BAFTA triumph for mental health animations
4 December 2009
The series, made by Mosaic Films and Teachers TV and funded by a People Award from the Trust, triumphed in the Best Learning - Secondary Education category at a ceremony in central London on 29 November.
It follows success earlier this year at the Royal Television Society's Educational Awards, where the series won the category for best programme for 14- to 19-year-olds. It has also won the 2009 Mental Health Media Award for Young People's Media.
The five animations, which are available to view and download on the Teachers TV website, look at eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, self-harm and Asperger's Syndrome.
They are part of the Animated Minds series of short animated documentaries, which use real testimony from people who have experienced different forms of mental distress.
All the films aim to dispel myths and misconceptions about mental illness by giving a voice to those who experience them first hand. Engaging animation is used to give some authenticity to the subjective experience of mental health problems.
"Mental health problems in young people often go unnoticed, and hopefully these films may contribute in engaging a younger audience, and informing them about these important issues," said series director and producer Andy Glynne of Mosaic Films.
The annual British Academy Children's Awards celebrate excellence in the art forms of the moving image for Children, from film and television to video games and websites.
Routes, an innovative blend of drama, documentary and games funded by the Trust, was also nominated at the Awards in the Best Interactive category.
Image: A still from Troubled Minds. Credit: Mosaic Films