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ARTS Visit insidehalton.com for more coverage A nxiety in yo u th s sub ject of d o cu m en ta ry film screen ing IndieFlix photo A film about anxiety in youths entitled Angst is being screened in Oakville on May 9 at Film.ca Cinema. TIM WHITNELL twhitnell@metroland.com A film about anxiety in young people is being screened in Oak­ ville. IndieFlix, an independent on­ line streaming platform, along with its non-profit arm, the Indie- Flix Foundation, is screening a new documentary, Angst: Rais­ ing Awareness Around Anxiety. On Wednesday, May 9, Fitness for Mental Health, which has rep­ resentatives in Toronto and Oak­ ville, w ill hold a special screening o f the documentary at Film.ca Cinemas to open up a dialogue between local families, commu­ nity leaders and experts. The event w ill feature speak­ ers followed by a viewing of the 56-minute film. In addition to the documenta­ ry, an exclusive virtual reality (V R ) component w ill allow users to experience a panic attack first­ hand, intended to engender awareness and empathy for anxi­ ety sufferers. The VR component, directed by Stephanie Riggs, has been de­ veloped with support from Goo­ gle as a supplemental learning aid to the documentary. Through candid interviews, Angst producers Scilla Andreen and Karin Gornick tell the stories o f many kids and teenagers who discuss their anxiety and its im­ pacts on their lives and relation­ ships, as well as how they've found solutions and hope. The film also includes an in­ terview with multiple gold med­ al-winning U.S. Olympic swim­ mer Michael Phelps, a mental health advocate. Phelps has been open about his struggles with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. "The conversation surround­ ing mental health really hits home for me," said Phelps. "Many people don't understand how de­ bilitating mental illness truly can be, and even more than that how common it is, yet people are afraid to have the serious discus­ sions about it." "I welcomed the opportunity to be a part o f Angst to further the dialogue around mental health and to help people understand the impact anxiety has on our mental state and encourage peo­ ple, especially kids, to ask for help," Phelps added. "Part of the beauty of this film is the openness o f the children and young adults featured; for some o f them the Angst project marks the first time they are pub­ licly sharing their experiences with anxiety. Our hope is that their candidness and bravery w ill inspire our community to do the same," said Andreen. In addition to the interviews with youths, the documentary provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes o f anxiety and its sociological ef­ fects, along with the help, re­ sources and tools available to ad­ dress the condition. "Everybody needs to know that anxiety disorders are real, common and treatable instead of viewing them as a personal choice or something to be ashamed of," said Dr. Jerry Bu- brick, senior director o f anxiety disorders centre at the Child Mind Institute in New York City. "Getting help early is crucial in giving people the tools they need to feel better. We just need to start the conversation." Event host Fitness for Mental Health is raising funds to support ongoing mental health program­ ming in Oakville. A ll proceeds raised from the film screening will go toward providing individ­ ual and group support in the com­ munity. The film is expected to reach more than three million people around the world, through 25,000 community and school screen­ ings. "Fitness for Mental Health is willing to work with Halton school boards to bring the pro­ gram to schools," said Jodie Beck­ er, founder o f Fitness for Mental Health. The program is mobile and al­ so goes to work offices, communi­ ty homes, hospitals and individu­ al homes. Fitness for Mental Health is a non-profit organization borne from firsthand experience navi­ gating the mental health-care system. "We recognize that there is a need to support individuals and communities by delivering fit­ ness as treatment, and as an inte­ gral part o f the journey to recov­ ery," said Becker. "We operate on evidence- based programming, delivering 30 or more minutes o f unique and customized fitness experiences for our clients and the communi­ ties in which we operate." "In addition to working with our clients to improve their ev­ eryday lives, we operate as an ad­ vocate for mental health funding and awareness," Becker added. Tickets to the screening are available but seating is limited. The Angst screening w ill be held at Film.ca Cinema, 171 Speers Rd., in Oakville. There is a 6:30 p.m. family screening and an 8 p.m. V IP screening. For tickets, go to https:// bit.ly/2HN9lXy. f e w | HAXELL LAW [ | Buying? Selling? Re-financing? Call us for a quote at 9 05 -8 4 5 -07 6 7 ext. 223 P ersonal Pkof&SStonai S eh/uce a t C rnpeM fe PateS 1276 Cornwall Road, Unit C, Oakville Ontario, L6J 7W5 T:905-845-0767• F: 905-845-5552 • w w w .h axelllaw .com • law yers@ haxelllaw .com LASTMANV MAYTAG LOWEST PRICES GUARANTEED SINCE 1955! SEE OUR FLYER IN TODAY'S PAPER! VISIT US ONLINE AT BADBOY.CA TO VIEW ALL BAD BOY LOCATIONS cn| O akvilleB eaver | Thursday, M ay 3,2018 insidehalton.com mailto:twhitnell@metroland.com http://www.haxelllaw.com mailto:lawyers@haxelllaw.com