Tickets
When
Thu 30 Oct 2025
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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.
Films
More or Less You
Jun Thai, Hazel Jurin & Kong Yit Lam, 2025, Australia, 2 mins
In a future where body modification is limitless, a man obsessed with altering himself faces an unexpected enemy — his own heart, determined to stop him before it’s too late. Inspired by the Flash Forward podcast episode Easy Baked, this film delves into the struggles of dysmorphia within an ever-changing world constantly striving for perfection.
Asian Male Lead
Jeremy Teh, 2025, Australia, 12 mins
On the fringe of the Australian film industry, where actors dream of getting their big break on free-to-air TV, we meet Eli — a hustler who feels entitled to a future as the next ‘Asian male lead’. One problem: his best friend AJ (a recent dad who had given up on acting) has bagged the role Eli thought was his — the romantic lead of an all-Asian rom-com entitled Melting Pot.
Equipped only with his ability to twist the arms of those around him, Eli will do anything to win back the role of a lifetime — other than go to therapy.
If this conversation isn’t over yet
Rosey Feng, 2024, Australia, 4 mins
A daughter navigating mental illness and her overbearing Asian immigrant mother try to reconcile the cultural conflict of their relationship through an unconventional family therapy session.
GOLPES
Kevin Duran Du, 2025, Australia, 6 mins
An ethereal visual journey through the childhood, achievements, and losses of Ulpiano Duran, a retired musician and music producer.
Ensconced
Lara Deam, 2025, Australia, 8 mins
Theo, a young man struggling to come to terms with his past, sits in his car unable to leave — spinning excuses and stories about why to stay. His older sister, Zoey, has other ideas. She manoeuvres her way into his heart in an attempt to help him move on.
Playful yet full of love, Ensconced is a story about the power of family, puns, sultanas, and the Titanic. And in no way is it about scones.
Fading Colours
Bronte Rose Page, 2025, Australia, 11 mins
A poignant drama exploring the grief experienced by those transitioning from “significant other” to “primary caregiver” when a loved one is diagnosed with dementia. Based on a true story, Fading Colours captures the emotional journey of Lillian after her husband, George, mistakes her for his own mother.
It explores the resilience of love amidst adversity, and reminds us that joy and connection can be found in the simplest of moments.
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