We’re thrilled to be presenting a special 25th-ish anniversary screening of the seminal film Safe by
Todd Haynes which was presented at the third Rendezvous With Madness in 1995. This retrospective
could not be more timely given the current coronavirus pandemic we’ve all been living through since
spring 2020; nor can the serendipitous timing of Halloween; this is a quintessential horror film as seen
through the character of Carol White (played magnificently by Julianne Moore).

Set in 1987, the film follows White, a well-to-do California housewife who suddenly finds herself struggling to breathe while doctors continually insist that nothing is amiss with her health. Before long, Carol self diagnoses herself to be reacting to the toxic chemicals around her stating emphatically that she’s “allergic to the 20th century.” When Safe was originally released many viewers viewed Carol’s
plight as a metaphor for the HIV/AIDS epidemic; in 2021 it’s both that pandemic and the current one
that will leave their marks on you long after the film’s credits roll.

SCREENING WITH FORM 1
Jubal Brown | 2021 | Canada | English | 13 min
Commissioned by the non-profit organization Asylum From Psychiatry and Marta McKenzie, this
film is largely based on patient experiences in the mental health care systems in Canada. Found
footage sourced from movies and television are used to create an abstract narrative illustrating the
traumas experienced by patients in psychiatric institutions.

Keywords: Chemical Sensitivity | Environmental Illness| Family | Trauma | Virus

“I wanted to bring up the behaviour that we
all exhibit around illness, particularly in the
way we try to attach meaning and personal responsibility to illness and how much illness
and identity are mixed up with each other,
… Safe feels like this allegory about all kinds
of indeterminate and imprecise notions of
health, well-being and immunity in peril.”
—Todd Haynes

Join us our friends at Goethe Institut Toronto as we navigate feelings of loneliness and isolation. Reflecting our present moment, Berlin filmmaker Nicola Graef’s new documentary “A Lonely City” listens as urban dwellers of all ages and circumstances frankly share their personal stories of solitude (and glimpses of hope and community). Catch this international premiere May 18-20 as part of the #GoetheFilms series “Loneliness in the City” streaming on digital TIFF Lightbox. (In German with English subtitles.)

We are pleased to co-present the ReelAbilities Film Festival screening of The World Is Bright – a riveting Canadian documentary following the epic 10-year journey of a Chinese couple searching for the truth behind their son’s death in Canada. On May 30th at 2 PM, audiences are invited to watch The World Is Bright, which will be followed by a panel about Mental health and Immigration at 4:30 PM.

We are excited to co-present the program His Name is Ray with Hot Docs Ted Hot Rogers Cinema.

In his anticipated follow-up to Transformer, which took home the Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary at Hot Docs 2018, acclaimed director Michael Del Monte gives a human face to our growing homelessness and opioid crises. Ray once had everything. A job that he loved with the Canadian Coast Guard. The husband to a wife. The father to a family. But his heroin addiction took it all away. Now, the former sailor lives on the streets of Toronto with an entire population that seems to have just fallen through the cracks. Who was he? How did he end up there? With a remarkably compassionate and intimate lens, Del Monte follows Ray on his precarious journey to get off the streets and back on the water, where — in the ultimate achievement of the oblivion he craves — he could just sail away from it all.

+ Screening also includes a special recorded epilogue featuring Ray and Q&A with Michael Del Monte (Director), Scott Montgomery (Writer/Producer) and Hanan Townshend (Composer), moderated by Hot Docs programmer, Aisha Jamal.

On Wednesday, May 26 at 7:30 PM (EST), we hosted a free live panel Homelessness in the Time of COVID in conjunction with the screening of His Name is Ray. The talk wae moderated by Dr. Naheed Dosani, a palliative care physician who cares for homeless and vulnerably housed individuals with dignity and compassion. The recording of the talk is not available for streaming. Click here for more info or to view the panel discussion.

Panelists

Dr. Naheed Dosani (Moderator) is a palliative care physician who cares for homeless and vulnerably housed individuals. He’s a Lecturer at the University of Toronto & lead physician of Palliative Education And Care for the Homeless (PEACH). During COVID19, he has served as Medical Director for the Region of Peel’s COVID19 Isolation/Housing Program.

Michael Del Monte (Panelist) is a documentary filmmaker and the Director of His Name Is Ray. His film Transformer won both the Audience Award and the Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Award at the 2018 Hot Docs Festival.

Akia Munga (they/them) (Panelist) is a harm reduction worker, activist and consultant.

Jesse Upton Crowe (they/them) (Panelist) is an affordable housing advocate, musician and hairstylist who works with the Encampment Support Network (ESN) in Toronto’s Parkdale.

Jennifer (she/her) (Panelist) is a 50-year-old disabled, queer woman & artist currently trying to survive the shelter system. Happiest when living amongst the bees & trees.

We are excited to co-present the program “what is erased occasionally returns as a ghost” at the 2021 Images Festival. This year, Images Festival is FREE online via live-stream at imagesfestival.com from May 20-26, 2021.

“what is erased occasionally returns as a ghost” features works by Emily Vey Duke & Cooper Battersby, Ruth Höflich, Vika Kirchenbauer, Kamila Kuc, and Laida Lertxundi. The program will screen on Sunday, May 23 at 8:00 PM EDT with a Q & A to follow with the artists moderated by Bojana Stancic. Co-presented with 8fest, Canadian Film Institute, and Workman Arts/Rendezvous With Madness.

We are thrilled to co-present Land of Not Knowing at the Singapore Mental Health Film Festival. The film and accompanying talk will be available to screen within Canada.

