-
rrff2021-our-american-family-film OUR AMERICAN FAMILY provides an honest, unfiltered look at a close-knit Philadelphia family dealing with generational substance abuse. Captured at a pivotal, “nothing to lose” moment, then over the course of a year, five family members tired of life with addiction on center stage, each struggle to transcend their crippling histories.
Trauma and Beyond Psychological Center ® provides Intensive Outpatient, Partial/Day Treatment and individualized outpatient trauma programs for trauma, mental health, and co-existing disorders at our center in Los Angeles. https://www.traumaandbeyondcenter.com
https://www.westwindrecovery.com
The Mission of Westwind Recovery® is to provide a comprehensive and client-centered program that results in a powerful healing of both our clients and their families. We grow and nurture a vibrant community that is filled with healthy individuals who are living in sustainable recovery, experiencing joy and helping others to do the same.
REEL Recovery Film Festival filmmakers and Leonard Buschel REEL Recovery Film Festival Filmmakers produce films about addiction and mental illness. A gathering of filmmakers and Leonard Buschel in New York
https://filmfreeway.com/REELRecoveryFilmFestival-16881https://reelrecoveryfilmfestival.org/we-lost-our-vp/
REEL Recovery Film Festival co-founder Robert Downey, Sr. has passed away. In 2008, Robert Downey, Sr. father of Robert Downey, Jr. founded along with Director the REEL Recovery Film Festival. The festival now has played in 15 cities in the US and London and Vancouver.Register for your free tickets
This year’s virtual reel recovery film festival features bold, authentic filmmaking from around the world. Founded in 2008 by Leonard Buschel (pictured) and Robert Downey Sr (father of Robert Downey Jr., pictured) was the first film festival dedicated to reaching the addiction, recovery community.
The REEL Recovery Film Festival is presented by Writers In Treatment – Supporting recovery and the arts since 2008.
Share to support
2021 FEATURE LENGTH FILMS
-
![]( "The Wisdom of Trauma")
The Wisdom of Trauma
Can our deepest pain be a doorway to healing?Run Time: 87 minutes -
![]( "On Island")
On Island
An intimate portrait of the opioid crisis happening on Martha's Vineyard.Run Time: 66 minutes -
![]( "The Middle Way")
The Middle Way
Musician Jam Alker’s harrowing addiction became a catalyst for him to help other addicts.Run Time: 68 minutes -
![]( "Maxie")
Maxie
Two teens from opposite backgrounds try to get clean over a tumultuous weekend.Run Time: 103 minutes -
![]( "Balcony")
Balcony
A young man who’s facing military PTSD observes Israeli society from his balcony.Run Time: 50 minutes -
![]( "My Ascension")
My Ascension
A suicide attempt left Emma Benoit paralyzed, but propelled on a mission to help others.Run Time: 88 minutes -
![]( "Bobbi Jo: Under the Influence")
Bobbi Jo: Under the Influence
A testimony of addiction and the discovery that to save yourself, you must save others.Run Time: 142 minutes
2021 Narrative Shorts
-
![]( "Drink Up, You’re Next")
Drink Up, You're Next
"Drink Up, You're Next" is a short about the negative cultural impacts of binge-drinking.Run Time: 12 minutes -
![]( "GOODBYE")
GOODBYE
Mia has a severe depression, finding difficult to seek or ask for help.Run Time: 4 minutes -
![]( "ANONYMOUS")
ANONYMOUS
Hitting bottom...againRun Time: 6 minutes -
![]( "My Mother Is The Best")
My Mother Is The Best
All children love their mother, but not all mothers love their children.Run Time: 15 minutes -
![]( "Discharge")
Discharge
Two strangers from a mental health facility decide whether or not to live together.Run Time: 6 minutes -
![]( "Derelict")
Derelict
A meth-addict roams a weary small town in northwest Florida in search of his next fix.Run Time: 21 minutes -
![]( "Withdrawal")
Withdrawal
After overdosing, Kyle must confront the root of his addiction before it takes him over.Run Time: 25 minutes -
![]( "Family Week")
Family Week
Three families whose lives are upended by addiction, find hope at rehab's family week.Run Time: 34 minutes -
![]( "So OCD (RRFF 2021)")
So OCD (RRFF 2021)
A social 20-something with severe OCD tries to keep her struggle hidden during a night outRun Time: 7 minutes -
![]( "Jack in Astoria (rrff 2021)")
Jack in Astoria (rrff 2021)
An interloper creates conflict between neighbors. Welcome to Queens!Run Time: 7 minutes -
![]( "EMMA Z.")
