Teens Use Film to Tackle Mental Health

Short films were the main event in Riverside on Wednesday night, but the bigger thing was what those films were trying to do. Teenagers and young adults from across Riverside County took over the Fox Performing Arts Center for the local Directing Change screening and recognition ceremony — a youth film showcase built around suicide prevention, mental health, substance use, and culture. The pitch is simple: let young people talk to each other in a format they actually use, and the message lands differently. That is what changed on May 13 — the county put those voices on a big stage. ### What happened in Riverside? Riverside University Health System said the annual Directing Change Film Contest returned to the Fox Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, with county youth recognized for films centered on emotional well-being and connection. Coverage ahead of the event described student-made video vignettes from across Riverside County and a public showcase that started in the early evening in downtown Riverside. (ruhealth.org) ### What is Directing Change? Basically, it is a California youth film contest that asks people ages 12 to 25 to make short pieces about hard topics — suicide prevention, mental health, substance use, and other issues that shape young lives. The organization frames the contest as both creative expression and community education, which is why these events are part awards ceremony and part public-health campaign. ### Why use film for this? (ruhealth.org) Because peer-to-peer messaging works differently from adult messaging. A school assembly can feel distant. A short film made by someone your age can feel like a confession, a warning, or permission to speak up. Directing Change’s mental health materials lean hard into that idea — showing difficult conversations, honesty about lived experience, and asking for help without shame. (directingchangeca.org) ### Why are these topics grouped together? Turns out the contest is built around the stuff that tends to overlap in real life. Mental health struggles, suicidal thoughts, stigma, isolation, and substance use do not stay in neat boxes. A film contest can hold those connections in a way a flyer cannot. That is also why local coverage of the Riverside event tied the program not just to mental health, but to culture and broader youth well-being. (directingchangeca.org) ### Who gets to participate? Not just high school film kids. The contest is open to young people from 12 to 25, which is a pretty wide age band. That matters because the program is aimed at the stretch of life when many mental health challenges first show up. The organization’s own guidance points to ages 14 to 24 as a key window, so the contest is trying to meet young people right where the risk starts to rise. ### Is this just a one-night event? (mynewsla.com) No — the ceremony is the visible part, but the machinery behind it runs much longer. Films are submitted by a yearly deadline, screened by the contest team, and then pushed forward to regional or statewide judges for placement and honors. So the Fox event is really the public payoff for months of youth work, advising, judging, and local organizing. ### Why does the local showcase matter? (directingchangeca.org) A local screening changes the scale of the message. Online, a short film is one more clip. In a theater, with families, classmates, and county officials in the room, it becomes recognition — and a signal that these subjects belong in public conversation. Riverside County has run these local Directing Change events before, so this looks less like a one-off and more like an annual prevention strategy with a red-carpet wrapper. (directingchangeca.org) ### What is the bottom line? This Riverside event was not just about student filmmakers getting applause. It was about using youth-made stories as a tool — to lower stigma, make help-seeking feel normal, and show that mental health conversations do not have to start with adults. On May 13, the county handed teenagers the microphone and, for one night at least, treated that as public health. (ruhealth.org) (teamruhs.org)