Help Us Create the Next Mindful Short Film!
Every small donation makes a BIG difference!
PURPOSE OF MINDFUL SHORTS
The viral hit, "Just Breathe" is used by the State of NY Office of Children and Family Services to help youth in the juvenile justice system who have developmental, emotional, and behavioral challenges better manage their lives and their behaviors.
"This is why we do what we do. This is what motivates us to keep making these films. This is why we won't give up.” - Julie Bayer Salzman
I’m so proud to co-produce this project with Julie and Wavecrest Films, and help more people learn about mindfulness in family-friendly language.
Watch these films with your kids to start a discussion around what it means to have strong feelings like anger, anxiety, or depression. Download the Workbook.
Can you help us reach more people?
By supporting our film series, you'll help us share the transformative power of mindfulness practices with people of all ages and walks of life.
Together we’ll have our collective finger on the pulse of a modern movement.
This is a movement that can light the way on an often uncertain path towards more creative solutions for a peaceful, prosperous, and healthier planet.
For us, the filmmakers, it would be an absolute honor to have the opportunity to produce work that has such a meaningful purpose.
And, the possibilities for a film series about mindfulness are endless! This is very exciting to us! However, we know we cannot do it alone, and that is why we are asking you to help us, help others.
Make your tax-deductible contribution HERE and help us make Mindfulness Education part of the national conversation around education and family well-being.
ABOUT THE FILMS
"In 2015, we made a film about mindfulness, after hearing our then five-year-old talk with a fellow Kindergartener about what happens to the brain in the midst of experiencing big emotions. And how to calm down by taking deep breaths – all things they were learning at their new elementary school," says filmmaker, Julie Bayer Salzman.
That film, “Just Breathe,” caught like wildfire within a few short months and went viral with over 2 million views when it was first uploaded to the Mindful Schools YouTube channel, eventually finding its way to a variety of pop culture blogs, including:
- Upworthy
- The Huffington Post
- Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls
- Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday
and more!
It has since been translated into Spanish, Hungarian, Italian, German, Portuguese, Czech, and French, and continues to be an important educational tool in classrooms, doctors‘ offices, and homes everywhere.
Wavecrest Films made TWO MORE films about anxiety and depression for kids in middle-school (Release) and high-school (Into Light) - and now we need your support to complete the next short on Trauma for young adults.
WHY THESE FILMS?
Our Mindful Shorts cycle through the stages of life, addressing common experiences and showing how a simple yet profound mindfulness practice can help people navigate the very real challenges of being human.
Next up: A film on Trauma featuring young adults, Addiction and middle-age, and Grief with elders.
WHAT'S NEXT
We've already started casting survivors of gun violence for the trauma film. We would so very much appreciate whatever assistance we can get as we endeavor to help others cultivate inner peace in the midst of 21st century chaos.
Many thanks for your time and support.
If you would please share this campaign with your friends, colleagues, and family members, that would be super.
THANK YOU!!
- Wavecrest Films
Filmmaker/Producer Julie Bayer Salzman
A lover of powerful stories with rich imagery, Julie spent the first part of her career gaining a solid understanding of the nuts and bolts of commercial production. For over ten years, she produced and oversaw countless commercial campaigns for others before moving into writing and directing projects of her own.
She and her partner, Josh Salzman, made their directorial debut with “Time & Tide”, a documentary about the impact of globalization and global warming on the tiny South Pacific nation of Tuvalu. The film garnered numerous film festival awards, screened internationally, and was broadcast in the US on PBS for seven years.
Julie's sensitivity to subject and subject matter was fully realized and recognized in the widely celebrated short film “Just Breathe” - a film about the power of mindfulness to transform anger, as articulated by a group of elementary school kids. The unscripted piece showcased on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday program in April 2015, screens regularly at international children's film festivals, and is used as an educational tool in classrooms and training seminars around the world.
Often with her hand in many pots, Julie is currently halfway through a six-part series of short films on Mindfulness and Mental Health. She's also developing a children's TV series, while continuing to write screenplays, work on photography projects, and produce television commercials. When she’s not working, you can usually find her wandering in the hills, camera in hand and dog in tow, or somewhere hanging out with her tribe.
She and her partner, Josh Salzman, made their directorial debut with “Time & Tide”, a documentary about the impact of globalization and global warming on the tiny South Pacific nation of Tuvalu. The film garnered numerous film festival awards, screened internationally, and was broadcast in the US on PBS for seven years.
Julie's sensitivity to subject and subject matter was fully realized and recognized in the widely celebrated short film “Just Breathe” - a film about the power of mindfulness to transform anger, as articulated by a group of elementary school kids. The unscripted piece showcased on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday program in April 2015, screens regularly at international children's film festivals, and is used as an educational tool in classrooms and training seminars around the world.
Often with her hand in many pots, Julie is currently halfway through a six-part series of short films on Mindfulness and Mental Health. She's also developing a children's TV series, while continuing to write screenplays, work on photography projects, and produce television commercials. When she’s not working, you can usually find her wandering in the hills, camera in hand and dog in tow, or somewhere hanging out with her tribe.
Co-Producer Lori Petro
Lori Petro is the founder of Teach Through Love. She holds a Bachelors in Elementary & Early Childhood Education and a certification in trauma-informed parent education. She founded Teach Through Love as a vehicle to create awareness and provide stressed-out parents with a new framework for communicating with kids.
Starting her career as an actor-producer, Lori has worked with families, schools, private foundations, and state and local agencies for more than twenty years as a writer/producer, educator, creative director, and consultant working to raise the global awareness of empathy and its power to resolve conflict and heal the pain of childhood trauma.
She has written and produced numerous educational and advocacy campaigns including the weekly Conscious Parenting Video Series, "Teachable Moments," and the "Stop Shaming Kids" video and petition to end the online bullying of children by adults. Lori also ran a successful Kickstarter to create the "Conscious Communication Cards," a social-emotional tool to help parents and educators communicate with kids.
Lori is passionate about promoting social reform through education, community-building, and storytelling. A champion of mindfulness, conscious parenting, and non-punitive justice, she's happiest when creating informative and entertaining content to help others heal their inner child, reduce stress, and build authentic relationships with others. She is thrilled to join the Wavecrest team as a co-producer on the Mindful Shorts series.
Starting her career as an actor-producer, Lori has worked with families, schools, private foundations, and state and local agencies for more than twenty years as a writer/producer, educator, creative director, and consultant working to raise the global awareness of empathy and its power to resolve conflict and heal the pain of childhood trauma.
She has written and produced numerous educational and advocacy campaigns including the weekly Conscious Parenting Video Series, "Teachable Moments," and the "Stop Shaming Kids" video and petition to end the online bullying of children by adults. Lori also ran a successful Kickstarter to create the "Conscious Communication Cards," a social-emotional tool to help parents and educators communicate with kids.
Lori is passionate about promoting social reform through education, community-building, and storytelling. A champion of mindfulness, conscious parenting, and non-punitive justice, she's happiest when creating informative and entertaining content to help others heal their inner child, reduce stress, and build authentic relationships with others. She is thrilled to join the Wavecrest team as a co-producer on the Mindful Shorts series.