Holden On Showing At SF IndieFest

Did you hear?  Holden On is showing at the SF IndieFest!

This movie is for those that deal with mental health issues and mental illness.  It is about starting a discussion and raising awareness for anyone that deals with mental illness.

When I first saw this movie in Orlando at the Orlando Film Festival, it impacted me so much.  While I had no set agenda that day attending the film festival, I stumbled into this movie and I am glad I did.

I could tell you all about it, but here's a video clip of the movie, produced by Tamlin Hall.

• Short Trailer (30 seconds)
• Original Trailer (1:30 seconds)

If you would like to know more about it, check out the interview I did with the producer, Tamlin Hall.  The Mental Health Secret Of Holden On.


If you live near San Francisco, get your tickets today.


Please pass this on to everyone you know!  We all need to do everything we can to help those with mental health issues.  If we sit by in silence, then they suffer in silence.

Destigmatize Mental Illness, Suicide and Addiction

I recently learned of a new film that William Dickerson is working on.  It is based upon his novel, "No Alternative".  The purpose is to help destigmatize mental illness, addiction and suicide.

When I first read about it, my heart was moved by the video that he has put together describing the project.  I've suffered from mental illness and I've also dealt with attempted suicide in my own life.  This project touches me closely.

I sat down with William to talk a little more about his film and ways that we could help him see this completed.  It is too important of a subject for anything to stop this from being seen by everyone in this world.

You can also find his book, No Alternative, on Amazon.

Click to learn more about the film: No Alternative.

Here's my interview with William Dickerson. 

What brought you to do this project?

This is an adaptation of my novel, "No Alternative," which I wrote as a type of plea for my mentally ill sister's survival, and a love song to the era I came of age in: the early 1990's. Since publishing my novel in 2012, my sister passed away from her illness and the motivation to make this film became bigger than ever.

What do you hope to accomplish with this film?

I hope to make an entertaining film about an important era in pop culture and destigmatize mental illness, addiction and suicide in the process. I have no doubt this is a movie that teenagers of yesterday, today and tomorrow can, and will, relate to.

In what ways are the rapper in the film similar to your sister and in what ways is she different?

I plan to portray the rapper in the film as close to my sister's real life rap persona as possible. The character of Bridget, when she's not Bri Da B, is modeled after my sister, too, but there is also a fair share of artistic license that I'm employing.

What impact did Kurt Cobain's suicide have on you?  How did that affect you?

It had an indelible impact on me. It was the reason I picked up a guitar and began to learn how to play it. There was something inside me that wanted to pick up where Kurt left off: I learned all his songs and formed a band, ultimately forging an indie career that was highly influenced by Kurt and his music.

Why did you choose the grunge-era?

It is my opinion that there hasn't been as important a time in pop culture since the grunge-era. For me, it's not even a close call. Just about 20 to 25 years after an important moment in time, people usually begin to become nostalgic about it. The time is now for the 90's to be explored on film.

How can people help?

I am currently crowdfunding through From The Heart Productions, which is a non-profit organization that supports socially conscious filmmaking. Contributions are tax-deductible and I would encourage people to check out the online campaign for the film here: https://bitly.com/noalternativefilm. I need all the help and support I can get!

Thank you very much William for taking the time to sit with me for this interview.  I hope that many more people will read this and find a way to help you make this happen.  It is such an important subject that needs to be talked about in every way possible.  Please click on the link above or on the banner image below to learn more about this film and how you can help bring it to life.

#Mentalillness
#suicide
#addiction

Long After Traumatic Events

Long after the traumatic event is over, our bodies and minds live through the event on a continual basis, just as if it was happening again. In the presence of fear, the survival mode is alive and well, not letting go of those past events. For in survival mode, our bodies are trying to flee from the danger. The energy of that danger our bodies perceived is locked within, unless it finds a way to exit. And so it continues to look for a way to exit, day after day in various ways. Ways such as pain, stiffness, anger, rage, abuse, drinking, sexual behaviors, sleep problems, weight issues, mental illness, anxiety attacks and the list could go on and on.

If we do not allow the event to fully complete and release the energy that is locked within, it will find a way out in one form or another. Sometimes it lies in wait until some unrelated moment pushes the button and at that moment, what seems like an imaginary force takes place within us.

While this may sound dismal and horrific to endure, there is a way out. With the presence of a compassionate, grounded individual, we can move past the fear of those events into fulfillment and purpose for our lives. Sometimes the process may unfold slowly and sometimes more quickly. Sometimes the process seems as if we are giving birth but just like in the process of birth, something beautiful is created. And it is in that moment of release, where we give rise to a new self, a new body and a new empowerment within ourselves.

It is moving past the fears from the survival mode into the mode of growth, awareness and empowerment that we truly find out what it means to be human.