Short Film 'Purpose' Wins Art With Impact's December 2016 Short Film Competition on Mental Health

San Francisco, California, December 2, 2016 (Newswire.com) - Art With Impact (AWI) is excited to congratulate Victor O'Frank for the film 'Purpose' which became the latest addition to AWI's OLIVE Film Collection. The film provides a glimpse into the daily life of a young man, whose narration underscores his daily routine, the mundane nature of which threatens to swallow his joy and connection to the world around him. But, with the help of a camera, he is able to recapture his appreciation for the beauty of the world around him, and thereby sustain his own mental wellness through art.

The filmmaker behind Purpose, Victor Frank Okoye (a.k.a Victor O’Frank) is a native of Nigeria, and is one of that country’s most promising young directors. A trained medical doctor with a background in the sciences, Victor has defied all odds to break into the art industry to practice what he calls “the healing of the mind through stories.”

I've always wanted to make movies that go beyond entertainment…films that reach the human heart.

Victor O'Frank, Winning Filmmaker, 'Purpose'

Victor studied at the prestigious Kiev Medical University for six years during which he fell in love with storytelling. After graduation, Victor pursued a career in filmmaking and enrolled in the Masters of Fine Arts program at the New York Film Academy. In 2014, Victor’s first movie, Creative Mind, won best documentary at the Afrinolly Film Fest, and his work has also been nominated at festivals including the Zanzibar International Film Festival, SOFI Film Festival, and the Budapest International Film Festival, among others.

Victor sees filmmaking as a tool of change, and believes that a movie must not only entertain, but should also educate and provide some sort of panacea. “As a doctor, it is my duty to bring you healing,” says Victor, “but–as the mind controls the body–if I can successfully change your mind with a story, I would have saved you the trip to the hospital.”

Art With Impact’s monthly film competition awards one winning filmmaker a $1,000 cash prize for a film — up to five minutes in length and of any genre — that uses mental health as the point of interest. Film topics may either be interpretive of mental health, or address it directly. Winning films are added to AWI’s diverse OLIVE film collection, which is used in educational outreach programs.

Source: Art With Impact