Sinclair Parco Theater Offers Viewing Of Wyoming PBS Series By Project Aware

August 11, 2023 |

Photo – 988 Logo – Courtesy Wyoming Dept. of Education

Project Aware continues to screen short films addressing Wyoming’s mental health issues.

Starting on July 18^th, Carbon County School District #1’s Project Aware began offering community screenings at the Parco Sinclair Theater for a series of short films called, A State of Mind. Created by the Wyoming arm of the Public Broadcasting System, the six movies cover a variety of topics related to mental health. Project Aware Community Project Manager for CCSD1 Chandra Buchholz said the films are specifically aimed at the unique psychological challenges of living in Wyoming.

Buchholz said the film screenings are designed to open a dialogue about mental health and eliminate the stigma associated with seeking help.

The first 30-minute film was titled, The Cowboy Code. Bochholz explained how that way of thinking often prevents people from seeking out mental help.

Last Tuesday, August 8^th, Project Aware showed the second episode in the State of Mind hexalogy, called The Pickup Man, at the Parco Sinclair Theater. Buchholz said The Pickup Man focused on suicide.

Project Aware will continue to screen the mental health films every other Tuesday. Buchholz explained what topics the remaining episodes of A State of Mind will cover.

Buchholz said the sixth and final film in the series, called A Generation Famine, will focus on mental health issues faced by young people.

Despite media coverage, including here on Bigfoot99, Buchholz said the first screening on July 18^th, wasn’t very well attended.

However, Bochholz said if even one person is helped by watching the films, then it is worth the effort to hold the screenings.

The Project Aware community project manager said Wyoming PBS is working on a second season of A State of Mind. Buchholz said the next set of episodes will feature a more in-depth analysis of the causes of mental health issues in the Cowboy State.

Buchholz asked people struggling with their mental health to contact Project Aware unless they are having a psychological emergency. People suffering from a mental health crisis should call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 to be connected to a mental health specialist in the area.

The third Project Aware screening of A State of Mind by Wyoming PBS will be on Tuesday, August 22^nd, at 7:00pm at the Historic Parco Sinclair Theater. Admission is free of charge. For more information, call Chandra Buchholz at Project Aware at 328-9200 extension 1026.