Alisha Weir leads congratulations to student prize-winners in Frame of Mind short film competition, in partnership with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland
Posted: 30th April 2024
Secondary school and Youthreach students from across the country were joined by Matilda star Alisha Weir at a special screening and awards ceremony in the Irish Film Institute yesterday as Walk in My Shoes crowned the winners of its Frame of Mind short film competition, in partnership with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland.
Held annually, Frame of Mind is an initiative of Walk in My Shoes, the flagship awareness-raising campaign of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, that uses the mediums of short film and photography to help to promote positive mental health and reduce stigma around mental health difficulties.
In 2024, in celebration of the competition’s 10-year anniversary, Walk in My Shoes partnered with Screen Ireland, the national agency for Irish film, television, drama, animation and documentary, to help to amplify positive mental health messages while also showcasing emerging young talent within the sector.
Speaking at the screening, the young star, who recently made the Forbes 30 under 30 list, led congratulations to the students:
I think everyone nominated tonight should be really proud of themselves, and have done an amazing job. The message of the Frame of Mind competition is so important. It’s a great way for us to use our creativity and our voice to make something together – but most importantly, to talk to each other about things we don’t normally talk about. Congratulations.”
The winning short films are now featured on Screen Ireland’s Short Film Player, adding to its existing curated selection of new, emerging and established Irish talent across short filmmaking and providing an additional platform for sparking important conversations about mental health.
Some 81 students from nine counties across Ireland were shortlisted in this year’s competition, which was open to secondary schools, special education schools, Youthreach centres and Further Education and Training (FET) centres. The winning entries are:
- St Finian’s College, Westmeath for their short film, Dance into the Light, in the ‘Secondary schools’ short-film category
- Youthreach Ballinrobe, Mayo for their short film, Saving Sadie, in the ‘Youthreach and FETs’ short-film category
- Our Lady’s Bower Retreat Rd, Westmeath for their entry, Happiness is the most important thing in the TikTok category.
Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, said:
Screen Ireland is delighted to support the 10th anniversary of the Walk In My Shoes’ Frame of Mind competition. This year's initiative has been a fantastic opportunity for students to develop and showcase their skills in filmmaking and storytelling on screen, helping raise mental health awareness. Our sincere congratulations to all of the students and schools that participated, and to the shortlisted and winning films."
Speaking about this key initiative from Walk in My Shoes, Paul Gilligan, CEO of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services said:
The Frame of Mind campaign uses the medium of film to provide a positive space for students to pause and reflect on their experiences and knowledge of mental health; to harness their creativity; and to raise awareness about mental health, whether that’s by challenging stigma or sharing positive messages. As always, the entries to this year’s competition were of extremely high calibre and highlight the incredible talent, tenacity, and vital role that young people can play in inspiring conversations about mental health. We were extremely grateful to partner with Screen Ireland for this year’s Frame of Mind competition, working together towards a shared goal of educating young people about mental health and encouraging them to explore new creative outlets and avenues.”
The winning films have been selected by a panel of expert judges comprising Éibh Collins, Shorts Programmer for the Galway Film Fleadh and Film and TV Manager at the National Talent Academies; Michael Doherty, Movies Editor from the RTE Guide and Tom Maher, Director of Services at St Patrick’s Mental Health Services. First-place entrants in each category won a €1,000 cash prize for their school or education centre while runners-up received €500.
A playlist of all shortlisted and winning films will be available to view on Walk in My Shoes’ YouTube channel, while the winning films can also be viewed here on the Screen Ireland Shorts Player.