Reel Conversations
A film by Ryan Simmons
Runtime: 56:46
Produced by Lighthouse Lens Productions
Reel Conversations is a deeply personal documentary about mental health, family, and the silence that often surrounds suicide. Through intimate interviews and raw self-reflection, the film invites audiences to sit with the uncomfortable truths of grief and to find hope in shared vulnerability.
Filmmaker Ryan Simmons turns the camera inward, tracing generational patterns, memory, and loss in a search for empathy and understanding. Using vérité-style storytelling and cinematic imagery, the film becomes both a personal reckoning and a universal call for connection.
This is not a story about answers. It is about conversation, about finally talking, listening, and finding healing through shared honesty.
Director’s Statement
“I started this film to honor those we’ve lost to suicide—but somewhere along the way, I realized I was also making it for myself. To understand my family. To break cycles of silence. To have conversations we were too afraid to have. This film isn’t about answers. It’s about empathy, reflection, and starting a dialogue.”
— Ryan Simmons
Watch the Trailer
Festival News
Official Selection: Paradise Film Festival 2025
Stay tuned for additional screenings and upcoming announcements.
Host a Private Screening
Reel Conversations is available for private screenings at schools, universities, nonprofits, community centers, and mental health organizations.
Whether you're planning a campus event, professional development session, awareness week, or support group gathering, this film can help spark honest, meaningful conversation about mental health, grief, family, and resilience.
Screenings can include:
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A live or virtual Q&A with filmmaker Ryan Simmons
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A custom discussion guide for post-screening dialogue
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Promotional materials to help you spread the word
