The Mind Rights Film Festival, fostered and supported by the Gulbenkian Global Mental Health Platform and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, is a short film festival and international competition that focuses on showcasing cinematographic works that deal with mental health issues, in order to promote the rights of people with mental disorders.

Compelling stories and high quality filmic products will constitute the benchmark of the varied and international festival programming that will captivate, engage, and enlighten the audience. Using the power and the creativity of cinema, this festival aims to spread knowledge on mental illness, to raise public awareness on this topic and to encourage social inclusion of people with mental disabilities and fight against their stigmatization. Therefore, the Award Ceremony will be not just a celebration of the creativity of filmmakers, but also a recognition of their outstanding commitment to human rights issues.

The event will be held in Lisbon in November 6-7, 2014 at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. The screenings will unfold in the context of the Forum of the Gulbenkian Global Mental Health Platform, a 2-day programme where some key global mental health leaders will present lectures on the rights of people with mental disabilities, and where a report will be presented on strategies to stop human rights violations of children with mental disabilities in hospital and community settings alike, including alternatives to institutionalizing children with mental disabilities.

The Mind Rights Film Festival 2014 call for entries is now open for submissions!

Learn more here.

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The Platform will promote a global art initiative aimed at drawing attention to mental health and human rights issues. 

More information will be soon available.