories that can be shared.
The 8 films that make up this session vary in tone from a self-reflective artist battling anxiety in a beautifully heartwarming animation, to a UK premiere depicting a young girl's struggle with her mother’s borderline personality disorder.
This session is of course to honour a selection of talented filmmakers but these projects do more than that, starting vital conversations.

UK PREMIERE - The story represents the unstable relationship between Luna, a mother with Borderline Personality Disorder, and Elisa, her teenage daughter. Elisa has a younger sister, Clara, and she has no choice but to take on responsibilities beyond her age, assuming the maternal role in the family.
East Midlands Prem - Struggling with alcohol addiction and mental illness, an artist reaches out
to an old friend.
UK Premiere - An elderly woman lives in deep loneliness in her apartment. When a new carer
starts work, the two discover an unexpected connection. But the old woman's plan to end her
life casts a shadow over their encounter and puts the young carer in trouble.
Alyssum follows Alyson, a young woman who’s struggling with perfectionism as she attempts to craft the perfect bouquet for her wife, Lilith. Overwhelmed by anxiety and self-doubt, she battles her inner critic, represented by corrupting vines. As she spirals deeper into self-doubt, she must decide: will she push forward and embrace imperfection, or will her fears consume her?
A husband and father, overwhelmed with life, is driven to the edge. A series of phone calls
intensifies his struggle.
A different perspective on suicide prevention.
European Premiere - After a tragic car crash leaves their mother in a coma, 19-year-old Dakota
is forced into adulthood as she becomes the primary caregiver for her younger brother, Zach, a
young boy struggling with severe ADHD. Torn between grief, guilt, and her own stalled future,
she must decide how much of herself she can give without disappearing.
Antón, aged 72, lives alone when he is diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He
decides not to tell his daughter Ana, who lives abroad, while he takes refuge from the passing of
time by turning his memories into paintings.
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