gross development productions presents

mental

Mental

The Story · Dark Comedy · Mockumentary

MENTAL – The pilot sets the stage for a bold, genre-bending series that dares to laugh where others look away. Imagine The Office meets Curb Your Enthusiasm meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, tackling mental illness in America with edgy satire, limit-pushing humor, and unexpected grace.

Mental is a darkly comedic, improvisational mockumentary exploring the chaotic, heartbreaking, and absurd world inside a psychiatric hospital called Happy Pines Mental Resort. When Laura, a sharp-tongued woman in her 40s, suffers a mental breakdown after years of masking her trauma, she admits herself into the mental institution with a swift kick in the ass from her father, who drives her there.

At Happy Pines Mental Resort, we go on a journey to find out who’s truly “Mental.”

Details

The Series
Title
Mental
Format
Series · Improvisational mockumentary
Genre
Dark Comedy
Year
2026
Written by
Laura Gross, Suzanna M. Turner, Matt Harrison
Directed by
Suzanna M. Turner
Executive Producers
Laura Gross, Dan Gross
Producers
Suzanna M. Turner, Jake Justice, Susan Holland
Production Co.
Gross Development Productions
Setting
Happy Pines Mental Resort (fictional)
Country
USA
IMDb
View Mental on IMDb
On the Festival Circuit

Accolades

  • Best DirectorSpring · Summer · Fall · Winter
    Winner
  • Best ActressCouch Film Festival
    Winner
  • Best TV SeriesLos Angeles Film Awards (LAFA) · April 2026
    Winner
  • Reims Excellence DirectorRed Movie Awards · 2026 Summer Edition
    Winner
  • Mockumentary ShortIndiewood Film Festival Hollywood · 2026
    Winner
  • Best Dark Comedy ScriptRemember the Future World Film Festival in Cannes
    Nominee
  • Burbank International Film Festival2026
    Official Selection
  • IndieX Film FestIn Competition · 2026
    Official Selection
  • International Film Festival Manhattan2026
    Official Selection
Behind the Lens

Stills