Bristol third year to direct own film about mental health in boxing

The Bristol undergraduate behind 2016 docudrama 'Sleeping Rough' has returned to shoot a new film-based campaign which aims to raise awareness of mental health issues in sport.

Owain Astles, a Theatre and Spanish student from Exeter, hopes that 'The Hardest Fight' will show how boxing can be used as an effective way to combat depression and anxiety.

The film is about a young boxer struggling against depression in the lead up to their first fight and will feature interviews with gym staff, mental health professionals and young people who've been positively affected by the sport.

Film maker Owain Astles in action on his last documentary

Commissioned by Exeter Phoenix, the film will premiere at the Two Short Nights film festival before eventually being released online as part of the campaign to raise awareness of the issue.

Joining Owain will be co-producer Kelsey Stewart and composer Jake Garratt. Kelsey is a former film Masters student at Bristol University and began boxing as a component of her theatre degree whilst Jake is a professional musician who has written soundtracks for a number of films.

Alongside the fictional film, the team will also shoot a short documentary, capturing some of the stories they have been told in interviews and looking at the help and services that are available around the country.

Co-producer Kelsey Stewart is an amateur boxer herself

However in order to make this documentary, Owain and the team are hoping to raise £2000 via crowd funding in order to cover the admin, filming and production costs.

In addition, they are hoping to dedicate a large portion of the funding to carrying out as much research as possible, in order to tell this story in the most effective way.

The team are therefore appealing for any and all donations "from £100 to 20p" to make this film a reality and raise further awareness of this important issue.

Marketing material for the upcoming film

Should you wish to donate Owain's project, you can do so here or alternatively follow the team in their efforts on the official Facebook page.