In this bold new experimental documentary, four artists talk about suicide: the role the recurring thought has played in their life and art, the struggle to understand and overcome the impulse, and the ongoing confrontation with a form of stigma that renders the very concept of suicide as a kind of pariah even among mental health issues and discussions. With a frankness that is both bracing and illuminating, Sanguedolce’s subjects tell their stories, and the filmmaker responds with a striking visual scheme that permits us something rarely attempted in the engagement with this most misunderstood of conditions: a sense of first person understanding.

The film is accompanied by a panel discussion: “Suicide: Can talk or not?” on May 27, at 8:00 PM Singapore time (8:00 AM ET) A total of 400 suicides were recorded in Singapore in 2019, with youths aged 10 to 29 representing a significant portion of this figure. Despite general consensus on the need to curb and prevent suicide, many of us find ourselves not knowing how to approach this seeming delicate topic:

How do we talk about suicide? Are there signs to it?
Will asking about suicide compel one to act on it?
What are the psychological and sociological causes of suicide?

This panel conversation will explore what goes on in the mind of an individual contemplating suicide, and learn about possible signs and symptoms. We will also share ways in which we can reach out to suicidal individuals, and how we can talk about suicide in a safe and appropriate manner. Additionally, the panel will highlight the importance of looking at suicide beyond the individual, and to understand its larger socio-cultural influences. This panel will also examine the impact of suicide on those who are left behind – and how we can support these ‘suicide survivors’.

In the lead-up to the annual Bell Let’s Talk Day on January 28, we’re showcasing free docs-and-conversations about mental health and mental illness in partnership with Bell Let’s Talk and Hot Docs.

Films will be available to stream from January 4-28 and culminate in a live virtual panel discussion with special guests on January 28. Tickets for all films and the panel discussion are free, and can be booked through the Hot Docs Box Office.

This intimate documentary immerses you in the real and imagined worlds of Vincent, who, for 16 years now, has been living with schizophrenia. Vincent’s sister, filmmaker Rozenn Potin, follows her charismatic and endearing sibling—now 36—from his carefree childhood to his more complex present, brilliantly capturing the before and after of the illness of a loved one. Filled with beautiful archival images, The Worlds of Vincent is a personal journey into the still-mysterious world of schizophrenia and heart-wrenching story of love, family and mental illness.

In French with English subtitles

Ce documentaire intimiste vous plonge dans le monde réel et virtuel de Vincent, schizophrène depuis 16 ans. La sœur de Vincent, la réalisatrice Rozenn Potin, suit son frère charismatique et attachant — maintenant âgé de 36 ans — de son enfance insouciante à son présent plus complexe, présentant avec brio la vie avant et après la maladie d’un être cher. Ponctué de belles images d’archives, Les mondes de Vincent est un voyage personnel dans l’univers encore mystérieux de la schizophrénie et une histoire émouvante d’amour, de famille et de questionnement sur la maladie mentale.

En français avec sous-titres en anglais

In the lead-up to the annual Bell Let’s Talk Day on January 28, we’re showcasing free docs-and-conversations about mental health and mental illness in partnership with Bell Let’s Talk and Hot Docs.

Films will be available to stream from January 4-28 and culminate in a live virtual panel discussion with special guests on January 28. Tickets for all films and the panel discussion are free, and can be booked through the Hot Docs Box Office.

In 1978, Canadian psychologist Bruce K. Alexander conducted a radical psychological experiment involving rats and heroin that would revolutionize the way we understand addictions. Thirty years later, this timely and conversation-worthy VICE doc connects the long-forgotten “Rat Park” findings with three stories taking place 10,000 miles apart—revealing why addiction is not really about the drug themselves, it’s about the environments we live in.

In the lead-up to the annual Bell Let’s Talk Day on January 28, we’re showcasing free docs-and-conversations about mental health and mental illness in partnership with Bell Let’s Talk and Hot Docs.

Films will be available to stream from January 4-28 and culminate in a live virtual panel discussion with special guests on January 28. Tickets for all films and the panel discussion are free, and can be booked through the Hot Docs Box Office.

The first documentary of its kind, Connecting the Dots takes on the subject of mental health through the voices of young people around the world. From Edmonton and New York to Nigeria and Australia, young people talk openly about their experiences in a way you have never seen or heard before. At a time when youth are facing increased anxiety and depression—on top of unrest surrounding systemic racism, sexual orientation, and gender discrimination—it’s more important than ever to stop and listen. Intimate and heartfelt, the film brings this crisis to the surface, while shedding light on the inspiring ways we can break through barriers and take action.

Followed by a recorded Q&A with award-winning director Noemi Weis.

This film may include content that is triggering for some viewers. It contains depictions of young adults experiencing distress related to mental illness, including talk of self-harm and suicide. It may be particularly difficult for young or sensitive viewers.
Watch the film with someone you trust, watch until the end to take away messages of hope, take time to debrief afterwards, and if you need help, reach out.

There are many things you can do to stay well during these challenging times – like trying to eat and sleep regularly, getting active doing things you like to do, spending time outdoors, paying attention to calm breathing and mindful moments, making connections with your faith or culture, and spending time with people who make you smile.

The following organizations can provide free mental health support 24/7:
Kids Help Phone | Call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT 686868
Wellness Together Canada | Visit ca.portal.gs or text WELLNESS to 686868. Adults can text WELLNESS to 741741
Indigenous Canadians can also reach out to Hope for Wellness at 1-855-242-3310
Black Youth Helpline | Call 416-285-9944, toll-free 1-833-294-8650 (every day 9 am to 10 pm ET)
If you are in crisis, please contact your local crisis center by calling 1-833-456-4566 toll-free (In QC: 1-866-277-3553) or visit www.crisisservicescanada.ca
You can also access Kids Help Phone Resources Around Me to find local resources: https://apps.kidshelpphone.ca/resourcesaroundme/welcome.html