We are launching a social movement called IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT™. The purpose is to demonstrate how we can improve the mental wellness of our communities through active listening. The catalyzing event is screening the unreleased feature film LISTEN across North America in Fall 2016. It will be 100% free for people to attend.

LISTEN was inspired by Writer/Director Erahm Christopher's work with nearly one million youth. The film is about a school counselor who struggles to make a difference as isolation and negative influences spark destructive behavior among broken youth. Prominent themes include: mental illness, self-harm, gang violence, racism, cyber-bullying, domestic abuse and suicide. The trailer may be viewed at: www.listenthemovie.com.

We test screened the film to 6000+ people in the U.S. & Canada and received incredible feedback. Here’s a summarized video response: https://youtu.be/1F1f8u83Evo. LISTEN helps youth feel like they are not alone and empowers them to empathize with their peers and vocalize their own struggles. We can provide a comprehensive data packet upon request.

Screening event structure:

• Intro by Local Mental Health Professional (5 - 10 min)
• Feature Film Presentation (1 hour 48 min)
• Facilitated Q&A Discussion (30 min)
• ‘Just Listen’ Activity Books distributed to all attendees

Supporting this event will benefit the LA South Bay community in a multitude of ways. The event will (1) build awareness to mental health (2) reveal the damaging consequences that occur when we fail to listen to those in need (3) bridge the social divide between youth and adults (4) create a space for honest conversation and (5) provide local resources for individuals and families to seek help. Overall, we believe this will make LA South Bay MORE AWESOME by transforming inactive listeners into ACTIVE LISTENERS. Everyone has a role to play in communities therefore we must work together to help our youth grow healthy and connected!