The Awareness Film Festival was a celebration of cinema with a powerful cause. It happened October 6-16, 2022, at the Regal LA Live Theater. It is organized by Heal One World, a non-profit charity serving the community surrounding West Pico Blvd in Los Angeles, California.
As well as serving as a fundraiser, the mission of the Awareness Film Festival is to inform and inspire audiences through a program of films on important causes. Each day of the festival, they were focused on a specific reason. Some of these causes were mental health, equal rights, social justice, and the environment.
The filmmakers who made the films were committed to making positive change worldwide through their work. Their mission wasn’t just to entertain but raise awareness of real-world issues through independent film.
Both Documentary and Narrative Features, as well as Short Films, Music Videos, and Public Service Announcements, were showcased. The events also included filmmaker Q&As, and filmmaker panels as we as conscious about art and music. The net profits from this event will go entirely to charity.
A short film representing Painted Brain was featured at the festival. The film was COLORFUL MINDS about a homeless man who struggles with mental illness and stumbling upon the Painted Brain art cart in the park, discovering a sense of community and purpose that gives him hope for the future. The film is the 3rd Place Winner of the 2022 CBS Leadership Pipeline Challenge. This nonprofit-focused short film competition empowers early-career storytellers to step into creative leadership positions for a good cause.
After the premier of the film Painted Brain held a Q&A where the director Dorothy Xiao, star actor Don Cameron, and Painted Brain Program Coordinator Alfred Coles spoke about the film and how it resonated with the mission of Painted Brain.