Mark Burnham is raising funds for men's mental health film

Mark Burnham (Gonville 2018-20) is raising funds for a short film he is planning to make which highlights the theme of men's mental health. Mark recently graduated with distinction from a film production course at the University of Southern California (USC) and is aiming for a career in the entertainment industry.

He told us: 'The story follows two Brits on the eve of their deportation from the US - a situation I may find myself in a few months’ time. One convinces the other that if they pulled off a daring bank heist, they could pay away all their issues. But when the ill-planned bank heist inevitably goes terribly wrong, resentments in their lifelong friendship are revealed.

'The bank heist gimmick is a way to showcase male mental health stigma and criticise male friendships. The idea is that if we can lead the audience to believe they are watching a film they would ‘want’ to see (a UK vs. US bank heist), we can then sneak in messaging that audiences ‘need’ to see (the 'Let’s Get Men Talking' aspect, similar to the emphasis the College places on 'Movember'). It’s a topic that is important to me and I am trying to get it in front of as many people as possible through this project.

'To make the film a reality, we are hoping to raise $20,000. With the fundraising system we are using - a standard site for creative projects in America - we only have two weeks to reach our fundraising target in, and it’s all or nothing.'

If you would like to help Mark you can go to his fundraising page here and read more about the project in this press kit here.

In the 2022 OE magazine, Mark told us how his time at the College played a major part in his successful acceptance to study at USC. His application film, A Lonely Rhythm, was partly shot on College grounds and he was grateful for the support the College gave him in realising his film-making projects.