SAYVILLE, NY - Long Island native Kurt Damas, also known by his stage name Kurt Rockmore, makes his directorial debut with the premiere of his short film "Speak to Me" at Sayville Cinemas on February 16th. Produced and co-directed by Trevor Jackson under their production company Starchild Productions, the film features a talented local cast led by Cory Saint-Laurent, with Matthew Boyd in a co-starring role, and Nersheen Lotus and LaVeda Davis rounding out the ensemble.
"Speak to Me" tackles the important and often-overlooked issue of mental health in the community and amongst men, with the goal of starting a conversation about it. The film follows the journey of a young man struggling with his own mental health and the impact it has on those around him.
"Mental health is an issue that affects us all, and it's especially important to address amongst men," said Damas. "I'm excited for audiences to see 'Speak to Me' and be a part of this important discussion."
Don't miss the premiere of "Speak to Me," filmed entirely on Long Island with a local cast, at Sayville Cinemas 6 p.m on February 16th.
STATS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
- Sixteen percent (4.8 million) of Black and African American people reported having a mental illness, and 22.4 percent of those (1.1 million people) reported a serious mental illness over the past year.
- Serious mental illness (SMI) rose among all ages of Black and African American people between 2008 and 2018.
- Despite rates being less than the overall U.S. population, major depressive episodes increased from 9 percent-10.3 percent in Black and African American youth ages 12-17, 6.1 percent to 9.4 percent in young adults 18-25, and 5.7 percent to 6.3 percent in the 26-49 age range between 2015 and 2018.
According to a study conducted by Ward, Wiltshire, Detry, and Brown in 2013:
- Black and African American hold beliefs related to stigma, psychological openness, and help-seeking, which in turn affects their coping behaviors. The participants in this study were not very open to acknowledging psychological problems, but they were somewhat open to seek mental health services.
- Black and African American men are particularly concerned about stigma.