Film and Mental Health: Is Cinema Helping or Hurting?

From gritty dramas to dark comedies, we’ll explore how mental health is depicted on screen, whether through characters in crisis, awkward therapy sessions or everyday struggles behind closed doors.

Through a series of curated clips, this talk will examine how screen narratives shape, challenge or complicate our shared understanding of mental health. From portrayals that reinforce negative stereotypes to those offering sympathetic, meaningful and empowering stories – respectful, realistic and relatable representations of people living with mental health conditions – we will explore how these narratives reflect, distort, or deepen our collective understanding of mental health.

Speakers

• Ella Greenwood, filmmaker, writer and mental health advocate
• Kate Erskine, cultural historian and media scholar
• Rehema Figueiredo, Head of Media & PR, Mind

Hosted by Jeffrey Ingold, journalist and film consultant.

This event is free and open to those aged 15 and over.

Booking opens on Thursday 2 October at 10am.

Tickets for LFF for Free events are over-allocated to account for no-shows. Tickets do not guarantee entry and work on a first-come, first-served basis. Arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Seating is unallocated unless otherwise stated.