Being Family: Film Screening & Panel Discussion

The Centre for Advanced Research on Mental Health and Society will host a free, exclusive screening of the film, Being Family, on Wednesday, October 9, 2024. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Dr. Amanda Sim and Dr. Nadeem Akhtar, moderated by Dr. Marisa Young.

Doors open at 5:00 pm, and the film screening will begin at 5:30 pm in L.R. Wilson’s Concert Hall. Food and cash bar will be available.

Join us on October 9 at 5:30 pm EST, for a special screening of Being Family, a film co- created by, with, and for migrant and displaced children and families living on the Thailand-Myanmar border. The film was created as part of the Global Parenting Initiative to promote positive parenting and reduce violence against children in the Global South. Following the screening, Principal Investigator Dr. Amanda Sim and psychiatrist film maker Dr. Nadeem Akhtar will participate in a panel discussion about the power of film as a tool for mental health promotion. Don’t miss out on this insightful and thought-provoking event!

Dr. Amanda Sim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences and the Global Health graduate program and a core member of the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University. She has over 15 years of experience conducting research with children and families affected by war and forced displacement and has worked extensively throughout Asia and Africa. Her research is rooted in equitable community partnership and engagement aimed at promoting the mental health and well-being of families affected by global adversity.

Dr. Nadeem Akhtar is a film-maker, psychiatrist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. He founded CinéPsych in 2017, pioneering non-profit trainee film making and events initiative that makes metaphorical films about mental health conditions on a zero budget. CinéPsych films are designed as discussion points for anti-stigma education and scripts are informed by those with lived experience.

Host or Publisher Advanced Research on Mental Health and Society (ARMS)