MMOF 2021 accepting entries for short films on mental health
KUALA LUMPUR: Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) and the Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing (CMHW) recently launched the second season of the ‘My Mind On Film’ (MMOF) Youth Mental Health Film Festival to coincide with World Mental Health Day.
Themed Heart and Mind, MMOF 2021 will be accepting submissions from young filmmakers until Dec 31 this year.
This year’s grand prize will see the top filmmaker walk away with cash prize of RM10,000 and an opportunity to produce a mental health short film (valued at RM30,000), which will be screened in GSC theatres with full production support from the exhibitor.
GSC Movies general manager Tung Yow Kong, who is one of the jurors of MMOF 2021, said GSC as one of the leading cinema exhibitors in Malaysia is fully committed to developing and nurturing local filmmaking talent.
“MMOF 2021 provides this opportunity to budding and young filmmakers, and we look forward to creating and sharing powerful messages about mental health through cinema,” he was quoted as saying in a press release.
Films produced by all finalists will be screened at GSC during an awards ceremony in January next year, while a wide range of other prizes that include film industry placement, packages of counselling sessions with mental health professionals, and university study awards, will be announced soon.
In addition to continuing the two categories of Young Adults (age 18 to 25) and High Schoolers (age 15 +), and following many submissions from around the world in the first season, MMOF 2021 has also introduced a Non-Malaysian (International) category as well.
The organisers are committed to making the festival a shared experience with the continued objectives of inspiring sharing of perspectives and ideas and breaking down stigma.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Mental Health Association president Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj, who is also one of the founders of the Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, commented that he was truly amazed by the quality of films in the festival last year.
“We have since actually worked with one of the finalists (Ahmad Shah Ahmad Shahrifuddin) to produce a short film that is being used as part of our ‘A conversation on suicide’ intervention.
“MMOF is a uniquely accessible way to inspire and empower around mental health,” he said.