Teo Nalani didn't grow up wanting to be a filmmaker or an animator; in fact, he had plans to become a writer. But during his senior year of high school, a friend who asked for his help on an animation project changed the course of his life.
Now the Brooklyn resident, who currently attends the School of Visual Arts, will showcase his film Heads Full of Light at the Changing Minds Young Filmmaker Festival, which caters to filmmakers aged 15-25 that tackles stories about mental health.
The film, one of the 10 being screened at this year's festival on May 17, addresses Nalani's own mental health struggles and how he once bottled up his emotions. The shell that embodies the main character's head continues to grow larger as it is filled with anxieties, until his thoughts eventually spin out of control.
Nalani, 21, said he often kept his thoughts to himself during childhood, which eventually led him to spiral. “In my film, the shell on [the main character's] head gets bigger and bigger, and it kind of takes over his body and I think that was, like, a good metaphor for how I felt growing up.”
The film began as a school project during his sophomore year of college and took about six months to complete, Nalani told BK Reader. With guidance from some of his professors, he was encouraged to submit the project to competitions.
Nalani, originally from Arizona, said his inspiration primarily comes from the arts and culture scene in the city which, he said, makes him a better artist.
Creating the film allowed Nalani to tap into a different skill set. To get the desired look, Nalani said he had to learn how to use several stop motion techniques that would ultimately transform the way the film looked.
“I think experimenting is really important,” Nalani said. “If you really want to do something, you should just try it and see what happens. Like, I went through a lot of different methods.”
The film is an ode to his friends, Nalani said. Though he experienced his own mental health battles, his friends never expected him to share intimate thoughts all the time, but were very supportive of the way he expressed himself.
“If you see your friend who's struggling with something, you don't have to know exactly what they're struggling with to help them,” Nalani said. “I guess just be there for them. It can mean a lot more than you think.”
Tickets for the screening on May 17 can be purchased here.
