Film Festival kicks off national OCD conference

WASHINGTON D.C. – A film festival featuring true stories about living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder will kick-off the largest event in the nation that is focused on OCD.

The International OCD Foundation 17^th annual conference will host an OCD Film Festival on Thursday, July 15 at the Hyatt Regency, Crystal City, Va. The International OCD Foundation conference runs from July 16 to 18.

The conference, which will be attended by up to 1,400 people from across the US, is the largest national gathering focused on OCD and OCD spectrum disorders. The three-day event is unique because it brings together the entire OCD community: patients, families and caregivers, and professionals, therapists, researchers and graduate students, while providing the most recent information on OCD therapy, medications, and support.

At this first ever festival four films will be screened. The films include a documentary about an OCD patient and a resource video for families and professionals.

“There is so much creativity and expression in the OCD community and we wanted to showcase that talent. But we also wanted to put together a program that will introduce the public to OCD and help further our mission of ending the stigmas surrounding mental illness,” said Jeff Szymanski, executive director of the International OCD Foundation.

The four films to be screened are:

"PeaceLove is Possible" by PeaceLove Studios and Breaking Branches Pictures, a film that highlights the work of PeaceLove, an organization dedicated to breaking the "silence" surrounding mental illness with a positive symbol that is focused on creating hope and acceptance for this social injustice. Its founder, Jeffrey Sparr, shares his story of living with OCD and finding hope and inspiration through art.

"Information About Compulsive Hoarding” by Dr. Renae Reinardy, vice president of OCD Twin Cities, describes the common characteristics and contributing variables found in hoarding behavior and demonstrates techniques that can be used to effectively rid homes of clutter. The information and strategies can be utilized by individuals who hoard, their family members, and professionals who work with this population.

“The Touching Tree” by James Callner of the Awareness Foundation for OCD and Related Disorders is one of the first films made about a child and OCD. This emotionally-packed film follows the story of Terry who does not know why he is continually ritualizing and obsessing. A compassionate teacher finds him help.

“OC87: The Obsessive Compulsive, Major Depression, Bipolar, Asperger's Movie” by Bud Clayman, an original documentary that tells the story of one man’s pain and vulnerability, empowerment and quest for belonging. This touching, funny and engaging film champions a message of mental health recovery while telling the story of a man who had major depression, bipolar disorder, and who currently wrestles with Asperger’s Syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder.

To register for the International OCD Foundation annual conference visit www.ocfoundation.org or call 617-973-5801.

About the International OCD Foundation

The International OCD Foundation is the foremost resource about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related illnesses. It is an international organization that exists to raise awareness among policy makers and the general public about OCD, educate the mental health community about the latest treatments and research, connect people suffering from OCD with treatment providers, and advance research for more effective treatments. Based in Boston, the OCDF has affiliates in Boston, Chicago, Florida, Minneapolis, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and San Francisco. The OCDF was founded as the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation in 1986 by a dozen OCD patients at Yale. Twenty-three years later, the organization has an annual $1 million annual operating budget, has granted $2.5 million for treatment research, and is a resource for tens of thousands of people. For more information, visit www.ocfoundation.org.