Serious Mental Illness Short Film Competition

The Competition is supported by the Sidney Baer Jr. Foundation.

How does it Work?

• They invite filmmakers to submit short films (5 Minutes or under) on the topic of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and/or bipolar disorder. The winning films will receive a $2000 cash prize and be inducted into the mental health film library for distribution across the US & Canada.

What are they looking for?

• They’re looking for short films that explore stories of people living with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and/or bipolar disorder that will spark conversations. The winning films will compassionately portray mental health experiences.

Eligibility Criteria

• Length and Content:
  • They only accept submissions as Vimeo video URLs. YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox, and any other URL links are not accepted and will be disqualified.
  • Submissions must either be interpretive of serious mental illness, or address it directly to be eligible for this competition.
  • Submissions must be 5 minutes or less. Films longer than five (5) minutes will be disqualified.
  • Submissions may not advertise any product, service, brand, or other commercial interest.
  • Submissions that are music videos may only portray original music that you own rights to.
• Language and Location:
  • There are no geographic limitations on entries —they accept short films made anywhere in the world!
  • If a submission is not in English, a translation or subtitles in English must be accessible (Closed Caption CC options turned on).
• Process:
  • If your video is listed as private, you must provide a viewing password in your submission form so the jurors are able to view it.
  • Participants may submit only one version of a given project. However, any participant may submit more than one project. A separate Entry must be completed for each submission.
  • Past winners are required to wait at least one year before re-submitting to the competition.
  • Film jurors from the Advisory Board who are also filmmakers may submit work, but only during competitions in which they are not serving as a juror.
• Content Rights:
  • Filmmaker agrees that all submitted films may be used by Art With Impact for educational and outreach activities and the winning filmmaker will sign a license agreement to Art With Impact that will allow both AWI and and affiliated organizations in any relevant programming in perpetuity.
  • Filmmakers are responsible for securing any and all necessary licenses for any third party content, including footage, music, fonts, artwork, and any other asset used in film production.
• Jurying Procedures:
  • Films will be judged by the Film Program team and select members of the Advisory Board, which comprises of filmmakers, mental health professionals, and students.
  • To select the winner, jurors respond to the 10 questions found in the contest FAQ.
  • Art With Impact reserves the right to not award a prize ($2,000 cash) if submissions do not meet the jury’s standards for both content and production value.
• Topic Focus
  • This competition is inspired by the life and legacy of Sidney Baer Jr. and supported by the Baer Foundation.
  • The three winning films will tell authentic stories of people living with serious mental illnesses (ie. Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar Disorder) with the goal of reducing stigma and opening opportunities for dialogue and learning.

For more information, visit Voices With Impact.