The moment I read That Was Now, This Is Then, the graphic narrative that inspired My PTSD Will Never Win Best Picture, I knew I’d found the inspiration for a film I was truly eager to make. In it, author Clancy Tripp recounts her experiences with PTSD flashbacks while living in New York City, exploring the ways her flashbacks are—and, more importantly, are not—like those portrayed in movies. Her account is revealing, funny, and poignantly familiar.

As a filmmaker and artist, I'm often drawn to stories that reflect on and question traumatic experiences. In particular, the traumatic experiences of women. This may sound serious and political—and it is—but the grief of trauma is not all downward and heavy. Often, when women share their grief, they’re laughing—even joking—about some of their life’s most painful memories.

My PTSD Will Never Win Best Picture bursts forth with quick wit and cartoonish humor. Yet, through its many jokes and cutaways, it gently uncovers the vulnerable truth of our protagonist—her confusion, pain, and isolation. It also keenly identifies that mental health disorders are unseen illnesses and that, despite our efforts to depict the lived experiences of sufferers, it often looks and feels nothing like what’s portrayed on screen.

For our protagonist, PTSD takes the form of a director inside her mind—played by the same actress—who casts her into scenes from her favorite classic films. Her inner world spills out into the external one as the line between fantasy and reality blurs. Through this portrayal, I hope to bring to life the little voice inside our protagonist's head that fears what is no longer a threat and acts out in fear, anger, and sadness.

This film aims to highlight the disorderly, unpredictable nature of healing. I am deeply connected to this story and the audience I’m delivering it to. People who have experienced trauma can have vibrant inner worlds. They can see the humor in their experience. They can be relatable to people from all walks of life. My PTSD Will Never Win Best Picture is a love letter to the movies and to embracing the reality that healing is not linear. This film has been a labor of love, brought to life by a dedicated team who share this vision, and we are thrilled to finally share it with audiences.