Last winter I wrote a column about a Lincoln man's foray into movie making.

Mike Kula played a character with schizophrenia in a 33-minute film he called "A Hysterical Mind."

He wrote, produced, edited and starred in the independent short.

A film he calls "funny and horrific at the same time."

A film he created from his own experience.

From his life with schizophrenia.

This week, his movie will have its first screening.

"A Hysterical Mind" will be shown Thursday night at 7 at Saint Paul United Methodist Church, downtown at 1144 M St., as part of Mental Illness Awareness Week.

Admission is free.

I'll be out of town Thursday and won't be able to view the finished product, but Kula gave me a copy of the work-in-progress 10 months ago.

I found it hard to watch. Disturbing. Discordant. A bit jarring.

Much like living with schizophrenia must be.

Stephen Griffith is Saint Paul's minister to the community. He saw the column about Kula's movie last January.

He knew Kula was looking for a place to screen his film. A way to get his message out to a wider audience.

"It struck me as something that I and we could do that would help us to learn and be a service to the community."

Part of the minister's job is working with people. Reaching out to those in need.

"The story just touched me personally," Griffith said. "I deal with people a lot. People I meet on the street. People who come in asking for help."

People in his church pews who deal with depression or voices in their heads.

"It really weighed on me."

So he contacted Kula.

He saw the movie. He was impressed.

"It's an inside look at schizophrenia," said Griffith. "I think that's just incredibly powerful."

The minister and the filmmaker worked with Dean Settle, executive director of the Community Mental Health Center, to coordinate a time to screen the movie.

Organizers hope to see a cross-section of Lincoln on Thursday night.

Along with the film, there will be a poetry reading, an art show and a photography exhibit.

Works by artists in the Open Studio Workshop will be displayed in the church, along with winners of a photography contest.

At 8 p.m., members of the Writer's Wordshop, a community writers' group that meets at the F Street Rec Center, will read from their work.

Many of the poets and painters deal with mental illness. They speak of it in powerful ways, both on canvas and the page.

After the movie, audience members will have the chance to talk to Kula and others about the film.

And about mental illness.

If you have a chance to see the short film, if you have any interest in learning more about a disease that affects one in 100, stop by Saint Paul.

Watch. Ask questions. Listen to the poets. Talk to the artists about their work. Kula also will exhibit a few of his paintings. He earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts in 1997.

Organizers are hoping lots of people show up. Griffith has promised free popcorn.

And he's opening up the church's coffee bar.

"I will personally make people the best cappuccino in town — or at least the cheapest.

"My interest is to help people in the church and in the community to understand mental illness is not something to be hidden," explained the minister. "Mental illness is not something to be afraid of."

The stigma is huge and it's up to each of us to reach out and breach the divide, Griffith said.

"People with various forms of mental illness are God's children too."

Amen.

Reach Cindy Lange-Kubick at 473-7218 or clangekubick@journalstar.com.