#werecover

We are so very proud to be a recipient of SAMHSA’s VOICE Award for Documentary Film in 2016.

In its 11th year, the Voice Awards program recognizes leaders in the TV and film industry and behavioral health community who work to increase awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders. 

*All Photo Credits to Jon Didier Photo, LA/2016 Voice Awards

Held at UCLA’s Royce Hall in front of an audience of over 800 people, the program featured opening video remarks by First Lady Michelle Obama, a welcome address by SAMHSA host Tom Hill, and MC duties by Dr. Mehmet Oz.

This year, the event highlighted the theme “Strengthening Families through Hope and Help” and put a spotlight the invaluable role family members can and do have in all aspects of prevention, treatment, and recovery. 

In accepting our award from writer Roger Wolfson, director Ben Selkow spoke about the necessity for a fluid and dynamic definition of “family.” In our film, recovery for Luis, Ashley and Erundina comes from non-traditional definitions of family. A beloved service dog named “Tuesday” becomes the trusted mainstay for Iraq War veteran, former U.S. Army Captain Luis Carlos Montalván. For Erundina, a child abuse and domestic violence survivor, her sister plays a critical role in her recovery, but it is a new family she makes at a recovery center that help her find a path to sobriety. And for Ashley, a fifth generation New Orleanian and survivor of Hurricane Katrina, it is rejoining her New Orleans community of sisters and brothers while building a new home with her husband that help her find solace.

The evening moved along swiftly and a really diverse range of advocates, writers, producers, filmmakers, actors and consumers were acknowledged. There was so much passion and humility in the room, along with an unsaid understanding between everyone -- whether coming from the point of view of someone with a lived experience, a family member, or a film/tv creator, a compassion and warmth radiated throughout Royce Hall. 

Several films, including Paul Dalio’s Touched with Fire and Glenn Holsten’s Hollywood Beauty Salon played with us as part of the Mental Health America Film Festival in June 2016.

Other films and television productions were honored, such as the brilliant Love & Mercy about Beach Boy Brian Wilson, Being Charlie directed by Rob Reiner and written by his son Nick Reiner, The Dark Horse with Cliff Curtis, Blue Bloods, Empire, Madam Secretary, Mom, Nashville, and The Carmichael Show.

Actors/Advocates Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard were given a SAMHSA Special Recognition Award, as were the Jackson-Brown Family, and the Reiner Family.

The Staglin Family received a Lifetime Achievement Award for their commitment to mental health philanthropy and research.

Sheldon Hill, a youth mentor and community organizer in Detroit received The Consumer/Peer/Family Leadership Award and had inspiring and beautiful words to share with the rapt audience. Tiffany Hunsely, Ted Streuli, Julie Mangers and the incomparable Sally Zinman received this award, as well. Joshua Calarino received the Young Adult Leadership Award.

Here’s a partial visual walk through some of the programs and personalities who were honored or spoke that night:

Prince Harry of the Royal Family

Hollywood and Glenn Holsten, director of Hollywood Beauty Salon

Sheldon Hill, Consumer/Peer/Family Leadership Award Winner

Willie Hunter, writer for The Carmichael Show

Director Rob Reiner, writer Nick Reiner, writer Matt Elisofon, and  producer Johnson Chan of Being Charlie

Director Ben Selkow and writer Roger Wolfson

**LAST WEEK OF FREE STREAMING** Watch BURIED ABOVE GROUND on PBS & World Channel. 

Stream the full film at bit.ly/BAG_PBS & bit.ly/BAG_World until August 27th

WATCH THE TRAILER

PRESS COVERAGE | You can read more on our press page here: http://buriedaboveground.tv/media-coverage

HOST  A SCREENING OF BURIED ABOVE GROUND | If you would like to host a screening of BURIED ABOVE GROUND, please contact us: http://buriedaboveground.tv/book-a-screening

GENERAL INFO | For more information about BURIED ABOVE GROUND, please find us at: http://buriedaboveground.tv

After eight long years of researching, developing relationships, fundraising, filming around the country, tears and laughter, witnessing pain and courage, years of editing, launching the film into festivals and community screenings, we are absolutely thrilled to announce BURIED ABOVE GROUND’s national broadcast on PBS America ReFramed on WORLD Channel, Tuesday, June 28th at 8pm during National PTSD Awareness Month! We are so pleased to be a part of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning American Documentary family to bring our film into households around the country. 

With 60- to 90-minute independent films, followed by provocative conversations led by host/moderator Natasha Del Toro, this weekly series offers an unfiltered look at people rarely given a voice on national television. Launched in August 2007, WORLD is produced and distributed by WGBH/Boston, American Public Television(APT) and WNET/New York in association with Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA). WORLD is distributed by APT and is now carried by 72 licensees/155 stations representing 65.8% of U.S. TV households.

We kick off National PTSD Awareness Month with conversations and screenings of BURIED ABOVE GROUND at Mental Health America’s National Conference & Inaugural Film Festival on June 8th and 9th at the Hilton Mark Hotel in Alexandria, VA. The festival showcases short and full-length films exploring the different aspects of mental illness, addiction and recovery.  This is their first Film Festival, but filmmaker Ben Selkow has screened clips of BURIED ABOVE GROUND there before to highly engaged advocate, activists, educators, and a wide-range of experts from mental health to policy to military. We are very much looking forward to screening with a tremendous slate of films, filmmakers, and subjects from the films. 