EMMA Z.
During the 3rd Amazon Anonymous meeting, Emma Z. arrives. But, just how anonymous is she?Run Time: 16 minutes -
![]( "WHERE DO YOU GET OFF?")
WHERE DO YOU GET OFF?
Coming to terms with the ups and downs of life after death. A light-hearted, dark-comedyRun Time: 14 minutes -
![]( "Psyched!-Pilot")
Psyched!-Pilot
The lives and loves of the staff at Liberty Community Mental Health Team.Run Time: 28 minutes -
![]( "Trapped")
Trapped
So often, without rhyme or reason, it just happens.Run Time: 5 minutes -
![]( "Ek Notun Probhat")
Ek Notun Probhat
Woman is Shakti and she has the power to overcome all hurdlesRun Time: 17 minutes -
![]( "Dancing With Rainbow")
Dancing With Rainbow
Nominated in Oscar Academy Award Festival.
An Experimental Documentary;Run Time: 7 minutes -
![]( "ADDICTION")
ADDICTION
Jane struggles with her soberiety, while fighting the demon inside her head.Run Time: 4 minutes -
![]( "Angel Of Mine")
Angel Of Mine
Angel is a teenager with an addiction problem who dreams of a brighter future.Run Time: 7 minutes -
![]( "The Shattering! (RRFF)")
The Shattering! (RRFF)
A girl with sleep disorders tries to navigate her life after a tragic incident occurs.Run Time: 9 minutes -
![]( "MY DINNER WITH STEVE")
MY DINNER WITH STEVE
TFW Your First Date Turns Into TherapyRun Time: 12 minutes -
![]( "Dukkha")
Dukkha
An alcoholic mother goes in search of Nirvana.Run Time: 13 minutes -
![]( "Cruel and Unusual Therapy")
Cruel and Unusual Therapy
Seeing a therapist is hard. Breaking up with one is harder.Run Time: 7 minutes -
![]( "Day Job")
Day Job
A man's day job traps him in a soul crushing routine.Run Time: 4 minutes -
![]( "HUNGRY GHOSTS")
HUNGRY GHOSTS
A man's desperate search for his drug-addicted wife forces him to confront his own demonsRun Time: 18 minutes -
![]( "Gangster Chocolate")
Gangster Chocolate
a former drug addict using his story to help the new palestinian generation in isrealRun Time: 60 minutes -
![]( "Her Resolve")
Her Resolve
After enduring the loss of her father, a daughter navigates past remorse to find closure.Run Time: 4 minutes -
![]( "Lyssa")
Lyssa
A woman diagnosed with schizophrenia begins seeing a stalker. Everything begins to unravelRun Time: 22 minutes -
![]( "Too Late")
Too Late
The first film on Edie Sedgwick for the 50th anniversary of her death.Run Time: 15 minutes -
![]( "Untitled Thoughts")
Untitled Thoughts
“Sure, we can talk about mental health. But can we listen?”Run Time: 6 minutes -
![]( "Taint in the lush green")
Taint in the lush green
Frames of a pristine village tangled with its dark taintsRun Time: 6 minutes -
![]( "Mickey Hardaway")
Mickey Hardaway
A Young Sketch Artist visits a well renowned psychiatrist as his life begins spiraling.Run Time: 20 minutes -
![]( "Strength of the Sash")
Strength of the Sash
A struggling young man finds refuge and a sense of self-worth in his rich Métis heritage.Run Time: 14 minutes -
![]( "Be Good")
Be Good
A young woman wrestles with a troubling affliction as she gets ready for a friend's party.Run Time: 12 minutes
2021 Documentary Shorts
-
![]( "Hello Sunshine")
Hello Sunshine
Roz understands that her own healing and survival depends upon healing others.Run Time: 13 minutes -
![]( "Without Wings")
Without Wings
Horses Healing Hearts is a program to help the youngest victims of substance abuse.Run Time: 29 minutes -
![]( "S.O.B.E.R. – DWI Courts and the Transformation from Addiction to Recovery")
S.O.B.E.R. - DWI Courts and the Transformation from Addiction to Recovery
