The film premiered YouTube Live on both May 29 and June 2, 2020, followed by a 12-hour taped viewing window on each night. The opening night live stream averaged 200 viewers at any given time, clocking in at 750 unique viewers in total and an additional 460 on the second night.
The decision to premiere the film online, completely independently, and for free, was a risk worth taking. According to the film's director, Kyle Farmer, "The film's subject matter is more true now than it was when we made the film," adding that, "We discussed many avenues, from film festivals to traditional film distribution, but we wanted Tough Hope to be as useful as possible."
Kyle began working on the film in October 2018, when he had the honor of meeting Dr. David Garrison, a clinical psychiatrist who wanted to record footage of his former patients. Over a nearly2-year process, filming new interviews and refining the project's message, the two put together a film that is equal parts emotional story and educational content.
Unprecedented isolation, the changing face of remote education, and global unrest will have lasting effects on the mental shape of our generation. Formalizing mental health education is critical for grade schools, and Tough Hope offers a uniquely human approach.
The next step for Tough Hope is migrating into high school classrooms. Here, with the help of trained counselors, the team believes they can have a small part in changing the stigma and shortcomings of traditional mental health education.