Director Ben Selkow and Captain Luis Carlos Montalván, featured in the film, are panelists for two breakout sessions during the three-day long conference and film festival.  Captain Montalván will join other writers for an “Author’s Corner” on the The Power of Storytelling. Ben will join several other filmmakers to discuss Non-Fiction and Reporting in a panel entitled “Influencing Discussion through Documentaries.” Selkow and Captain Montalván will join together on June 9th following a screening of BURIED ABOVE GROUND for a Q&A with MHA delegates and general audience members attending the film festival. TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED HERE.

Captain Luis Carlos Montalván and his service dog Tuesday

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:

PRESS COVERAGE | You can read more on our press page here:http://buriedaboveground.tv/media-coverage

GENERAL INFO | For more information about BURIED ABOVE GROUND, please find us at: http://buriedaboveground.tv

HOST  A SCREENING OF BURIED ABOVE GROUND | If you would like to host a screening of BURIED ABOVE GROUND, please contact us: http://buriedaboveground.tv/book-a-screening

The BURIED ABOVE GROUND team kicked off May’s #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth with a series of events around the country as part of The National Community Screenings Tour.

On May 5th, director Ben Selkow joined the Family Service Association of San Antonio, Inc.'s "Change in Mind" Learning Summit in Texas for a screening of Buried Above Ground followed by a dynamic Q&A.

Ben Selkow presenting in San Antonio, TX

Family Service Association of San Antonio’s "Change in Mind" Learning Summit

Continuing our National Community Screenings Tour, NAMI Monterey County with the support of Each Mind Matters, hosted two incredibly impactful, inspirational and compassionate screenings on May 11 and May 12.

Ben Selkow leads the panel discussion at CSUMB

California State University, Monterey Bay held the first event. Following a packed screening, one of the film's courageous characters domestic abuse survivor, Erundina Lopez joined director Ben Selkow, Marissa Robles (Youth Education & Advocacy Facilitator at YWCA Monterey County), Trinity Salazar (Case Manager/Clinical Specialist) and Edwin Marticorena (Deputy Executive Director) both of the Veterans Transition Center of Monterey County for a talkback with the audience. After two years in a faith-based rehabilitation facility after relapsing, Erundina joined filmmaker Ben Selkow for the first time following a screening. She was so honest, candid, strong and inspiring with her remarks during the event. It was incredibly moving to share the stage with her, as well as see audience members seek her out for encouragement, support and well wishes when the night was over.

“Buried Above Ground’s” Erundina Lopez, Ben Selkow, Marissa Robles, Trinity Salazar and Edwin Marticorena

The room came alive with stories, testimonies, hugs, tears, and support as combat veterans, domestic violence survivors, child abuse survivors, and first responders came forward from the audience to share their lived experiences, challenges and stories of recovery. 

Buried Above Ground brings to light PTSD in a real and powerful way, helps dispel stigmas associated with trauma, and allows the audience to see the humanity of those suffering from PTSD.

 - Edwin Marticorena, MFT, US Army veteran

    Deputy Executive Director, Veterans Transition Center

Compassion. Community. Trust. Safety. Humbling and moving to witness such honesty and defiance of stigma and shame. We successfully created a forum for story-sharing, resource availability, and the creation of new connections within a community.

Maya Cinemas in Salinas, CA

“Buried Above Ground’s” Erundina Lopez

Panelists Megen Caskey, Erundina Lopez, Ben Selkow and Trinity Salazar

On our second night in Monterey County, we headed to ‪Salinas for an inspiring second screening of Buried Above Ground with continued support from NAMI Monterey County President Joe Livernois and his remarkable staff. We filled the Maya Cinemas for the screening, then Erundina Lopez again joined director Ben Selkow, Trinity Salazar (Case Manager/Clinical Specialist) of the Veterans Transition Center of Monterey County, and NAMI Monterey County Board Member Megen Caskey for an emotional Q&A.

Reflecting the diversity of Salinas, the room had a different feel than the night before and the theater transformed into a public support space with veterans, former foster care children, homeless members of the community, and other trauma survivors sharing their stories, finding resources and even receiving a few hugs.

“Buried Above Ground” at the Maya Cinemas

HUGE Thank you to President of the NAMI Monterey County Board Joe Livernois for the invitation to NAMI Monterey County Screening at Black Box Cabaret, Each Mind Matters, Veterans Transition Center of Monterey County, YWCA Monterey County, CSUMB Health Promotion & Education, and CSUMB Veterans Service Center for supporting the event. NAMI Monterey County graciously followed up our event with kind praise on their website: “Capacity crowds, a powerful documentary and meaningful conversations about post-traumatic stress disorder marked NAMI’s two-day film extravaganza this week at CSU Monterey Bay.”

NAMI Monterey County President Joe Livernois and Director Ben Selkow

Our events received excellent media coverage in both the Monterey Herald and the Monterey County Weekly leading up to the screenings on May 11 and May 12, 2016. You can read more on our press page here: http://buriedaboveground.tv/media-coverage

For more information about BURIED ABOVE GROUND, please find us at: http://buriedaboveground.tv

If you would like to host a screening of BURIED ABOVE GROUND, please contact us: http://buriedaboveground.tv/book-a-screening

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