FARGO -Todd and Elizabeth Medd vowed to carry on the legacy of their son, Liam, who was just 15 years old when he died tragically by suicide in 2021. They founded the 4-6-3 Foundation, named for Liam’s love of baseball, to help erase the stigma around mental health and help other families avoid the nightmare that they had endured.

Now, the 4-6-3 Foundation is spreading the word about suicide prevention through a new medium: film.

The 4-6-3 Foundation will host “Shine the Light”: The Midwest Mental Health Film Festival on May 2. The competition, presented by Tellwell Story Co. & Studio, is divided into two categories: High School and College/Young Adult. Submitted films will premiere in a public screening at the Fargo Theatre and receive scores for their use of script, performance, camera, sound, editing, and theme. Select films will be awarded a cash prize of up to $1,000.

“Our goal with this festival is to normalize conversations around mental health and suicide in a creative way,” said Elizabeth Medd, founder and executive director of the 4-6-3 Foundation. “We want to equip young people with the tools and resources to reduce stigma, build hope, and end suicide.”

For the past two years, the festival has been hosted by Fargo-based nonprofit FirstLink under the title “Silence Speaks Aloud.” The 4-6-3 Foundation hopes to continue to build on FirstLink’s success and reach an even broader audience with the festival.