A girl, a rugby loss and a chance encounter on a bridge – those are the makings of a powerful short film that features in the inaugural Aotearoa Mental Health Film Festival.

'Frankie Jean and the Morning Star' is one of nine locally made short films featuring in the film festival which premieres next Thursday in Auckland, before travelling around the country.   

The festival is run by the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand and Chief Executive Shaun Robinson says the response has been hugely encouraging, with events in Tauranga and Napier already sold out. 

“We've been really buoyed and inspired by the kōrero around this event, with people from across the mental health and film making sectors telling us how welcome this kaupapa is, not to mention those with lived experience of mental distress who are excited to see themselves represented on screen in a way that’s hopeful and destigmatising, because for so long, that hasn’t been their reality.” 

Writer and director Hannah Marshall says she’s thrilled to have her short film 'Frankie Jean and the Morning Star' shared with audiences in such a meaningful way. 

It features a young rugby-obsessed eight-year-old, Frankie Jean, and her encounter with a teenager about to end his life.

“The story of a girl who loved rugby was the way in, but the conversation the characters have on the bridge was the story I really wanted to tell,” says Hannah.

“I wanted to make a film that talked about mental health in relation to connection and disconnection because we’re so connected in technological ways, but yet so disconnected as humans and so many of us feel really lonely.”

The films featuring in the Aotearoa Mental Health Film Festival cover a range of mental distress from suicidality to post-natal depression and bullying, but they’re told in a way that Shaun Robinson hopes will shift perspectives. 

“Too often people with mental distress or mental health challenges have been misrepresented in film,” says Shaun.

"They’re often called names, they’re the punchline of jokes, or they’re shown to be violent when the reality is people who experience mental distress are more likely to be the victims of violence, rather than the perpetrators.”  

Hannah Marshall says she felt a responsibility to tell a story about suicide prevention with a sensitivity that felt real, but also shone a light on the darkness and leaves viewers feeling hopeful.  

“I like to believe that one moment of connection could change a path for someone, but it’s hard when the reality of certain mental illnesses is not a fairytale and finding the balance of being truthful but still giving a sense of hope is challenging.”  

She says the festival will serve as a powerful conversation starter and help others learn ways to look after their own wellbeing. 

"As a writer and actor, I deal with rejection a lot and am confronted with my sense of value and worth almost daily. I need to keep my mental health in check and it's an ongoing process, but having an outlet to express difficult feelings comes with the job - one I'm grateful for. A lot of people don't have the resources available to them or know where to turn when things get tough."

The Aotearoa Mental Health Film Festival premieres at Auckland’s ASB Waterfront Theatre on Thursday 16 November, before travelling to selected theatres in Hamilton, Tauranga, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington and Christchurch.

There will also be a panel discussion with mental health experts at some of the key showings and from December 1 -22, 18 selected films will be available to watch online in partnership with the NZ Film Commission. 

All of the ticket sale profits and donations for the online screenings will support the work of the Mental Health Foundation in uplifting the mental health and wellbeing of everyone in New Zealand.  

Find out more by visiting www.mhfilmfest.org.nz