On Wednesday, June 3, the Palace Theater in downtown Danbury will host both the screening and a fundraising event to benefit three mental health organizations, Interlude Inc of Danbury, Danbury Catholic Charities, and No Kidding, Me Too, a nonprofit organization comprised of entertainers united in an effort to educate Americans about mental illness.

Mr Pantoliano’s 71-minute directorial debut is an educational, hopeful, and sometimes even humorous look at issues surrounding mental health. No Kidding, Me Too will take the viewer into a world of which most have no understanding. Its purpose is to remove the stigma attached to brain disease through education and the breaking down of societal barriers.

The goal is to empower those with brain disease to admit their illness, seek treatment, and become even greater members of society.

Those suffering from brain diseases include people with anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating, pyromania, kleptomania, compulsive gambling, addictions, paranoia, multiple personality disorder, gender identity disorder, Down’s syndrome, psychosomatic disorder, tic disorders, and others.

No Kidding, Me Too holds a special meaning for the Connecticut Film Festival as the organization lost one of its team members, Peter Howland, to bipolar disorder a few years ago.

“None of us saw this tragedy coming,” said Tom Carruthers, president of the Film Festival. “We will certainly be dedicating this screening in Peter’s name in the hopes that it helps others to avoid the same very untimely fate.”

The No Kidding, Me Too event consists of an exclusive meet and greet cocktail reception with Joey Pantoliano, an introduction of the film, question and answer session, and live auction led by the actor. The event, which begins at 6:30 p., takes place at The Palace Theater in downtown Danbury and is catered by Michael Bick’s Some Things Fishy Catering.

Tickets are on sale at the City Center Box Office at 186 Main Street in Danbury or online at www.ctfilmfest.com. A limited very number of reception/screening and screening-only tickets are currently available.