MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH SHORT FILM
We are casting a powerful short film about male mental health to help open up the stigma around male mental health. The project will combine intimate and ANONYMOUS VOICE OVER interviews from males (aged 16 and up) with scenes reconstructed by actors wearing masks.
As males, we’re taught not to show our emotions in favour of a tough exterior. Stifling emotions at a young age can cause boys to start putting on an act we’re not even aware of until it starts to hurt. Most of us are afraid of weakness, rejection, humiliation, and especially, being vulnerable.
The aim of the project is to uncover the men behind their masks and to understand why we behave in the way we do. There’s something within all men that centres around fear... a fear of vulnerability.
When we associate sensitivity and vulnerability with weakness and / or femininity, it becomes something that men will shy away from or flat out reject... but why can’t we have space for masculine vulnerability? This film is a chance to open up this difficult conversation and stare at it straight in the face.
We’re looking for men and boys that are willing to open up and share their stories about their own mental health INCLUDING toxic masculinity. The voiceovers will be cinematically reconstructed showing the experience of the trauma / story and having the actors come face to face with this.
The actors in the reconstructions will wear masks to represent the performance of toxic masculinity, a visual metaphor for the stifling of emotional expression that precedes many mental health issues. Removing the masks becomes a metaphor for their journey towards vulnerability.
TOXIC MASCULINITY: I think we’ve all been close to this type of behaviour at one point or another, and it needs to be addressed as part of the mental health conversation and we need to understand why men are behaving this way - not to make light of it or glamorise / sensationalise it but to start the difficult conversation by staring it straight in the face. We would also like to hear from men who have been a part of or have experienced toxic masculinity; their journey through this and how they overcame it.
If you are selected, a day will be arranged for you to come and tell us what you would like to share. This will be recorded with the director and a sound recordist ( you will NOT be filmed). We will provide a safe space for contributors in close association with a UK based charity that specialises in safeguarding Male Mental Health
ALL STORIES WILL BE ANONYMOUS IN THE FILM. WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR STORIES FROM MALES AGED 16 AND UP FROM ALL DIVERSITIES AND BACKGROUNDS.
Successful applicants will be paid £100 per day.
Shoot dates and Recording Dates: TBC
IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED:
We would like you to do a voice recording telling us about your story: this can be about your mental heath and/or a difficult time in your life you have faced or if you have once been a part of toxic masculinity. (These recordings will not be used in the final film and are for casting purposes only)
Stories could be relating to anything from how you felt as a child / growing up male, to difficult experiences you’ve been through that relate to your family / personal life / relationships / school / work and your general experience as a man.
Experiences of hyper masculine behaviour, either your self or from others, feeling the need to ‘fit in’ with this type of behaviour / peer pressure, or feeling critical of it
Experiences of fear and shame, and not being able to talk about it
PLEASE UPLOAD A VOICE RECORDING & FILL OUT THE JOTFORM HEADSHEET:
(You will need to copy and paste the links into your server)
UPLOAD YOUR VOICE RECORDING TO: https://www.dropbox.com/request/REEeA3hMI624ELAsjNSY
(PLEASE LABEL YOUR VOICE RECORDING WITH YOUR NAME)
FILL OUT THIS FORM GIVING US BASIC CONTACT DETAILS (WE WILL NEED THESE TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU): https://form.jotform.com/231173840053347
Thanks for taking the time in reading this and we look forward to hearing from you soon. If you do have any questions please call the office, I am happy to talk and discuss at any time on 020-8458-8898.
Tom @ Tree Petts Casting
*We appreciate this is a sensitive casting. We are GDPR Compliant which means we will NEVER share your audition tapes and files with anyone outside of the production.*