Tom Farley, Chris Farley’s brother talking about the importance of film in fighting stigma against mental illness and addiction.

Keith Wakeman CEO of Super Better. A mental health program that helps you defeat your struggles gamefully. He is with local actor Brian Belz and festival founder Max Blaska

On the day a girl plans to take her own life, she’s confronted by the very person who sent her spiraling to begin with.

It’s just another [excruciating] meal for Vienna - until an offer to conquer her greatest fear in ‘three simple steps’ arrives. Desperate for freedom from her fear of eating, Vienna takes the offer up - only to realize she bit off far more than she can chew...

As Vienna is taken through these three escalating steps to conquer her fear, she also discovers just how resilient she is, ultimately fighting anorexia back in the most defiant way possible: by reclaiming her autonomy in eating.

An autistic high school senior, fresh from a psychiatric hospital, who spent seven years in special ed, sets out to prove his doctors and teachers wrong by getting into the college of his dreams. As he struggles to get others to believe in him, his "voice inside" strives to build the strength to choose self-confidence over self-doubt. It helps to know that no matter what others may believe, he can always count on his girlfriend to cheer him on. This film is based on a true story.

Depression is often hidden behind a smile. Through the Modern Looking Glass explores the different forms and causes of depression and how those feelings can be exacerbated by social media. The ensemble cast know one another only through social media connections and compare their real lives to the posts of those they follow. To one another, those characters look like they have it all, but they are all actually struggling with issues of their own. Things are not always as they appear . . .

Set against the backdrop of the pandemic, “Scroll Food” tells the story of Derrick Loomis, quarantining at home alone, absorbing a smorgasbord of social media posts being spread online. His mental health begins to suffer due to his inability to put down his phone and “disconnect” from the world while he also deals with his own personal demons and depression. "Scroll Food" takes an unflinching look at how perception vs reality can blur everyday life.

Mimi, a people-pleasing psychotherapist, is fed up with her hostile work environment, abusive boss, and cheating boyfriend. She poses as a cocaine addict for a free "vacation" at a luxury rehab, but will she get away with her scam?

“Super Human Anxiety” is about a teenage girl, Whitney, who thinks she’s hiding her strong emotions well. But, when her elevator breaks down, fate forces her to out her secret.

Set in an all girls boarding school in Upstate New York, “Super Human Anxiety” follows the story of a young teenager, Whitney, who has always had strong emotions, but recently they have been presenting themselves as super human strength. She works in overdrive to mask her anxiety and her powers, until today, when her elevator breaks down, Whitney must accept help from Ms. Sweetly to calm her nerves so they can both get out of the elevator safely.

During years in complete isolation and loneliness caring for her sick mother, Lucía develops dissociative identity disorder, creating two personalities in her mind. Her other identity takes the form of her older sister Eva, with whom she maintains long conversations.

Eva's voice begins to direct her life, making Lucia's boyfriend disappear. Lucía begins to take medication and thus, her sister's voice is absent.

As the years go by and tired of her mother's illness, Lucía decides to wake Eva up again, giving up the pills. At this moment, Lucía suffers a loss of memory of her own actions known as “lost times” and Eva helps her to REMEMBER: Lucía has just killed her mother, like she did with that boy.

Star2 and Lil Poppa's Music Video to their hit song "Pain"

At one point or another, we all have to or have already ventured out into the world, leaving whatever family we had known behind. It’s still isolation to be in a room full of people, and not know a single one of them. All these people around you, and yet you have the audacity to feel alone. Opportunity around every corner, and yet all you can do is stay In Your Head.

You are not alone.

We have all been in our heads.

This is a multi-media project exploring late diagnosed autism.

The animated video represents a time before the discovery of autism, including stimming, overwhelm and confusion

When celebrity psychologist Larry Gatlin returns to his home state of Wisconsin to receive an award for his work fighting the stigma of mental illness, all is not well. An unexpected turn with his estranged sister and personal demons collide, creating a narrative that goes beyond the surface of celebration.

"The Last Rung on the Ladder" is the short film adaptation from the 1978 Stephen King short story, co-written by Max Blaska and Karla S. Bryant. Blaska received permission and extension from the King organization through the "Dollar Baby" program. As the initiative was discontinued in 2024, "The Last Rung on the Ladder" is among the last of the Dollar Baby films.

Voices With Impact is a yearly short film production grant that funds 5 minute films that create transformative conversations around the topic of mental health. Each year VWI awards 10 filmmaking teams $7.5k to make a 5 minute short on specific underrepresented mental health topics

They have an excitng fim festival coming up in June

A micro-short horror film based on a real nightmare about a man who can’t stop chewing his nails with dire consequences.