Amanda’s journey to becoming a filmmaker began with storyboarding patient’s stories in the psychiatric hospital. Upon discharge, Amanda began producing short films about mental health with clients around the U.S. Having now interviewed over 300 people across 80 short films, Amanda has witnessed a range of powerfully vulnerable and diverse stories. In this presentation, Amanda shares short films and behind-the-scenes of her filmmaking practices. Plus, the bigger picture of how films can be applied to digital advertising, research studies, and treatment programs. And perhaps, most importantly, how filmmaking practice can translate to everyday values in life: people want to be heard, seen, and represented.

Amanda’s shares her personal story spending three months cycling through the psychiatric hospital system. She learned from the inside-out how the system works, witnessing people’s darkest moments – including her own. While in the hospital, a thoughtful nurse handed Amanda a box of crayons. This simple gesture became a pivotal moment in Amanda’s healing and inspired her career becoming a young leader in mental health care and documentary filmmaking. She shares how “the little things” can make all the difference, and the power of storytelling in raising awareness about mental health and improving the system.

Amanda is aware that she stands on the shoulders of giants, and is a big believer in the power of mentorship and investing in the next generation of leaders. At the age of 19, Amanda was appointed to the board of the largest grassroots mental health nonprofit in the U.S., the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), catapulting her into navigating the politics and pressures of organizational leadership and responsibility. Amanda shares her full circle journey from experiencing psychiatric hospitalization, to building a career in mental health care and filmmaking.

Now more than ever, traditional workplaces and lifestyles are being disrupted and challenged. Amanda reflects on working remotely since 2014 and the process of finding balance, discipline, and community in a virtual world. Amanda also challenges people to think about life outside of work, and what outlets help counterbalance the extremes of stress or hardship. For example, Amanda engages in extreme sports – like rock climbing and mountain biking – to counter balance her own mental health issues.