SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Premiere Screening Our Turn To Talk
Time: 2:00 - 4:00PM EST
Location: New England Aquarium's Simons Theatre
1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA
This event is free of cost. However, you must RSVP to attend.
Join us for the Massachusetts Premiere Screening of Our Turn To Talk followed by Q&A with Keynote Speaker Anastasia Vlasova and the film's Director, Beth Murphy.
Anastasia Vlasova's Keynote presentation titled Seek Digital Wellness, Unleash Your Creativity is directly before the film at 1:45pm EDT at the Simons Theatre.
After the program, attendees are invited to participate in a quiet, private walk-through of the New England Aquarium.
OUR TURN TO TALK (70 mins)
OUR TURN TO TALK is a co-production of Principle Pictures and PBS-WETA’s WellBeings.
When a high school senior learns that storytelling saves lives, she starts a podcast to share the hardship, hope and transformation she and other teens have gone through navigating the downs and ups of their mental health journeys.
Teenagers are putting an end to mental health stigma. To do it, they’re telling their own stories – unfiltered – in the documentary film and teen-hosted podcast series OUR TURN TO TALK.
From skyrocketing rates of anxiety and depression to the impacts of racism, social media and the pandemic, their struggles and triumphs carry a powerful message: Storytelling saves lives. That truth is what motivated high school senior Anastasia Vlasova to start a podcast. And audiences are along for the ride as she pulls up to the mic to share her story and travels across the country to give other teens a chance to share theirs.
Real, raw and life-affirming, OUR TURN TO TALK comes at a time when it’s needed most. It’s become a defining film, podcast series and impact project to normalize conversations about mental health with young people and all those who care about them.
A NOTE FROM ANASTASIA VLASOVA - PODCAST HOST, OUR TURN TO TALK
My generation is the first to be outspoken about our mental health. But we have a long way to go to help others do the same. OUR TURN TO TALK is using storytelling and research to demonstrate that our feelings are more than teenage angst. With every worry, stressor, and childhood trauma we share through conversation, we defy the societal norm of concealing what might stigmatize us. In doing so, we’re shaping a new, more empathetic world where mental well-being is a priority for everyone.
This film and its companion podcast series transcend generational barriers, revealing that vulnerability is an aspirational strength and source of connection for everyone.
After Closing + Q&A
Date: Friday, October 28, 2022
Time: 12:00 PM EST
Location: District Hall Boston, 75 Northern Ave
A waitress is stuck with a house full of eccentric customers after the diner’s scheduled closing time. As she tries to get them to leave, she’s whisked into disco chaos.
The film will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Carley Byers.
Her love of storytelling began with dance and theatre. These passions translate into her films through her theatrical visual style and sensitivity when working with performers. She strives to produce films rooted in authenticity in hopes of inspiring others through the power of visual storytelling.
Time: 12:00 PM EST
Location: District Hall Boston, 75 Northern Ave
A waitress is stuck with a house full of eccentric customers after the diner’s scheduled closing time. As she tries to get them to leave, she’s whisked into disco chaos.
The film will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Carley Byers.
Carley Byers
Carley Byers is a Boston-based filmmaker specializing in producing and directing. She values collaborating with other artists and finds immense joy in leading different kinds of creative projects.Her love of storytelling began with dance and theatre. These passions translate into her films through her theatrical visual style and sensitivity when working with performers. She strives to produce films rooted in authenticity in hopes of inspiring others through the power of visual storytelling.
Chicken + Q&A
Date: Saturday, October 29, 2022
Time: 10:00 AM EST
Location: District Hall Boston, 75 Northern Ave
In a Bronx juvenile prison, a 16-year old boy faced with losing custody of his child must discover what it takes to be a father through the raising of a chicken.
The film will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Josh Leong, Moderated by Harrison Allen as part of the On The Cusp Filmmaker Series.
Having screened at six Academy Award®-qualifying festivals and in 11 countries across the world, Josh also directed the Webby Award®-winning short, THE OTHER SIDE in Ethiopia, now streaming on Peacock. The film stars Ethan Herisse from Ava DuVernay’s Emmy®-winning Netflix series, WHEN THEY SEE US. His latest film, CHICKEN, will premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.
