by FilmInk Staff
Out From the Mist invites photographers, filmmakers and musicians worldwide to explore mental health through art
What does mental health look like when it becomes a photograph? How does it sound when expressed through music? And how can film capture an experience that can be difficult to put into words?
Artists around the world are being invited to explore these questions as part of Out From the Mist, a global creative competition using art to bring deeply personal experiences of mental health into view.
The 2026 competition is calling for photographers, filmmakers and musicians to interpret mental health and lived experience through photography, short film and music.
Entries are open to professional, emerging and first-time creatives worldwide until 28 August 2026.
Since its inception, Out From the Mist has attracted entries from more than 29 countries, bringing together creative perspectives on experiences including trauma, identity, isolation, vulnerability, connection, recovery, healing and hope.
At the heart of the competition is a simple idea: art can give people a language for experiences that are often difficult to explain.
For 2025 award winner Rachelle Van [below right, and whose work is the main image], that language was photography.
Van’s photographic work explored her experience of living with PTSD following brain surgery and the emotional impact of medical trauma.
“The work was purposefully uncomfortable and approached the topic of confronting fear, and I used the creative process to express emotions that were often difficult to articulate,” Van said.
“Each image became part of my healing journey, as a way of releasing what I had been carrying. It was able to help transform painful experiences into something meaningful.”
Van said photography allowed her to communicate experiences she had struggled to express in words.
“Photography gave me a language for emotions and experiences that were difficult to put into words,” she said.
“It showed me that creating art isn’t just about the final image but it’s about giving yourself permission to explore, process, and heal.”
Through sharing the work, Van also discovered the ability of deeply personal art to resonate with others.
“By sharing personal stories through art, we create opportunities for empathy, understanding, and connection,” she said.
“For the artist, it can be deeply therapeutic and empowering. For the audience, it can provide comfort, validation, or a new perspective.
“Art reminds us of our shared humanity and has the power to turn personal experiences into something that resonates with others.”
Now, Out From the Mist is looking for its next collection of works from artists around the world, encouraging creatives to interpret mental health through their own experiences, perspectives and artistic practice.
Van said artists considering entering shouldn’t be concerned with creating the “perfect” work.
“Tell the story that feels authentic to you,” she said.
“The greatest value comes from using the creative process as an opportunity for reflection and self-expression, while also connecting with a community of people who understand the importance of sharing lived experiences through art.”
Entries are accepted across photography, short film and music, with works judged on storytelling, creativity and originality, and technical merit.
A range of prizes are on offer for winning artists across the competition’s major and special award categories, alongside the opportunity for their work to be recognised as part of a global creative platform exploring mental health through art.
Entries close 28 August 2026.
Artists and creatives worldwide can find competition details and enter at outfromthemist.com.
About Out From the Mist
Out From The Mist is a global creative competition inviting photographers, filmmakers and musicians to explore lived experiences of mental health and mental illness through art.
Hosted by Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA), the competition provides a platform for professional, emerging and first-time creatives around the world to share personal perspectives and experiences through photography, short film and music.
2026 key dates
- Entries close: 28 August 2026
- Finalists notified: 18 September 2026
- Awards Night & Exhibition: 8 October 2026
