Dear Judge,

We encourage you to seek personal support if you become troubled by the content of this category. If you experience an emotional crisis, there are people available to help you at
1-800-273-TALK (8255).

The entry you are judging is a 60-second film in the Walk in Our Shoes Category. This category is only open to middle school students. When you are judging these films remember that they were created by young people around the ages of 12 to 15. Students were asked to make a film about one of these topics:

• THE SUPERHERO IN EACH OF US: STRENGTHS, PURPOSE, AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE LOSE THEM. Every superhero has a strength, or something that they are especially great at. These strengths can often feel like a person’s purpose, or reason for them to be alive… but what happens when someone loses this strength or purpose? Create a film that looks at the world through someone else’s eyes and shows the challenges that someone might face if they feel like they have lost their strength or reason for their life. How can someone tell that a person may no longer want to live? What could an ordinary person do to help?
• WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH. We talk a lot about physical health, but what about mental health? What does that look like: Are you happy all the time? Can you be mentally healthy if you’ve had a mental illness? Are there things you can do to improve your mental health like you do for your physical health, or is it something only a professional can do? Create a film that teaches people the truth about what mental health is,or teaches them how someone can build better mental health.
• WORDS MATTER. We’ve probably all casually thrown around words like “crazy” in everyday life when we were talking about something else. But how does that make you feel if you, or someone you care about, is dealing with a mental illness? Does that make you feel like you can talk about what you’re going through or does it make you feel ashamed or different from others? The words you use can have a big impact. Even if you know they are untrue, labels that people throw around can still hurt and make you feel disconnected from everyone else. Your film should tell a story that encourages people to use kind and accurate words to talk about mental health.

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Shanti - shanti@directingchange.org (619.786.5622)
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Emma - emma@directingchange.org (707.394.8708)

In advance, we appreciate your time.

Title

Overwhelmed

Grade

6

Description from the submitter

The film is about a middle schooler named kyle that is overwhelmed by assignments and school until a student named Gianna helps him manage his mental illness by being his friend and helping him with assignments.

1. Does the film include a message about at least one action that someone can take to help someone else or themselves?

• Learn where to find support (like hotlines that are available 24/7)
• Change the words you use to talk about mental illness
• Support someone going through a difficult time
• Speak up when others aren’t supportive
• Tell a trusted adult if someone is talking about suicide or is harming themselves
• Start conversations about mental health on campus or with friends to make it easier for others to talk about what they’re feeling and get support
• Don’t wait — get help from a professional if you’re struggling with mental health challenge.

2. Did the film focus on one of these three topics?

1. THE SUPERHERO IN EACH OF US: Every superhero has a strength, or something that they are especially great at. These strengths can often feel like a person’s purpose, or reason for them to be alive… but what happens when someone loses this strength or purpose? Create a film that looks at the world through someone else’s eyes and shows the challenges that someone might face if they feel like they have lost their strength or reason for their life. How can someone tell that a person may no longer want to live? What could an ordinary person do to help?

2. WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH. We talk a lot about physical health, but what about mental health? What does that look like: Are you happy all the time? Can you be mentally healthy if you’ve had a mental illness? Are there things you can do to improve your mental health like you do for your physical health, or is it something only a professional can do? Create a film that teaches people the truth about what mental health is,or teaches them how someone can build better mental health.

3. WORDS MATTER. We’ve probably all casually thrown around words like “crazy” in everyday life when we were talking about something else. But how does that make you feel if you, or someone you care about, is dealing with a mental illness? Does that make you feel like you can talk about what you’re going through or does it make you feel ashamed or different from others? The words you use can have a big impact. Even if you know they are untrue, labels that people throw around can still hurt and make you feel disconnected from everyone else. Your film should tell a story that encourages people to use kind and accurate words to talk about mental health.

3. Does the film have a positive and educational message about mental health, how words matter, looking at the world through another young person’s eye, OR suicide prevention?

For example, for mental health the film might teach people the facts about mental health and what someone can do to build better mental health.

For example, for words matter the film might talk about how the words we use can make someone else feel good or bad. For example if someone is experiencing a mental illness, how some words (labels) can make them feel ashamed or different from others. The film might suggest words and behaviors that we can use to make someone feel good about themselves and supported.

4. Is the film respectful of different people and cultures?

5. Does the film avoid statistics?