Nadine Crocker is here to tell you that no matter what obstacles you face, you deserve to live on and continue one more day.
The actress, filmmaker and mental health advocate is telling her story of surviving a suicide attempt when she was 23 in her film Continue, which follows a girl named Dean suffering from depression who is forced to get her life together when she is taken involuntarily to a mental institution after trying to follow in her father’s footsteps but failing in her suicide attempt. She finds unlikely friends, unwavering love, and a life she never imagined possible… all to find out that some decisions can’t be undone.
“My entire mission for this film is suicide prevention and to elevate mental health. I have an incredible team, and honestly, we all worked our asses off to create this movie because we hope it will help somebody and get someone to live on and continue on one more day,” Crocker tells Celeb Secrets in an exclusive interview.
Starring Nadine, along with actors like Shiloh Fernandez, Lio Tipton, Emily Deschanel, Kat Foster, Annapurna Sriram, Anthony Caravella, and Jay Seals, the Fresno, California native was able to bring her vision to life thanks to an incredible team of producers, which includes none other than actresses Rachel Bilson and Olivia Allen.
When asked why they wanted to hop on an indie project like Continue, Olivia tells Celeb Secrets that it was truly a “no-brainer” for her and Rachel after watching, as she feels as if it not only changed her as a person, but made her want to use her platform in any possible way to help people suffering from mental health.
“For me personally, once I watched the film, I feel like it changed me as a person. I feel like when you watch it, you remember what film used to be and how it can take your human emotions and being reflected on screen makes you feel less alone,” the actress reveals. “Once I saw the film, it was a no-brainer that Rachel and I would use our platform to try in any possible way to help anyone out there suffering not feel alone.”
And while there were a lot of heavy, emotional moments that came with working on Continue, both Olivia and Rachel said that being in the same room as Nadine was truly inspiring, as her presence made them feel their worth and purpose in this world.
“[Nadine] is a beast. There’s nothing she can’t do, and she makes you feel like you can do anything in this life,” Rachel shares.
“And she brings purpose and meaning and strength of heart into everything she does. This is a crazy business, and she reminds you why you are here,” Olivia adds.
Continue was one of many that premiered on the big screen at the Mammoth Film Festival in Mammoth Lakes, California, which took place at the Minaret Cinemas from February 29 to March 4. With a full-on blizzard and 195mph winds sweeping the Sierra Nevada Mountains, out-of-this-world conditions didn’t stop Nadine, Olivia, Rachel and the rest of the cast from celebrating the special moment.
“I’m so excited [to be at Mammoth Film Festival],” Nadine shares. “As a filmmaker, writer, producer and actor, we go on these journeys — we work tirelessly — and it means nothing if we don’t get to share it with other people. So getting to share it at this incredible festival with other creatives who are all here to support the arts, I feel so incredibly lucky to be here.”
“You know you really believe in a film when you brave the elements we’re in today,” Rachel laughs. “We’re so grateful to be here and to be supporting Nadine [Crocker] and ‘Continue.’ To be apart of it and the message that this movie holds… we’re just very proud.”
While filmmaking and acting are Nadine’s true passions, at the end of the day, she made Continue to open a conversation about difficult topics like suicide and tell everyone that their life does matter and people do care.
“My main message for this is that your life matters. On a day when you feel like you’re alone and, and you’re thinking maybe no one cares… they do. I know that it might feel that way, but I care, my entire team cares. We worked tirelessly to fight to create this film so that you would know that your life matters,” she expresses.
“I have created a nonprofit called Continue On to try and get mental health services for people who are struggling and for underprivileged youth. So I’m not going to stop; I’m going to continue this effort until people talk about how they’re feeling. The more we talk about it, the more regular we make it for everyone else to talk about it,” she concludes.
For more on the flick, watch our interviews with Nadine, Rachel and Olivia below.
For more from the 2024 Mammoth Film Festival, click here. If you or someone you know needs help, call the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