He has since developed commercials for clients such as Google, Facebook, and Uber under 1stAveMachine. Josh has also worked at Cinetic Media (PARASITE), Circle of Confusion (THE FLORIDA PROJECT), De Line Pictures (READY PLAYER ONE), and Untitled Entertainment (MARRIAGE STORY). Currently, Josh serves on the Scout Film Festival Filmmaker Advisory Board and is an Executive Member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
Time: 10:00 AM EST
Location: District Hall Boston, 75 Northern Ave
In a Bronx juvenile prison, a 16-year old boy faced with losing custody of his child must discover what it takes to be a father through the raising of a chicken.
The film will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Josh Leong, Moderated by Harrison Allen as part of the On The Cusp Filmmaker Series.
Josh Leong
Josh Leong is a Webby Award®-winning writer, director, and producer from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Awarded by President Obama, Josh won a Scholastic American Visions Award and the One to Watch Award at the 2020 Asian American International Film Festival. LOST BOYS, his upcoming feature debut, was a semifinalist at the 2021 Sundance Creative Producing Lab and 2022 Development Track. Currently, he’s a selected writer with the MACRO x The Blacklist Feature Screenplay Incubator, semifinalist at the DGA Commercial Directors Diversity Program, and spotlight director with NBCUniversal’s Scene in Color Film Series, presented by Target. He was most recently awarded a blind script deal with NBCUniversal and acclaimed film producer, Will Packer.Having screened at six Academy Award®-qualifying festivals and in 11 countries across the world, Josh also directed the Webby Award®-winning short, THE OTHER SIDE in Ethiopia, now streaming on Peacock. The film stars Ethan Herisse from Ava DuVernay’s Emmy®-winning Netflix series, WHEN THEY SEE US. His latest film, CHICKEN, will premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.
He has since developed commercials for clients such as Google, Facebook, and Uber under 1stAveMachine. Josh has also worked at Cinetic Media (PARASITE), Circle of Confusion (THE FLORIDA PROJECT), De Line Pictures (READY PLAYER ONE), and Untitled Entertainment (MARRIAGE STORY). Currently, Josh serves on the Scout Film Festival Filmmaker Advisory Board and is an Executive Member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
Mattapan The Documentary + Q&A
Date: Saturday, October 29, 2022
Time: 12:00 PM EST
Location: District Hall Boston, 75 Northern Ave
Created by 15 teens out of the Mattapan Teen Center, Mattapan the Documentary is a short doc that covers the history of the neighborhood in Boston, along with celebrating local residents, and what the Mattapan Teen Center does to be a part of the Community. Led by 14 year-old Moses Sibley, this is MTC's debut short film!
The film will be followed by a Q&A with three of the filmmakers and the Honorable Representative Brandy Fluker Oakley of Massachusetts' 12th District, and is moderated by Mattapan Teen Center Film and Music Director, Sean Stover.
Time: 12:00 PM EST
Location: District Hall Boston, 75 Northern Ave
Created by 15 teens out of the Mattapan Teen Center, Mattapan the Documentary is a short doc that covers the history of the neighborhood in Boston, along with celebrating local residents, and what the Mattapan Teen Center does to be a part of the Community. Led by 14 year-old Moses Sibley, this is MTC's debut short film!
The film will be followed by a Q&A with three of the filmmakers and the Honorable Representative Brandy Fluker Oakley of Massachusetts' 12th District, and is moderated by Mattapan Teen Center Film and Music Director, Sean Stover.
Hidden Pronouns + Q&A
Date: Sunday, October 30, 2022
Time: 10:00 AM EST
Location: District Hall Boston, 75 Northern Ave
This Documentary presents stories of three women who were illiterate until recently. Their stories illustrate how different life can be when you are able to read! Hidden Pronouns spotlights the mental and physical impact of being illiterate and the liberation from illiteracy.
The film will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers, Amal Alodaini and Rahmeh Alshammas.
Time: 10:00 AM EST
Location: District Hall Boston, 75 Northern Ave
This Documentary presents stories of three women who were illiterate until recently. Their stories illustrate how different life can be when you are able to read! Hidden Pronouns spotlights the mental and physical impact of being illiterate and the liberation from illiteracy.
The film will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers, Amal Alodaini and Rahmeh Alshammas.