Tuscaloosa’s Bama Theatre hosts postpartum mental health documentary screening

Tuscaloosa’s Historic Bama Theatre is about to do what Alabama’s best independent venues often do at their strongest: turn a screening into a civic gathering. On Friday, June 6, at 6:00 PM, the downtown movie house will host PSI - The Climb: More Than Blue Documentary Screening, a benefit tied to Postpartum Support International Alabama and built around a film with a public-health mission.

Tickets are listed at $15.50, and the evening is set up to do more than fill seats. Proceeds will go directly toward education, resources and support for individuals and families facing perinatal mental-health challenges across Alabama, placing the event squarely at the intersection of documentary exhibition and community outreach. Organizers want the screening to deepen understanding of maternal mental health, honor lived experience and create space for people to talk openly about postpartum challenges instead of keeping them private.

That goal fits the Bama Theatre’s role in Downtown Tuscaloosa. Managed by The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa, the 986-seat venue has served the city since 1938 and remains home to the Bama Art House film series. In a market where independent-film screenings often depend on the right room, the Bama gives More Than Blue a setting that can handle both an audience and a conversation.

The documentary itself is designed for that kind of setting. Roco Films describes More Than Blue as a film about postpartum depression across America, built around real family stories and focused on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders that are often unseen, unheard or misunderstood. That makes the Tuscaloosa screening especially relevant now, as PSI Alabama uses the film to reach parents, professionals and community members who may be looking for a clearer way to talk about postpartum depression and anxiety.

Postpartum Support International says The Climb is its world’s largest event dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of perinatal mental health disorders. PSI also says the effort is organized by volunteers and held annually in summer and fall, with more than 400 local Support Navigators and a HelpLine at 1-800-944-4773. The group says more than 1 in 5 moms and 1 in 10 dads suffer from postpartum depression.

Some event listings describe Friday’s program as the fifth annual Climb event at the Historic Bama Theatre, underscoring how this screening has become part of an established local tradition. In a city landmark built for movies, the night is set to show how an independent film venue can still serve as a place for advocacy, audience-building and real conversation.