Since 2018 the This Is My Brave Australia Mental Health Film Festival ( formerly Canberra MHFF now Great Lakes MHFF) has presented over 220 films submitted from across the world with the following criteria:

Provides an inspiring voice for social justice and human rights for people with mental illness
Highlights positive contributions made by mental health recipients
Fights stigma and defies stereotypes associated with mental illness

Representations of mental health and illness in the arts, film, and media shape our beliefs about human identity and wellbeing and about "the mentally ill" These perceptions filter into our everyday interactions with others to shape the cultural context within which we understand and respond to mental health and illness. Knifton, L. (2012)

Sharing real-life stories of people with mental health concerns has a unique capacity to humanise complex experiences, amplify marginalised voices and create shared emotional understanding. This presentation centres lived experience storytelling as a catalyst for social inclusion and community change.

The purpose of this session is to screen curated short films from the festival and create reflective dialogue on how storytelling promotes hopefulness, belonging and recovery. The intent is to demonstrate how community film festivals can function not only as cultural events, but as practical interventions that build social capital and strengthen pathways to support.

Films
Unlatched NZ 13:17 Writer Lisa Brickell uses her lived experience of post-natal depression to write this film to raise awareness.

You, Me & BPD Australia12:42
"Borderline personality disorder—more than a diagnosis, a path to healing." Film makers Mayan and Rueben

"Stigma Doesn’t Live Here: Stories of Mental Health Resilience" Australia 6:26.
One episode of a powerful five-part docuseries that shines a light on the lived experiences of Australians with mental illness.

Beg Yuh Call 8.06 Jamaica
This film speaks to the importance that a conversation with a close friend can do to take someone out a crisis.

The Mood Swings Ireland 18:36
The Mood Swings centers on the members of the Troy Club, Ireland, as they speak openly and honestly about how the stigma of a mental health diagnosis affects their lives.

The central conclusion is that film presentation, when intentionally facilitated, becomes more than storytelling—it becomes a vehicle for inclusion and reform. By bringing diverse lived experiences to the forefront, the TIMBA Mental Health Film Festival demonstrates how creative platforms can advance a humanistic, hopeful and connected mental health system where no voice is left behind.