The World Health Organization has issued a call for short films for the 4th edition of the Health for All Film Festival.
“The World Health Organization for All Film Festival has become an incredible venue for conveying poignant tales from around the world about people who suffer various health difficulties and those who dedicate their lives to improve health,” said the World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Films allow affected people to engage with others in a real way, contributing to a greater understanding of the communities we serve.”
The call for short films (up to 8 minutes long) will commence on October 31, 2022, and finish on January 31, 2023. The World Health Organization encourages public institutions, nongovernmental groups, patient and health worker communities, and public health and film students from throughout the world to submit innovative short films. In addition, the festival is open to independent filmmakers, production firms, and television broadcasters.
Around 70 shortlisted films will be presented to the public in April 2023 via WHO’s Youtube channel and website. From this list, a jury of distinguished professionals, artists, activists, and senior experts at the World Health Organization will select the award-winning films. Sharon Stone, the critically acclaimed actress from the USA and public advocate of health and humanitarian issues, has confirmed that she will join the jury again in 2023, having participated in the 2022 festival.
Three “GRAND PRIX” will be given out, one for each of the primary categories connected with WHO’s major global public health goals: universal health coverage, health emergencies, and improved health and well-being. There will also be special prizes for climate change and health films, sexual and reproductive health and rights films, student-produced films, and extremely short films (1′ to 2’30” in length).
Three “GRAND PRIZES” will be awarded, one for each of the major categories associated with WHO’s major global goals The festival’s winning films are working to raise awareness and support for critical health concerns around the world. With an average of 1150 submissions per year from 110 countries, the films are increasingly being used for health promotion and education by other institutions and partners, and future synergies with the World Health Organization Academy public health goals: universal health coverage, health emergencies, and improved health and well-being are being explored. Special awards will be given for films about climate change and health, films about sexual and reproductive health and rights, student-produced films, and extremely short films (1′ to 2’30” in length).
“Storytelling is a social interaction.” “It’s not just someone making a film; it’s someone watching a film,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, the World Health Organization Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme and 2021 film festival juror. “This is exactly how WHO should be transforming: changing how we interact with the world, and this event is just one example of how we can do it.”
In honor of WHO’s 75th anniversary in 2023, this call for films is especially open to historical films as well as recent films by students giving their perspectives on current health concerns and potential solutions. These testimonies will be highlighted in a separate playlist.
