Whistler Film Festival 2018 - Psychonautics: A Comic's Exploration of Psychedelics
Comedian Shane Mauss goes on a series of adventures, and interviews scientists and experts, to deepen his understanding of psychedelics.
Interview with Writer/Director Brian Bellinkoff
Watch Psychonautics: A Comic's Exploration of Psychedelics on Prime Video, Tubi, iTunes and Microsoft
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I felt like the time was right to make a film that could break the stigma of the 1960’s and present psychedelics in a fun, honest, and (somewhat) mature way. There is also a growing need for a solution to our society's anxiety and depression epidemic. Science is proving that these stigmatized compounds actually may be the medicine of the future for some of society's most common mental issues. I knew that mixing science and comedy around a polarizing subject would be a challenge, so it was important that the film didn’t glorify the benefits or disregard the dangers. It was my intention that this film be digestible for all, and I was particularly focused on making a slice of the psychedelic world accessible to those without prior experience or knowledge. Once you start talking about dissociative-interdimensional-consciousness, you’ve probably lost a lot of people! I wanted to explain how these substances work in simple terms as well as hopefully capture a piece of their visual and emotional qualities. Luckily Shane’s jokes do the heavy lifting in this regard.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I want audiences to come away from the film feeling entertained, but more importantly I want people to question their relationship with drugs in general. How do they work? Why do they work? Why do we perceive some drugs as safe and others harmful? I think this resurgence in psychedelic research by M.A.P.S. and others has enormous implications for our society. As more people recognize their potential as medicine, hopefully funding for studies will be easier to obtain.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think the older we get, the more we question everything we were taught. Perhaps, even beliefs we hold to be true about ourselves we learn later can be false, which can open us up to new and exciting ideas and aspirations. Psychedelics have this incredible way of allowing your brain to be incredibly introspective from a third person perspective that we need constantly in our personal development and the growing study of consciousness and mindfulness has bringing people to this conclusion. I hope Shane's ability to be so honest and vulnerable about his hang-ups in this film will inspire people to get in touch with themselves, forgive, and improve their lives and relationships.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
When we set out to make the film we had no idea that Shane would end up in a psych ward by the end of it. I'm glad he is fine now, but narratively it definitely made for a better film and also shows that while these compounds have medicinal benefits, like any drug, they can be abused and cause harm.
What type of feedback have you received so far
The feedback has been incredible! We've had veterans approach us after screenings who've self-medicated their PTSD and depression by micro-dosing psilocybin. We haven't done much to push the film yet and have had people wanting to host screenings all over the world. I'm always blown away by the quality of educated questions we get during Q&As, and of course I love hearing people laugh during the screenings
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
So far no. Everyone has been extremely supportive. The psychedelic community wants this message out there because it is so relatable and presented by the most reputable scientists in the field.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I want to create awareness and break the stigma around psychedelics so it can be easier for more researchers to find funding to do more studies and also for those suffering from depression, addiction, and PTSD, to let them know that there are more options with better outcomes. We always say that we are not advocates for psychedelics, but we are advocates for psychedelic research.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would love more journalists to listen to our message and amplify it, and festival directors to recognize that comedy and social impact documentaries are not mutually exclusive.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope it makes psychedelic enthusiasts feel validated but also cautious of how deep they go in their exploration. For those that have never tried, I hope it piques their curiosity. Most of all, I hope people laugh, learn, and gain a fresh appreciation for how powerful our brains are.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What is more dangerous to your health, eating a psilocybin mushroom one time or a table spoon of sugar every day for the rest of your life?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Shane Mauss is touring with a new show called "Stand Up Science" that combines standup cerebral comedians with scientists giving TED talk style talks. We want to make a docu-series or more films in this style tackling other scientific subjects around human behavior. The possibilities are endless!
Interview: December 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Psychonautics: A Comic's Exploration of Psychedelics
Comedian Shane Mauss goes on a series of adventures, and interviews scientists and experts, to deepen his understanding of psychedelics.
Length: 81:00
Director: Brian Bellinkoff
Producer: Matthew Schuler
Writer: Brian Bellinkoff & Shane Mauss
About the writer, director and producer:
BRIAN BELLINKOFF (director): Psychonautics marks Brian's directorial debut. His previous documentary work includes "Men in the Arena" (Gravitas Ventures) and "From Fat to Finish Line" (Gravitas Ventures).
MATT SCHULER (producer): focused primarily on comedy. He has produced several critically acclaimed comedy specials on Showtime and Netflix.
SHANE MAUSS (writer): has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel, and hosts the "Here We Are" science podcast.
Key cast: Shane Mauss
Facebook: Psychonautics Film
Instagram: @psychonautics_
Funders: Matt Schuler
Made in association with: Gravitas Ventures (distributor)
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? iTunes pre-sales begin Jan. 5th, full release March 5th