Reuben's Mental Health Awareness and Hope Project

G’day, my names REUBEN CULLEN. I live Melbourne, Australia.  I'm just your EVERYDAY BLOKE who's trying to draw on some of his EXPERIENCES to HELP OTHERS who might be SUFFERING from similar things.

I've always been pretty creative, so I WROTE A MOVIE with a mate Adam Wierzbowski about my STRUGGLES with DRUG ADDICTION, MENTAL HEALTH and SUICIDE. The SHORT FILM is called SHARD and Stig Wemyss from MEZZANINE FILMS wants to produce and make it, with me working closely alongside him. The INTENTION was that hopefully one day the film would do exactly what we set out to achieve – HELP OTHERS. 

I feel like MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES can be one of the HARDEST things for people to UNDERSTAND if they haven't been through them themselves. Whether it's mental health, drug addiction or suicide, this MOVIE my team and I want to create is designed to do two things. We want to INFORM those PEOPLE who are CLOSE TO SOMEONE with these issues, as well as and MOST IMPORTANTLY, GIVE the SUFFERERS of these issues HOPE by showing them what can be achieved through HARD WORK in RECOVERY.

The TEAM have WORKED PRETTY DAMN HARD on this project for a long time and now - WE ARE READY PEOPLE. With the DEVASTION ICE CAUSES, coupled with the fact that 1 in 5 AUSTRALIANS today are SUFFERING from a MENTAL HEALTH, we as a COMMUNITY are READY to do SOMETHING with LASTING BENEFITS. PARTICULARLY AFTER THE LAST 12 MONTHS we have all endured.

I’m going to put myself on the line and RUN the GREAT OCEAN ROAD 44KM MARATHON to show my DEDICATION to this cause and project. EVERY DOLLAR raised will go towards MAKING this MOVIE a REALITY by funding our GOVERNMENT GRANT APPLICATION and contributing to the FILM'S BUDGET.

Obviously it COSTS MONEY to make a short film so we would love to KEEP RAISING funds BEYOND our TARGET of $10,000. All PROCEEDS will go TOWARDS the FILM'S BUDGET along with our hopeful grant funding success. Some things in the film's budget include: Government funding application, cast, camera, lighting, locations, crew payments, stunts, catering, wardrobe, production design and props, post production including sound design and mixing, visual effects, digital compositing and colour correction.


Now, if we get to our target and YOU CAN DO THE EXTRA MILES FOR US by continuing to donate, I’LL DO THE EXTRA MILES FOR ALL OF YOU and do the 60KM ULTRA MARATHON to show our appreciation and thanks.

All of the FUNDS will be MANAGED and DISTRIBUTED by myself REUBEN CULLEN and the OTHER TEAM MEMBERS of SHARD, ADAM WIERZBOWSKI and STIG WEYMSS. Relevant parties working on the project, anything in the films budget and every last cent will be meticulously decided upon so the funds give this film every chance that our community deserves in making a REAL IMPACT.

The SUPPORT would be AMAZING and something I could not ever quite put into words. But there is one thing I know, IF WE MAKE ENOUGH NOISE TOGETHER - THEY WILL LISTEN!!!

See you at the finish line people.

Cheers everyone.