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The votes are in and this year's HeadsUp Movie Awards go to... Tullow Youth Theatre in Co. Carlow and CSLK Media, a group from Blanchardstown - the group's members are Ciaran Lowry, Stephen Allen, Luke Byrne and Kevin McGuinness. The exciting wards initiative saw people across Ireland create their own mini-movies on themes related to mental health as part of efforts to reduce stigma around the issue. Organised by HeadsUp, the mental health promotion project run by Rehab, the awards were supported by RTÉ Two's Two Tube and the National Office for Suicide Prevention's "Let Someone Know" campaign.
The winning entries were broadcast on RTÉ Two's Two Tube and the lucky winners will each receive a fantastic prize of €2,500 and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shadow a leading filmmaker or animator for a day. The Tullow Youth Theatre was the winner of the under 18 category for an entry entitled I Want To Be..., while the winner of the over 18 category was CSLK Media for its short film Daydream.
Tullow Youth Theatre's I Want To Be... explored the notion that one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives. Announcing their ambitions for the future, a number of young people turn to the camera and say what they want to be when they grow up, while other participants say they just want to "fit in" and "to be myself". The video reminds viewers that they are not alone. CSLK Media's film Daydream is filmed on a motorway overpass as the rain pours down on a young man struggling to deal with life's problems. Again, we are reminded, if there is something on our mind, to let someone know.
Industry experts, including filmmaker Kirsten Sheridan of The Factory, animator Nicky Phelan of Brown Bag Films and Sheila de Courcy, Commissioning Editor RTÉ Young People's Programmes, selected eight entries to go forward to the public vote where more than 7,000 votes were cast.
Collette Ryan, HeadsUp Project Manager, comments:
"I'd like to congratulate the winners on their fantastic films. We will be watching them closely as we suspect this is just the beginning of a very successful career in the movies for them! I'd also like to thank all of the participants for getting people talking about mental health and for some truly creative, brave and thought-provoking films and animations. The reaction to this competition has been phenomenal, with thousands of people viewing the entries both on RTÉ and online. I have no doubt that it has assisted in developing more open discussion on the topic and a greater realisation that we can get through tough times by talking and letting someone know about our problems. It is estimated that one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point and so it is important that we integrate protection of our mental health and well-being into our everyday lives."
RTÉ Two's Two Tube presenter Paul Walsh added:
"Two Tube is delighted to have been involved in this great project. The standard of the films was really high and we've had a great response from our viewers watching the movies and voting on the Two Tube blog."
To view the winning films please see the following links
Tullow Youth Theatre (Under 18s category winner): http://vimeo.com/31099329
CSLK (Over 18s category winner) : http://www.vimeo.com/31232578
To remain updated on the competition, please check out our Facebook page where we will keep you updated on votes, screen times and some background information on each of the entries.
