You judge student mental health films

BARRIE — Mental health through the lens of student film makers.

That’s the fifth annual Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) Film Festival  contest, with a theme that hits close to home for today’s youth.

All the films submitted by students are available for viewing on RVH’s YouTube channel (RVHBarrieON) or at http://bit.ly/RVHFFSchools.

All films will be reviewed by a panel of judges from RVH, Simcoe County District School Board and Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board. The winning films from each category – Junior (JK – Grade 6) and Senior (Grade 7 and up) – will be announced on March 8.

With the opening of RVH’s Simcoe Muskoka Regional Child and Youth Mental Health program in December, this year’s Film Festival called for submissions related to mental health well-being and/or the importance of having child and youth mental health services in our region.

This year’s theme was: Making Mental Health Matter: How are you making a difference? RVH received an impressive 17 film submissions from local schools all showcasing why mental health remains an important topic for students and teachers.

Participating schools this year include Ardagh Bluffs Public School, Innisdale Secondary School, Sister Catherine Donnelly Catholic School, Terry Fox Elementary School and Warnica Public School.

“We believe students in the region have a unique and valuable perspective on RVH and some of the services it provides,” says Suzanne Legue, vice president, Strategy, Communications and Stakeholder Relations. “After consulting with our colleagues at the Simcoe County District School Board and Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, we agreed this would be a great opportunity to engage students, especially since we are using technology they already use and are learning about in school.”

Now in its fifth year, the RVH Film Festival started as a unique way to promote creativity and engagement among staff, physicians and volunteers. In 2017, the health centre opened up the film festival to the schools in the region, inviting them to participate as well. For staff, physicians and volunteers, it’s an inspiring way to hear from the community it serves while also providing a creative opportunity for students to use the media skills they have learned in school.