‘Dance Into The Light’ wins Frame of Mind competition
‘Dance Into The Light’, a short film by students from St Finian’s College, has won the secondary schools category in this year’s Frame of Mind competition run St Patrick’s Mental Health Services.
The directors/ writers/ stars, Haley Mulvaney and Fiadh McColgan, attended a screening in the Irish Film Institute on April 30, where Matilda star Alisha Weir led congratulations to the participants – students from Our Lady’s Bower won the TikTok category.
‘Dance Into The Light’ – directed,and written by, and also starring, Haley and Fiadh – features two young women using dance as tool to overcome adversity, demonstrate resilience and express freedom.
In their submission, they state: “We are both dancers and we feel this art form is a way to escape. We literally dance all our negative feelings and thoughts away; it gives us a sense of belonging and makes us feel free.”
Held annually, the Frame of Mind competition is an initiative of Walk in My Shoes, an awareness-raising campaign by St Patrick’s Mental Health Services that uses the mediums of short film and photography to help to promote positive mental health and reduce stigma around mental health difficulties.
In 2024, to mark the 10-year anniversary of the competition’, Walk in My Shoes partnered with Screen Ireland, the national agency for Irish film, television, drama, animation and documentary, to help to amplify positive mental health messages while also showcasing emerging young talent in the sector.
Alisha Weir said: “I think everyone nominated tonight should be really proud of themselves, and have done an amazing job. The message of the Frame of Mind competition is so important. It’s a great way for us to use our creativity and our voice to make something together – but most importantly, to talk to each other about things we don’t normally talk about. Congratulations.”
Eight one students from nine counties were shortlisted in this year’s competition, which was open to secondary schools, special education schools, Youthreach centres and Further Education and Training (FET) centres.
Winning and shortlisted entries
Short Film secondary schools category (includes special education schools and special education classes); winners: Dance into the Light, St Finian’s College, Mullingar; runners-up: Hope Dies Last, Ardscoil La Salle, Raheny, Dublin 5.
Short Film category (includes Youthreach and FET-specific learners), winners: Saving Sadie, Youthreach Ballinrobe, County Mayo; runners-up: Me, Banagher Further Education and Training Centre, County Offaly; runners-up: HUH - Head Up High, Enniscorthy Youthreach Spring Valley, Enniscorthy, County Wexford
TikTok category (includes secondary schools including special education schools/ special education classes, Youthreach and FET centres; winners: Happiness is the most important thing, Our Lady’s Bower, Athlone; runners-up: Men Matter, Portlaoise Youthreach Ridge Road, Portlaoise, County Laois.
The winning short films are on the Screen Ireland Short Film Player.
Paul Gilligan, CEO of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, said: “The Frame of Mind campaign uses the medium of film to provide a positive space for students to pause and reflect on their experiences and knowledge of mental health; to harness their creativity; and to raise awareness about mental health, whether that’s by challenging stigma or sharing positive messages.
"As always, the entries to this year’s competition were of extremely high calibre and highlight the incredible talent, tenacity, and vital role that young people can play in inspiring conversations about mental health.
"We were extremely grateful to partner with Screen Ireland for this year’s Frame of Mind competition, working together towards a shared goal of educating young people about mental health and encouraging them to explore new creative outlets and avenues.”
The winning films were selected by a panel of expert judges comprising Éibh Collins, shorts programmer for the Galway Film Fleadh and Film and TV manager at the National Talent Academies; Michael Doherty, movies editor, RTÉ Guide; and Tom Maher, director of services at St Patrick’s Mental Health Services.
First-place entrants in each category won €1,000 cash prize for their school or education centre and nrunners-up received €500.
Désirée Finnegan, chief executive of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, said: “Screen Ireland is delighted to support the 10th anniversary of the Walk in My Shoes Frame of Mind competition. This year’s initiative has been a fantastic opportunity for students to develop and showcase their skills in filmmaking and storytelling on screen, helping raise mental health awareness. Our sincere congratulations to all of the students and schools that participated, and to the shortlisted and winning films.”
A playlist of all shortlisted and winning films will be available to view on Walk in My Shoes YouTube channel, and the winning films can be viewed here on the Screen Ireland short film player.
For more information about the winning students and runners-up, as well as what the themes of their films, click here.