S.O.B.E.R. is the story of one man's journey from addiction to recovery.Run Time: 22 minutes -
![]( "In Love with Craziness")
In Love with Craziness
From ADHD and drug use, to redemption through the creative energy of rap music.Run Time: 21 minutes -
![]( "GOOD INTENTIONS")
GOOD INTENTIONS
Alan, a 43-year-old French man struggles to overcome an addiction to methamphetamine, heRun Time: 39 minutes -
![]( "8 Weeks To Happy")
8 Weeks To Happy
Journalistic style film documenting weekly effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.Run Time: 11 minutes -
![]( "I Wanted to Write You a Thinkpiece")
I Wanted to Write You a Thinkpiece
A glimpse into the fractured mind of a trauma survivor's reckoning with the Trump regimeRun Time: 7 minutes -
![]( "The Silent Disease")
The Silent Disease
An intimate story, a family trying to understand it’s loss into addiction as a disease anRun Time: 36 minutes -
![]( "My Friend From a Care Home")
My Friend From a Care Home
The young woman trying to adopt her friend to get her out of an institutional care homeRun Time: 40 minutes -
![]( "Sooner or Later")
Sooner or Later
Let the shadows rest behind youRun Time: 8 minutes -
![]( "Reality Rehab")
Reality Rehab
What happens when 4 guys in recovery try to renovate an underground bunker in Montana.Run Time: 15 minutes -
![]( "Eating Myself Out of House and Home")
Eating Myself Out of House and Home
A filmmaker reflects on the social and political implications of her eating disorder.Run Time: 14 minutes -
![]( "Why Do People Smoke?")
Why Do People Smoke?
Plagued by the death of her grandfather a woman takes to the streets to ask smokers WHY?Run Time: 13 minutes -
![]( "Bridging the Gap")
Bridging the Gap
A young woman grapples with the boundaries between her internal delusion and her everydayRun Time: 6 minutes -
![]( "MAD LOVE")
MAD LOVE
2 artists meet in an asylum...tested by time, trust, faith and the power of creativity.Run Time: 54 minutes -
![]( "The Long Run: Wes Doty’s New Life")
The Long Run: Wes Doty's New Life
Wes endured years of extreme heroin use before running across the solution to his recoveryRun Time: 23 minutes
2020 FILMS
2020 Finalists -- No longer available for viewing
-
![]( "G-Ride: The Mike Griffith Story")
G-Ride: The Mike Griffith Story
Without a ride, he would be gone.Run Time: 22 minutes -
![]( "melatonin")
melatonin
a young man's downward spiral of grief, trauma, insomnia, anxiety and suicidal feelingsRun Time: 20 minutes -
![]( "Exposure")
Exposure
To overcome his depression and anxiety, a man confronts his worst fears.Run Time: 38 minutes -
![]( "Zoe in Review")
Zoe in Review
A fractured woman examines her past in search of answers for her present entanglement.Run Time: 15 minutes -
![]( "This is not Georgia")
This is not Georgia
The persecutory delusions of Thea's brother blurs the lines of reality for them bothRun Time: 12 minutes -
![]( "Fentanyl Madness")
Fentanyl Madness
Fentanyl Madness: Stigma + Fentanyl = DeathRun Time: 55 minutes -
![]( "American Oxycution")
American Oxycution
Drugs are fun, until they're not.Run Time: 7 minutes -
![]( "Fighting For Air")
Fighting For Air
A young man struggling with depression shares his feelings, experiences and thoughts.Run Time: 16 minutes -
![]( "FACEBOOM – LA GRANDE PIOGGIA")
FACEBOOM - LA GRANDE PIOGGIA
The world wakes up and realizes that social networks are no longer working.Run Time: 15 minutes -
![]( "Medicating Normal (RRFF)")
Medicating Normal (RRFF)
Medicating Normal: When profit driven medicine meets human beings in distress.Run Time: 76 minutes -
