Mental Health Stories – Indie Film Series at McMenamin’s Kennedy School, Portland Oregon Tuesday May 7 2024

Woman combat veteran in tank top and hat looking intensely to the side.

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month. Join us for May’s Indie Film Stories at McMenamin’s Kennedy School. Buy tickets now.

We are proud to feature independent filmmakers with our Indie Film Night, presented by Portland Film Festival. Each month we’ll feature a different series of independent films, with a Q&A to follow.

About Mental Health Stories (Mental Health Awareness Month): The Portland Film Festival’s Indie Film Series is presenting two films highlighting the importance of mental health awareness: Could You Pick Me Up, Please?, a short film about addiction, recovery and pain, and feature film This Is Not a War Story, a story of trauma and life after combat. Stick around after the screening for a Q&A.

About the films:

Octavian Kelly on a rooftop with camera and film crew.
Octavian Kelly


Could You Pick Me Up, Please? • Director: Octavian Kelly
Newly discharged from rehab, Will calls a string of friends and family to pick him up. While he may be ready to move on, those he hurt can’t easily forget the past.

Talia Lugacy
Talia Lugacy

This Is Not a War Story • Director: Talia Lugacy
This Is Not a War Story tracks a ragtag group of combat veterans in New York whose anti-war art, poetry and papermaking keep them together, despite the spectre of their friend’s suicide and the ever-crystalizing fact that healing from war is sometimes an impossible mission.

Buy Tickets Now.



Less than 2 days left for film entry—submit your film by July 2, 2024, Midnight PST.

The Portland Film Festival established itself as one of Portland’s first indie film non-profits, founded in 2013 with Portland’s first movie meetup, the Portland Film Club. Its hundreds of screenings, events, education programs, and community partnerships provide a remarkable experience for our diverse audience to connect with filmmakers working across genres and forms.