You may remember a little over a year ago when I first introduced you to Oriane Pick through her web series Call it a Day. Seven months later I presented you with a crowdfunding campaign for her next work, I Am. Well, my my friend across the pond at Candid Broad Productions is back with another project, but she will not be on-screen for this one. After the success of Call it a Day and the brilliant campaign behind I Am, Writer and Director Ella Greenwood reached out to Candid Broads to help bring her film Smudged Smile to life.

Much like I Am, Smudged Smile will look to shed a light on mental health in a way that focuses on the humanity instead of being sensational. In Smudged Smile, a teenaged girl named Zoe begins to struggle with depression as she prepares for her 16th birthday party. She struggles with her feelings while trying to maintain an outwardly happy image for her friends and family. This story is all too real as mental health in young people is not always handled with sensitivity and suffering in silence is incredibly common.

In the midst of a pandemic that has led to multiple shutdowns and for school being handled virtually in many places, teenage depression numbers are skyrocketing. Having many friends who are teachers, social workers, or otherwise working with youth, that has been abundantly clear. However, it doesn’t appear that much is being done to help these children navigate their emotions. A film like Smudged Smile is important, not only for those teens to feel seen but to bring awareness to the rest of us about how depression can manifest in young people.

The Kickstarter campaign is already 98% funded so with just a few hundred more dollars we can push this film across the finish line. Hit play in the video below and check the kickstarter to see if you can help be a part of making that happen!

Just in case there’s an issue with the video, here’s a link to the campaign: Smudged Smile Kickstarter

-Bibs