‘Healing Out Loud’ short film contest invites students to talk about mental health

The Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) and University of Utah Health are creating a short film contest titled,  “Healing Out Loud,” encouraging college students to have open and inclusive conversations about mental health.

The film contest is put on in collaboration with Utah System of Higher Education and the Utah Film Center. 

The film initiative is for students ages 18-24 at Universities in Utah to share their stories about mental health and there will be a chance to win prizes for those who participate.

This campaign was inspired for this particular age group following the pandemic. The Utah Board of higher Education student member Tanner Marcum that said a lot of young adults had a hard time with their social lives during the pandemic and he is happy to see more people open up about these hardships to de-stigmatize them.

“We as a society have been talking about the importance of physical health for decades but I think a key focus of physical health is mental health,” Marcum said. 

All the videos must be posted or shared by April 5 — there are some other rules that go along with the project you can find them on the Huntsman Mental Health Institutes website. They will choose a winner who could get Jazz or Real Salt Lake tickets. The winning videos will be featured in the Mental Health Awareness Month event in May 2022.