Talking Pictures

Reel Madness Festival

Reel Madness the first national festival dedicated to film portrayals of madness and mental distress will be taking place at the ICA, The Mall, London from June 19-22nd 2003.

With Dame Judi Dench as its patron and organized by Mental Health Media, the Documentary Filmmakers Group and Rethink, Reel Madness brings together a diverse range of films and genres from around the world. Included in the four day festival are autobiographical films made by people about their experiences of mental distress, feature films and documentaries, dramas, short films and experimental animation.

The programme features seven UK premieres such as Completely Cuckoo, a documentary about the making of the groundbreaking One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and also award winners such as Kira's Reason which won awards for best film and actress in the 2002 Danish Bodil Awards.

Reel Madness includes uplifting stories of resilience and recovery, portrayals which don't flinch from recording painful realities and emotions, and films which challenge and expose the brutality with which society has responded to mental distress and madness.

For comprehensive details go to www.reelmadness.co.uk