Set in a parallel society where people take 'Just Smile Tabs' multiple times a day, a young girl struggles to superficially suppress her negative emotions. A commentary on society's strive for perfection and the masking of mental health issues.

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Director Statement

For this project, I was tasked with creating a film that would be submitted to the annual student film festival at my school. From conception, I had the goal of creating a serious film that tackled a serious global issue. This film came about during a very agitated and pressuring time of my life, and after many failed attempts of finding the right story idea, it only seemed authentic that I portrayed the mental health struggle of anxiety and stress. With today’s competitive nature and expectations imposed by oneself or others, being stressed out has become so normalized that it’s almost looked down upon to be vocal about it. I just felt like this thread would resonate with a lot of people, the same way it resonated with me. From there I conceptualized the idea of being forced to mask negative emotions with the magical realism element of the ‘happiness pills’ that superficially made people content. And from there the world with the motto “Just Smile, You’re Fine” unfolded.

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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David Boyd has been working in the industry since his first credited role as a camera assistant in 1979. David chats with Matthew Toffolo about his career, starting as a Focus Puller on multiple independent films in the 1980s. He then moved on working for Union productions (NYPD BLUE, PRIMAL FEAR), before starting his Director of Photography career in the 2000s (FIREFLY, DEADWOOD, WITHOUT A TRACE). Then in 2007, Peter Berg hired David to DP the pilot episode for the new TV series FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, as Berg liked David’s “rogue” style. Mid-way through season 1, David directed an episode and it was then his new career started. Since then David has directed multiple television series episodes, including THE WALKING DEAD, LONGMIRE, and THE NIGHT SHIFT.

This is a special podcast interview. David Boyd is an exceptional storyteller and his journey through the industry is a masterclass of working in the film industry and staying true to yourself.

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