Venn was engaged by MHFA to produced a series of films (scripted and factual) for their new MHFA-Supporting Children program
Back in 2012, Venn (known as Crankyfish back then) produced a short film for Mental Health First Aid’s teen program called ‘Mates’ about a young guy who noticed his mate was struggling with his mental health.
In many ways, this film inspired the worked we do today. See a quote from Dr Claire Kelly about the impact this project had on its audience.
Mates, 2012
Cut to 2023 and MHFA engaged Venn to produce a new series consisting of 4 x factual films and 2 x scripted drama’s for their new program focused on adults supporting children with their mental health.
Charlie, 2023
Wet Day Timetable, 2023
The program is currently being put through its paces by the University of Melbourne and will be released shortly. For this reason we can’t show you anything outside of some production stills from the films ‘Wet Day Timetable’ about a young boy who becomes aggressive in class following a difficult day, as well as a film about a young girl called ‘Charlie’ who has been self-harming.
“Without fail, when I have run into kids years later they will mention the film as being the highlight of the course. If all they remember from the course is the plot of the film, they remember all the steps to helping a friend who is having thoughts of suicide. It’s a powerful memory for them. Some of them recount having used the skills in the years since, often in their early years of university, which is a time in life when the rates of mental illness and suicidal thoughts are very high. It’s opened my eyes to the importance of an emotionally impactful story for teaching difficult topics”.
— Dr Claire Kelly, Mental Health First Aid Australia