My SDI

We're delighted to collaborate with Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival to present a series of short film screenings and conversations exploring healing and mental health through diverse voices and experiences.

Join us for an online conversation chaired by SDI Director Noé Mendelle to explore the idea of healing in the context of documentary filmmaking.

Also part of the conversation will be Will Hewitt & Austen McCowan, co-directors of Harmonic Spectrum, which won the Short Documentary award at SMHAF 2021 and BAFTA Scotland for Best Short Film & Animation, and Beth Allan and Lindsay Devereux, producer and subject of That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, which won the Short Documentary award at SMHAF 2020 and BAFTA Scotland for Best Short Film.

The panel discussion will take place on Zoom and is free to attend. Book in advance here. 

Before the conversation, you will be able to watch five films made under the Bridging the Gap programme, which explore mental health through the prism of lived experiences and past narratives.

These will be available to view on INDY On Demand from Monday 29 November until Friday 3 December. 

Featured Films

Vivir Bailando, Inma De Reyes, UK, 14m

A sweet and uplifting film based in rural Spain where Cari (79) and Vicente (80) spend their life being in love and dancing to loud music. The film explores the effect that second chances may have in a relationship when grief gets involved.

Harmonic Spectrum, Will Hewitt, Austen McCowan, UK, 17m

The films follows Sean, a musician who uses the piano to navigate life on the Autistic Spectrum. The film presents a tender and honest portrait of what it means balance a life between sheer enthusiasm and compromise.

The Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore, Hanna Curie, UK, 12m

When Paul suffers a massive brain injury the long-lasting effects are bizarre and frustrating, leaving him caught in a perpetual loop of joke telling. This unique film explores the effect Paul’s injury has on his wife Lindsay and her struggle to deal with isolation and the pressure that arises in their relationship.

Only My Voice, Myriam Rey, UK, 11m

The film presents the diverse stories and dreams of migrant women living in Athens, Greece. This poetic and sensitive film takes us on an intimate journey around the city and makes us take a step back and listen to the small moments between a traumatic past and an uncertain but hopeful future.

Everyman, Jack Goessens, UK, 12m

Everyman is a personal visual essay on gender transition and the personal feelings that come with having a new life and identity. Director Jack Goessens tells his story by crafting an imaginative film where tropes and pop culture imagery is used to express how the world is different when living as a female compared to being perceived as a male.