Featuring “Wake Up,” a groundbreaking suicide prevention documentary film

Active Minds is proud to partner with Project Wake Up to share the moving suicide documentary film, Wake Up: Stories from the Frontlines of Suicide Prevention, with schools and organizations across the country. Wake Up threads personal stories of suicide and loss into a single narrative that educates the public on America’s most dire health crisis while inspiring viewers to take action.

Testimonials

[This moving suicide documentary film directed by] Townsend and company have skillfully crafted a heartrending teaching tool that should be mandatory viewing for clinicians, academics, legislators and laymen.”
— VARIETY

“Wake Up does not sensationalize or overstate problems, but rather brings a personal perspective and a feeling of hope and connection.”
— DAVID HEMENWAY
Director, Harvard Injury Control Research Center

Film Synopsis

Wake Up: Stories from the Frontlines of Suicide Prevention sheds light on four different groups with different experiences talking about suicide — American veterans, members of the LGBTQ+ community, university students, and gun owners. Through heartfelt testimonies, the film weaves a diverse tapestry of stories into a multifaceted narrative of the heroes on the frontlines.

As it delves deeper into their experiences, Wake Up confronts tragedy with a call to action through exploring ways to start thoughtful conversations and push for systemic legislative change.

The film emerged after a group of college students from the University of Missouri lost two close friends to suicide and were determined to enact positive change.

Project Wake Up
Spreading awareness through educational initiatives designed to encourage a massive cultural shift away from social stigmas surrounding mental illness, depression, and suicide.

Looking to bring this groundbreaking documentary to your community?

Screenings can be hosted online or in person, and include post-event discussion guides that are customized for schools, workplaces, and other types of organizations. The filmmakers are available to host post-event discussions that ensure audiences receive action-oriented education about suicide and answers to sensitive questions.

$300
Film Screening + Discussion Guide
For in person or virtual events with post-film discussion guides and resources provided for your community

Request Quote
Film Screening + Facilitated Q&A Discussion
The filmmakers will lead a post-film Q&A for your virtual or in-person event using the provided discussion guide

Our featured panelists and speakers:

Alex Lindley, Founder of Project Wake Up
By his 22nd birthday, Alex Lindley had already delivered two eulogies, both for best friends who had tragically died by suicide while attending the University of Missouri. Grieving and looking for a way to convert the painful bereavement into a hopeful and passionate mission to save lives, Alex Lindley founded Project Wake Up in 2014. Lindley, now an attorney in St. Louis, MO, spent the better part of five years raising funds to produce Wake Up: Stories from the Frontlines of Suicide Prevention, a labor of love in honor of his fallen friends. Alex is a seasoned public speaker who is eager to share the story of the origins of Project Wake Up and all he’s learned about mental health, suicide, grief, bereavement, and hope during his mission to bring this film to life.

Nate Townsend, Co-Writer & Director
Two years after losing his uncle to suicide, Nate Townsend partnered with Project Wake Up to write and direct the comprehensive documentary about the subject. During the research and filming of the documentary, Townsend became intimately close with some of the biggest organizations and institutions in the country, including the Harvard School of Public Health, Intermountain Healthcare, the Nat’l Center for Veterans Studies, and Active Minds. His colleagues at those institutions have remained close friends, and Townsend continues to stay involved in the field in various ways.

Danny Kerth, President of Project Wake Up

Danny Kerth is an account supervisor at FleishmanHillard and the President of Project Wake Up. Mr. Kerth joined Project Wake Up as a member of the core fundraising team, helping coordinate events, develop grant proposals and expand visibility through media interviews. Having lost his father and two friends to suicide, Danny can provide significant insight into the loss of a parent and the stigma faced by the bereaved.

Michael Zibilich, Active Minds Speaker, Featured Story

Over the last four years, Michael has spoken about suicide awareness to thousands of university students throughout the United States. His message is simple – In the fight against suicide, all of us must consider ourselves as first responders, in our own lives and in the lives of those we know and love.

Michael is a commercial real estate executive who resides with his wife, Gayle, in Atlanta, Georgia. Tragically, on April 21, 2012, they lost their only child, Michael “Keller” Zibilich – a second semester Sigma Chi freshman at LSU – to suicide.

Have Questions?

For questions and support, please reach out directly via email to our Speakers Bureau team at speakers@activeminds.org.