ANTELOPE
SHORT FILM
WRITER / DIRECTOR / EDITOR , 2018
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
After being released from hospital, a conflicted twenty-something struggles to reconnect with her family following a failed suicide attempt.
‘Antelope’ is a short film based on writer/director Ben Grace’s experience of being sectioned at Antelope House after a suicide attempt in 2012, and his struggles to re-establish relationships with his family after being released.
Ben Grace worked with local NHS providers to ensure that this film was an accurate representation of mental health services in Southampton. With the permission of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, he filmed the opening scenes inside Antelope House, the secure PICU (Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit) he recovered at in 2012. This film has the full blessing of local NHS service providers.
Antelope has been screened at numerous film festivals across Europe, including as part of Ideas For Wellbeing, an evening of short film and discussion of mental health, an event co-produced by Healthwatch Southampton and Touch Network as part of Southampton Film Week.
In December 2017, Antelope won the Technical Jury Prize (Best Film for the Meglio Matti Che Corti 2017 competition in Modena, Italy, a national competition under the Percorto initiative program promoted by Dipartimento di Salute Mentale e Dipendenze Patologiche (Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addictions) in Italy. The competition is held in collaboration with Idee in Circolo, Nonantola Film Festival, University of Modena, Ucca, Le parole ritrovate nazionali, the Forum Mental Health Association Rosabianca, EnnesimoFilmFestival, Corti-Vivi, Radioliberamente, DramaTeatro, vibrates and Supercinemaestivo.
In addition Antelope has screened at Excited Orange Mental Health Film and Arts Festival and has been longlisted for Best British Short Film and the Hampshire Award at Winchester Short Film Festival and accepted into Dorking Film Festival 2018.
CREW
AWARDS / SCREENINGS
Meglio Matti Che Corti 2017
Winner Technical Jury Prize (Best Films)
Mental Filmness 2019
Official Selection
Southampton International Film Festival 2018
Leading Actress in a Short (Becky Mills)
Supporting Performance in a Short (Wesley Budd)
Mental Health Arts and Film Festival 2018
Semi-Finalist
Dorking Film Festival 2018
Official Selection
Freemantle Music and Arts Festival 2018
Official Selection
Winchester Short Film Festival 2017
Best British Short Film (Longlisted)
Hampshire Prize (Longlisted)
Excited Orange Film Festival 2017
Official Selection
Southampton Film Week 2017
Screened out of competition as part of Ideas For Wellbeing Screening with Q&A Panel
PRESS
Southern Health is proud to support the making of the film ‘Antelope’. As an organisation, we are always striving to contribute towards innovative and creative ways in which we can continue to tackle stigma and discrimination that can be associated with mental illness. Through working with people with lived experience, we’re able to co-produce different materials and media that raises awareness and helps contribute to a community where mental health is more easily spoken about and supported.
SARAH LEONARD
ACUTE CARE MATRON, SOUTHERN HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
Taking its name from a Southampton psychiatric intensive care unit, Antelope depicts with sensitivity and humanity the impact of a sudden descent into mental health crisis on a young woman and her family. In doing so, it shines a welcome and much-needed light on the challenges faced by many in our society who live daily with mental health issues.
KEVIN GARDNER
CEO, SOLENT MIND
I struggle to find the words to describe what Antelope means to me. It is a real, honest and beautiful portrayal of what it is to be human – with or without a mental health struggle. It treads the fine line of hope and despair that many of us battle with on a daily basis. It has touched my soul deeply.
DEBS CARTER
TOUCH NETWORK
A young woman attempts to reconnect with her family following a mental breakdown. Yet discharge from primary care proves to be just the first step of a hard journey for everyone. Southampton-based director Ben Grace gives his film a real sense of heart in this poignant family drama. Ben Grace’s raw drama throws a light on a family in the aftermath of a mental breakdown. The short has a real sense of heart as it shows ‘real’ people struggling to reconnect in the worst of circumstances. Joanne Russel compels as the sister-in-law lost between bewilderment and sorrow. We look ahead eagerly to find out what Ben Grace does next.
DORKING FILM FESTIVAL
OFFICIAL SELECTION, 2018
Southampton Film Week (SFW) was thrilled to screen Antelope at the centre of the Ideas for Wellbeing evening for short film and discussion in 2017. SFW’s mission is to create showcase opportunities for filmmakers and their projects and to bring original, independent and specialised films and events to new audiences. We like to create conversation around our programme and focus this around issues of social, environmental, cultural and political importance. Screening Antelope fulfilled our purpose on a number of levels and provoked in depth conversation at the Ideas for Wellbeing event as well as an extended dialogue around issues of mental health. The film is moving, thought-provoking, intelligent and informed. A well-crafted production by a talented emerging filmmaker.
SOUTHAMPTON FILM WEEK
SCREENED AS PART OF SOUTHAMPTON FILM WEEK, 2017
Antelope is an insightful and sensitive exploration of the issues that are raised through the onset of a mental health illness and the subsequent journey to recovery. Healthwatch Southampton screened the film as part of our work around mental health to both raise awareness and promote dialogue around mental health issues. The film was met with a fantastic response from the audience, and helped to feed a lively debate after the screening.
ROB KURN
MANAGER, HEALTHWATCH SOUTHAMPTON
A rare insight into the raw and emotional truth of supporting someone going through often inexpressible pain. We look forward to more genuine films from Ben Grace Films, who has skilfully captured reality.
IMPACT Mental Health Peer Support
This poignant film shows how a conflicted twenty-something struggles to reconnect with her family following a failed suicide attempt.
MIND BLMK
Local MIND, covering Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes
Lets talk YOU
Email ben@bengrace.co.uk
Phone 07881574706