![]( "ANONYMOUS")
ANONYMOUS
Hitting bottom...againRun Time: 6 minutes -
![]( "Capt Stolly Stollenberger")
Capt Stolly Stollenberger
Don't do it!Run Time: 3 minutes -
![]( "Original Body of Pain")
Original Body of Pain
When mothers with SUDs become pregnant, recovery becomes a family affair.Run Time: 45 minutes -
![]( "A Black Sleep")
A Black Sleep
Sometimes getting up is heroic.Run Time: 22 minutes -
![]( "I Love Ana")
I Love Ana
A Jamaican-American teenager girl joins a group chat that promotes eating disorders.Run Time: 16 minutes -
![]( "How Speaking About Suicide Can Save Lives")
How Speaking About Suicide Can Save Lives
The CEO of Lines for Life explores how individuals can discuss suicide in a safe manner.Run Time: 4 minutes -
![]( "Durga’s Lockdown")
Durga's Lockdown
Stop tolerating, be the DURGA !Run Time: 2 minutes -
![]( "Bet Check or Raise: All In")
Bet Check or Raise: All In
BCOR is a character study, buddy movie, and courthouse crime drama all wrapped up in oneRun Time: 15 min minutes -
![]( "Jack in Astoria")
Jack in Astoria
A troubled interloper, and a couple of neighbors, forces a strong difference of opinion.Run Time: 8 minutes -
![]( "The Wreck")
The Wreck
A chance encounter of 2 people that changed their lives.Run Time: 22 minutes -
![]( "Bobby")
Bobby
A story about a 40 year old man suffering from mental illnessRun Time: 9 minutes -
![]( "Coming Up For Air")
Coming Up For Air
A mom struggles to find and rescue her brilliant college son spiraling out of control.Run Time: 121 minutes -
![]( "SNO BABIES")
SNO BABIES
A 16 year old heroin addicted honor student hides her addiction from her family.Run Time: 109 minutes -
![]( "The Gods As My Friends")
The Gods As My Friends
Despite her many addictions and troubled past, Jacqui is becoming a nun.Run Time: 93 minutes -
![]( "Spirits")
Spirits
A bourbon distiller must confront the ghosts of his past in order to love again.Run Time: 12 minutes -
![]( "Small Town Remedies")
Small Town Remedies
Siblings, put their personal lives on hold to help their mother through a relapse.Run Time: 96 minutes -
![]( "Orthorexia")
Orthorexia
Three coworkers compare eating habits.Run Time: 4 minutes -
![]( "Confessions of a Runner")
Confessions of a Runner
Healing and redemption while pursuing the 470 km Lebanon Mountain Trail running record.Run Time: 29 minutes -
![]( "Mama Mania")
Mama Mania
What to do, when your bipolar mother get’s involved in a dating scam?Run Time: 13 minutes -
![]( "Cut the Cord")
Cut the Cord
A young man trapped in the darkness of his minds must find what truly makes him happy.Run Time: 6 minutes -
![]( "Oleg: The Oleg Vidov Story")
Oleg: The Oleg Vidov Story
One of the USSR's most celebrated actors, Oleg Vidov is blacklisted and forced to defect.Run Time: 3 minutes -
![]( "Keeping The Chaos Together")
Keeping The Chaos Together
With proper treatment, those living with a mental illness can have happy, successful livesRun Time: 37 minutes -
![]( "Résilience")
Résilience
A young woman journey through anxiety and depression as darkness lurks inside her mind.Run Time: 8 minutes -
![]( "MONSTRUS CIRCUS")
MONSTRUS CIRCUS
Leonard, a magician, decides to set up a circus troupe of unusual artists.Run Time: 29 minutes -
![]( "Follow Me for Instant Gratification")
Follow Me for Instant Gratification
A young man struggles with the temptations of social media.Run Time: 7 minutes -
![]( "Windows To Nowhere")
Windows To Nowhere
A woman struggles to move forward with her life after the tragic death of her daughter.Run Time: 20 minutes -
