Raising Superheroes trailer asks if mental illness can be prevented – The official trailer has arrived for Raising Superheroes, an Australian feature documentary examining whether mental illness can be prevented before young people reach a crisis point.
Directed and produced by award-winning journalist and filmmaker Shannon Harvey, the documentary will premiere in Australian cinemas during Mental Health Awareness Month in October. It will then be available free online for seven days in November, giving audiences beyond the three announced city premieres a limited opportunity to watch the film.
For Australian viewers, that combination of theatrical events, free community screenings and an online release makes Raising Superheroes more than a conventional cinema launch. The film is tied to a national campaign that is seeking a larger prevention commitment in the May 2027 Federal Budget.
Raising Superheroes turns the focus to prevention
The documentary begins with a stark funding question. According to the release, half of all mental illness begins before the age of 14 and 75 per cent begins before 24. However, less than one per cent of Australia’s federal mental health budget is directed towards prevention.
Harvey travels through Australia and overseas to meet researchers, educators and community leaders working on ways to reduce risk before people need crisis care. Her journey moves from early childhood centres in Boston and trauma-informed classrooms in Nashville to a neighbourhood opportunity hub in Detroit and community health programs in remote Nepal.
Closer to home, the film visits an Adelaide school that is reconsidering its relationship with technology. It also follows Western Sydney organisations delivering evidence-based prevention programs while working with limited resources.
The documentary highlights protective factors including safety, connection, stable relationships and supportive environments. Its central argument is that these conditions can improve children’s outcomes, including when families and communities face significant challenges.
“Mental illness is not inevitable. The conditions children grow up in can profoundly influence their mental health, and prevention is already working in communities around the world,” Harvey said.
Researchers and communities lead the story
Raising Superheroes features Professor Willem Kuyken, Professor Vikram Patel, Professor Charles Nelson, Professor Theresa Betancourt, Professor Ann Masten, Dr Tom Insel, Professor Frank Oberklaid AM and Professor Maree Teesson AC.
Rather than concentrating only on individual treatment, the film looks at the environments surrounding children and young people. It also examines the gap between evidence about prevention and the way public funding is currently directed.
More than 150 mental health bodies, researchers, schools, community organisations and advocates have joined the alliance supporting the film’s release. UnLtd and Havas are also contributing through an in-kind media partnership intended to expand the campaign’s reach.
The 5% for Prevention campaign
The film’s release will launch 5% for Prevention, a national campaign asking the Australian Government to commit five per cent of mental health funding to evidence-based prevention in the May 2027 Budget.
The campaign gives the documentary a practical policy objective beyond its screenings. It is designed to connect the research and community examples in the film with a public discussion about how mental health funding is divided between prevention, early intervention and crisis responses.
Spark Studios produced the documentary. Harvey serves as director and producer, while Julian Harvey is producer and editor. The company describes its work as combining documentary storytelling with advocacy, coalition building and digital campaigns intended to create measurable social impact.
Watch the Raising Superheroes trailer
Australian premiere dates and viewing plans
The first announced theatrical events are:
- Sydney: 6.45pm on Wednesday, 21 October at Hayden Orpheum Cinema.
- Melbourne: 6.30pm on Tuesday, 27 October at The Astor Theatre.
- Brisbane: 6.30pm on Thursday, 29 October at the Plaza Auditorium, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Communities, schools and community organisations around Australia will be able to host free screenings until March 2027. The documentary will also be available to watch free online for seven days in November, with further access information expected through the film’s campaign channels.
Raising Superheroes premieres in Australian cinemas during October 2026. The documentary will stream free online for seven days in November 2026.
For more TV Central movie previews, head here. Public information about the documentary and its screenings is available through the Raising Superheroes film page.