About the festival

“The fever dreams of the movies are an ideal medium to chronicle mental illness.”
Stephen Cole, The Globe and Mail, 2007

MENTAL ILLNESS AND ADDICTION are fundamental parts of our human experience and they have always been difficult to present and discuss in the public arena. Fear and stigma routinely make accurate representations and presentations next to impossible.

The vehicle through which mental illness and addiction are most often presented publicly is mainstream film. Through these films the public can, in most instances, sit back and watch from a safe distance. Audiences are secure in the belief that they are watching the experiences of others and remain divorced from the realities of society.

Film can also enable new and established artists to visually explore ideas and express stories of mental illness and addiction in ways that are nearly impossible in other artistic media. The technical freedom of film allows for these artists to challenge perceptions of reality and to express the truth of mental illness and addiction.

RWM explores these cinematic representations and hosts panel discussions after each screening. The films are the art, the discussion gives them perspective.

About the Presenter

Founded in 1987 by Lisa Brown, a former nurse at the Queen Street Mental Health Centre, Workman Arts (formally known as the Workman Theatre Project) is guided by the principle that the creative process is integral to the quest for personal and spiritual development.

Workman Arts’ (WA) aim is to promote a greater understanding of mental illness and addiction through the arts, and support individuals with mental illness and addiction in their artistic pursuits.

In the various artistic media, WA has produced more than sixteen original new Canadian plays, 14 Rendezvous with Madness Film Festivals, 8 Annual Being Scene Art Exhibitions, 4 multidisciplinary festivals and 1 international festival. WA has also created numerous theatre and visual arts touring shows. The company has a current membership base of over 200 members to which it offers year round arts training opportunities.

More information about the Workman Arts and its other projects.

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