![]( "Battlemind")
Battlemind
A close up of the mindset of an ex soldier shot down by PTSD syndrome.Run Time: 9 minutes -
![]( "Land of the Haunted Dolls")
Land of the Haunted Dolls
Four trafficking victims believe to be reincarnated from four women who died 300 years agoRun Time: 19 minutes -
![]( "High Flying Jade")
High Flying Jade
The true story of a bipolar woman from LA who moved to Vietnam to join the circus.Run Time: 21 minutes -
![]( "Broken")
Broken
Two Sides. One Truth. No Choices.Run Time: 15 minutes -
![]( "Amy’s Victory Dance")
Amy's Victory Dance
Turning Tragedy into Triumph.Run Time: 125 minutes -
![]( "KINTSUGI")
KINTSUGI
A therapist for victims of sexual abuse dives into her trauma after an assaultRun Time: 25 minutes -
![]( "In Their Shoes: Unheard Stories of Reentry & Recovery")
In Their Shoes: Unheard Stories of Reentry & Recovery
You have the WRITE to not remain silent.Run Time: 71 minutes -
![]( "Leelee vs Leelee")
Leelee vs Leelee
Leelee hosts an unfriendly guest who offers unsolicited commentary on her life.Run Time: 6 minutes -
![]( "Lines")
Lines
Callie struggles to find a balance between love and a new super-power drug.Run Time: 12 minutes -
![]( "A RAVAGED SOUL: ANATOMY OF AN ADDICT")
A RAVAGED SOUL: ANATOMY OF AN ADDICT
Close to death, Brad's love for his son propels an ultimate Recovery.Run Time: 60 minutes -
![]( "Deeper Than Blue")
Deeper Than Blue
After facing Postpartum Depression a woman sets out to save her kids but also save herselfRun Time: 11 minutes -
![]( "I Drink")
I Drink
First person tales of alcoholism, drug addiction, hitting bottom and finding redemption.Run Time: 87 minutes -
![]( "To The Voice Inside")
To The Voice Inside
Be louder than the voice that keeps you silent.Run Time: 4 minutes -
![]( "Destination")
Destination
A drug addict on a delivery follows a new GPS app around but the app has a mind of its ownRun Time: 18 minutes -
![]( "Alberta #3")
Alberta #3
Bipolar artist reflects on madness, family, heredity and time.Run Time: 16 minutes -
![]( "Mood Atlas")
Mood Atlas
Imagine Your Brain Is Hijacked.Run Time: 19 minutes -
![]( "Riptide")
Riptide
A Scottish schizophrenia love story road movieRun Time: 90 minutes -
![]( "Me, My Meds & Mother")
Me, My Meds & Mother
The love between a mother and daughter trancends Alzheimers, Mental Health & Addiction.Run Time: 15 minutes -
![]( "Here I’m not gonna die")
Here I'm not gonna die
Paris, inside a medically supervised drug consumption site. A shelter for many people.Run Time: 70 minutes -
![]( "I HEARD SARAH")
I HEARD SARAH
A TROUBLED ROCKSTAR ESCAPES MANDATED REHAB IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONFRONT HIS DEEPEST DEMONS.Run Time: 72 minutes -
![]( "THE FINAL FIX")
THE FINAL FIX
Compelling investigation into revolutionary, life-saving but ignored, addiction treatment.Run Time: 93 minutes -
![]( "AGE OF DYSPHORIA")
AGE OF DYSPHORIA
A young woman tracks down an elderly man to make amends for the tragedy that devastated both of their lives.Run Time: 19 minutes -
![]( "Looking Beneath the Mask: Psychodrama and the Empty Chair")
Looking Beneath the Mask: Psychodrama and the Empty Chair
How we use psychodrama to understand the drives, needs and wishes of a role we create.Run Time: 60 minutes -
![]( "Polar")
Polar
How do you fit in when you're so far out?Run Time: 82 minutes -
![]( "SHARDS")
SHARDS
A glimpse into the process from victim to survivor to conquerer.Run Time: 9 minutes -
![]( "ADDICTION")
ADDICTION
