Out from the Mist

Out from the Mist is a photography and short movie competition (one-minute) – all you need is a smartphone to enter (although more upmarket kit is OK too). The competition is about mental illness but is also about so much more. Individuals facing challenges to their mental wellbeing are varied in their experiences and their responses. This competition hopes to capture the breadth of that diversity, from the experiences of pain and suffering, caring and empathy for loved ones, through to the elation of conquering obstacles.

All stories are valid and welcome: the competition aims to showcase the strengths and the travails, the joyous moments and the sad, of those who directly or indirectly confront the challenges of mental illness.

Find out more about:

View 2019 Entries

View 2020 Entries

The Competition

The competition is open to photographs and short movies (under one minute) of your experience of mental health, and was broadly grouped around the following four perspectives:

Lived Experience.
Mental illness encompasses a range of disorders, some transient, others chronic, each is a personal story of lived experience. Photos can be based on a wide range of emotions and representations, reflecting the diversity of people’s experiences.

Relationships.
Mental illness not only affects those experiencing it, but also those close to them. Photos can be based on the experiences of the individual, or those close to them.

Recovery.
Many people recover fully or partially from mental illness and live fulfilling and meaningful lives. Photos celebrate recovery and wellness or feature the pathways to recovery.

Change.
Despite progress in recent years, one in five Australians experiencing mental illness still face challenges. Photos will give us images about society’s future, and how mental wellbeing is addressed in that future.

We accepted entries for both photographs and short (less than one minute) movies.

About

Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia

Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia Inc (MIFA) is a federation of not-for-profit mental health organisations who each year deliver specialist services to over 20,000 people with mental illness and their friends and families. We work closely with people to assist their journeys to recover mental health, physical health, social connectedness and equal opportunities in all aspects of life.

Our members build community, value peer support and lived experience, and support recovery. With over 55% of our workforce having a lived experience as a consumer or carer, we know from experience that a better quality of life is possible for everyone affected by mental illness.

MIFA is excited to be a part of this unique competition and we look forward to seeing your photos and the stories they tell.

Creative Director | Michael Lockwood

Out From The Mist’s creative director is Michael Lockwood. Michael has worked as a senior executive within the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council, where among other duties, he had responsibility for the Council’s diverse engagement with the arts community. Michael has a lived experience of mental illness and has a Masters of Creative Industries with Distinction from Queensland University of Technology.

Michael lives in the central south-west Queensland town of Charleville, where he spends his spare time between renovating a 100-year-old ‘Queenslander’ home, photographing the beauty of the Queensland outback and its heritage, and working on several video projects.

Prizes

Photography

1st Prize
Sponsored by Affinity Photos
$3,000
x1 Affinity Photo, Design & Publisher Licences

2nd Prize
Sponsored by Finding North
$1,000
x1 Affinity Photo license

3rd Prize
Sponsored by Affinity Photos
$500
x1 Affinity Photo License

3rd Prize
Sponsored by QUT
$500
x1 Affinity Photo License

Runner Up Prizes

3 x Affinity Photo software licenses.

4 x $150 FotoFast vouchers*

*valid for use on photo or fine art prints from digital files. (excludes foam mounted prints) For use in a single order. Valid for 3 months from the winner’s announcement.

Peak Design Award**
Award-Winning bags for everyday and photo carry

**Australian entries only

Encouragement Award
$1,000 Camera Pro Voucher

Short Movie

1st Prize
Sponsored by Micah Projects
$3,000

2nd Prize
Sponsored by Princess Pictures
$1,000

3rd Prize
Sponsored by Princess Pictures
$500

3rd Prize
Sponsored by QUT
$500

*All cash prizes in AUD

Encouragement Award
Peak Design Award**
Award-Winning bags for everyday and photo carry

**Australian entries only

Australia Asia Film Group Prize
The winner of this prize will receive the Australia Asia Film Group Creative Award and also have their short movie shown on AusAsia TV online.
The AAFG Award recipient will be selected from the winning entries.

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Our Sponsors

MIFA is a group of long-standing membership-based organisations, we currently support over 20,000 people across Australia.
Our objectives are holistic — we work to assist individuals and families in their journey to recover mental health, physical health, social connectedness, and equal opportunity in all aspects of life. We give priority to persuading funders, policymakers, politicians, and potential corporate sponsors to invest in community resources that reflect these common strengths.

Affinity Photo has become the first choice for photography and creative professionals around the world, who love its speed, power, and precision. Born to work hand-in-hand with the latest powerful computer technology, it’s the only fully-loaded photo editor integrated across macOS, Windows and iOS

Micah Projects is a not-for-profit organisation committed to providing services and opportunities in the community to create justice and respond to injustice.

We engage with people experiencing adversity due to poverty, homelessness, mental illness, domestic violence, disability, and all forms of discrimination.

Princess Pictures is an established film and television production company with an international reputation for producing projects with intensely creative talent.

We gravitate toward new ideas, stories that haven’t been told, or ways of telling stories that make audiences look at the world differently, especially with comedy.

Australia Asia Film Group (AAFG) creates inspirational films, television, and digital media with award-winning teams from around the world. Our experienced team from diverse backgrounds has received international acclaim from the Oscar Awards, Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards as well as Australian Premier’s Multicultural Media Best TV Awards and ICFF Best Documentary Awards.

Based in Australia with studio and office in Barangaroo, we welcome creative projects and are eager to work with professional film producers, directors and crew around the globe

We’re an ambitious and collaborative institution that seeks to equip our students and graduates with the skills they’ll need in an increasingly disrupted and challenged world. QUT is proud to support creative initiatives that spark conversations and raise awareness of student mental health.

Finding North

Fotofast Printing Brisbane’s Photo Memories Since 1990

Opening on the 1st June 1990 by Phil & Caroline Gresham, Fotofast is a family-owned and operated Queensland business. From the beginning always at the leading and often “bleeding edge” of retail and commercial photographic printing technology and services.

Peak Design: We make tools for doing. Our carry solutions help creatives, commuters, and adventurers keep their gear accessible, organized, and protected.

CameraPro is on a mission to support, inspire and empower our community of photographers, from customers to staff. professional growth.

We believe it takes a photographer to know a photographer and that’s why we only hire photographers. We know photography is a journey that requires support and inspiration, a coach, and a cheerleader.

Positivity empowers us to do things. Create things. Change things. Achieve things.
But for every negative, it takes five positives to smother them.
So that’s what Superdream does.
We help brands connect with people in more positive, human ways.
To create better, more positive experiences.
To spark that something great.
Because at the end of the day, we’re all just people who want to be happy.

Profile is the largest manufacturer of quality timber photo frames in Australia. We complement our extensive range of photo frames with an equally extensive range of photo albums, clocks, travel accessories, and more, sourced from around the world to deliver to our customer’s great products that are known for fine craftsmanship and quality materials.

Supported by the Queensland Government