Black films raising awareness about anxiety and mental health among African-American men

HOUSTON – Marc Stallion is a philanthropist, filmmaker, and college professor. He produces movies about mental health in Black communities, especially among men. As a filmmaker and storyteller, he believes it’s his social responsibility to serve the community through his art and start conversations in a safe place. This Saturday, Feb. 24, he is screening his two films exclusively at Star Cinema Grill in Cypress, “Black Boys Don’t Talk” and “Mastered”. “Black Boys Don’t Talk” was inspired by a painting that invoked familiar feelings about anxieties and depression when Stallion was a child. His purpose for creating this film is to shed light on the cultural stigma surrounding mental health within the Black community, particularly among African American men. Stallion also mentions the need to internally recognize the situation and provide culturally competent resources to understand the struggles of mental health. “Black Boys Don’t Talk” initially started as a film, but now there are plans to create a series of eight episodes. Stallion’s second film “Mastered” was a collaborative effort with his wife, who is a professional dancer and therapeutic movement coach. Shot in Houston, this film combines poetry and dance movements to explore the main character’s enslavement to anxiety....