Jane struggles with her soberiety, while fighting the demon inside her head.Run Time: 4 minutes -
![]( "The Impact of Being Human")
The Impact of Being Human
See how your mental health impacts a community.Run Time: 30 minutes -
![]( "A Different Path to Recovery")
A Different Path to Recovery
Fragments of memory pieced together, picture of a woman’s path through recoveryRun Time: 5 minutes -
![]( "Big Boys Dont Cry")
Big Boys Dont Cry
Big Boys Don't Cry is an exploration of the issues that hold men back from authenticity.Run Time: 3 minutes -
![]( "Home Boy Joy Ride")
Home Boy Joy Ride
Home Boy is where you can find miracles at work every day.Run Time: 30 minutes -
![]( "A Mother’s Soliloquy")
A Mother's Soliloquy
A recovering alcoholic must make a moral inventory to reconnect with her estranged son.Run Time: 6 minutes -
![]( "Gary K. One Step at a Time")
Gary K. One Step at a Time
Amidst addiction and chaos, NY actor Gary K. finds resilience for his own character.Run Time: 59 minutes -
![]( "GATEWAY")
GATEWAY
A documentary about how opioids transformed the lives of three familiesRun Time: 40 minutes -
![]( "Anything Helps")
Anything Helps
An altered suicide note travels and affects struggling people in a positive way.Run Time: 4 minutes -
![]( "Drunk In Public")
Drunk In Public
Mark David Allen has been arrested over 500 times...Run Time: 120 minutes -
![]( "If You Are Still Breathing")
If You Are Still Breathing
Laura Martella tells her inspiring story of fighting a lifetime of addiction to alcohol.Run Time: 11 minutes -
![]( "Bringing up Kenzie")
Bringing up Kenzie
A father and mother, with histories of substance abuse, struggle to raise their daughter.Run Time: 14 minutes -
![]( "Uprooting Addiction: Healing From The Ground Up")
Uprooting Addiction: Healing From The Ground Up
Six people in recovery explore the childhood traumas at the roots of their drug addictionsRun Time: 65 minutes -
![]( "Baking Cookies for a Witch’s Funeral")
Baking Cookies for a Witch's Funeral
On the evening of their mother's funeral, two sisters battle over memories.Run Time: 17 minutes -
![]( "Soul Sanctuary")
Soul Sanctuary
Faith is a daily set of actions. Faith is not a noun, faith is a verb!Run Time: 108 minutes -
![]( "Recovery Inc – A Clean Start")
Recovery Inc - A Clean Start
He had to get clean, so he could help others do the sameRun Time: 30 minutes -
![]( "KARA")
KARA
With time running out, a young woman must make a life changing decision.Run Time: 12 minutes -
![]( "Help")
Help
In a world of quick fixes, KI must find out who she is in order to get the HELP she needs.Run Time: 34 minutes -
![]( "Piece by Piece: Ari’s Story of Recovery")
Piece by Piece: Ari's Story of Recovery
Head Start is helping Ari put her life back together piece by piece.Run Time: 2 minutes -
![]( "The Boy Who Thought He Could Fly")
The Boy Who Thought He Could Fly
A young boy grieving the loss of his Mother convinces himself he can fly.Run Time: 17 minutes -
![]( "Junkie")
Junkie
A young man struggling with drug addiction finds unexpected inspiration to change.Run Time: 20 minutes -
![]( "Ocean Boulevard")
Ocean Boulevard
50,000 people died from opioid overdose last year. We talked to 3 who beat the odds. This is their story.Run Time: 60 minutes -
![]( "Another Child")
Another Child
A young woman discovers her mothers dark past of forced prostitution.Run Time: 61 minutes -
![]( "Fully Involved")
Fully Involved
A veteran Fire Captain shares his 25 years of experiences and his struggles with PTSDRun Time: 11 minutes
