Multicultural Mental Health Film Festival

Join us in ACMI Cinemas to celebrate a night of Australian short films curated by the Multicultural Mental Health Film Festival.

The Multicultural Mental Health Film Festival (MMHFF) is a grassroots-led, volunteer-driven project established in 2023 by award-winning filmmaker Matthew Keisoglu and supported by the Mental Health Foundation Australia (MHFA).

Founded to amplify voices often overlooked in mainstream cinema, the festival showcases bold, authentic short films exploring the intersections of mental health and cultural background.

In just two years, MMHFF has expanded into a global platform, attracting over 140 submissions and screening 31 films from more than 26 countries. It showcases perspectives influenced by migration, faith, gender, language and lived experience, promotes cinema that speaks honestly and encourages empathy, dialogue and meaningful visibility for mental health across diverse communities.

This year’s theme is ‘More Stories, More Conversations’, as the festival seeks to deepen its impact through inclusive storytelling and open dialogue, championing narratives that challenge stigma and foster connection.

This program showcases a curated selection of Australian short films, spanning narrative, experimental, and documentary works — followed by an in-person Q&A moderated by SBS’s Mojdeh Kashani with the participating filmmakers.

The screening is part of a larger program curated by the Multicultural Mental Health Film Festival - find out more here.