Sometimes the very act of seeing other people open up about their struggle can help us ask for and seek help around our own mental health struggles.
Through partnerships with several organizations and production companies, JED offers opportunities for campus screenings of powerful films that explore real-life stories of struggle and eventual healing. Bring one of these films to your campus.
Our Turn to Talk
From skyrocketing rates of anxiety and depression to the impacts of racism, social media, and the pandemic, teens’ struggles and triumphs carry a powerful message: Storytelling saves lives. That is what motivated high school senior Anastasia Vlasova to start a podcast. And audiences join her on her journey to share her story and travel across the country to give other teens a chance to share theirs. Real, raw, and life-affirming, Our Turn to Talk comes at a time when it’s needed most.
Plan a campus screening event of Our Turn to Talk:
Each and Every Day Documentary
Created in partnership with MTV and JED, and from filmmakers Sheila Nevins and Alexandra Shiva, this powerful documentary explores youth mental health through the eyes of nine different young people who’ve attempted suicide or struggled with suicidal thoughts. The film offers relatable and authentic portraits of young people dealing with suicide and emphasizes help seeking and hope. It also includes a companion playbook to help schools plan, facilitate and host a screening including discussion questions, conversation starters, participant bios and more. Learn more about Each and Every Day here.
Plan a campus screening event of Each and Every Day:
Mission: JOY – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu join forces in this award-winning film to share ancient wisdom and cutting edge neuroscience that shows us exactly how we can each access more JOY, no matter our circumstances. And they know what they are talking about. They both lived through extreme hardship, and continued to live with JOY despite their circumstances.
Plan a campus screening event of Mission: JOY:
My Depression
Featuring the voices of Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi & Fred Armisen, My Depression is a critically-acclaimed half-hour film that tells Elizabeth Swados’ personal story of her lifelong struggle with depression. Elizabeth — a successful Broadway composer, writer and director — uses her talents of music and storytelling to share her story and help others who may be struggling with emotional health conditions like depression.
Plan a campus screening event of My Depression:
- The film is available on all HBO platforms and is also available to stream on Kanopy (see if your campus has access).
- Download the Screening Guide
Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw
Hailed as the “female Michael Jordan,” impressing crowds with her artistry, athleticism, and drive, 3-time NCAA champ and number one draft pick in the WNBA, Chamique Holdsclaw seemed destined for a spectacular professional career — until her long-suppressed battle with mental disorders emerged to derail her career and threaten her life. Mind/Game intimately chronicles her athletic accomplishments and personal setbacks, as well as her decision, despite public stigma, to become an outspoken mental health advocate. Narrated by Glenn Close, the film tells a powerful story of courage, struggle, and redemption.
Plan a campus screening event of Mind/Game: