WHO announces Health for All Film Festival shortlist and jury

The World Health Organization (WHO) unveils the shortlist and jury for its Health for All Film Festival. This initiative celebrates films promoting health and well-being, addressing global health challenges. The shortlisted entries and esteemed jury reflect a diverse range of perspectives, fostering dialogue and advocacy for universal health coverage and equity.

Renowned actors, musicians, activists and media personalities join the festival jury

The 5th edition of the WHO Health for All Film Festival has received an overwhelming response, with more than 900 filmmakers from 110 countries submitting short films on various themes, including climate change, refugees, tobacco, and gender-based violence. From this pool of submissions, 60 films have been selected for the shortlist, representing a diverse range of perspectives and storytelling approaches.

A jury consisting of international artists and health experts will review the shortlisted films before announcing the winners on May 26, 2024. This esteemed panel will assess the films based on their artistic merit, storytelling impact, and relevance to global health issues.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, emphasized the importance of storytelling through film in bringing a human dimension to the organization's scientific work. He highlighted the Health for All Film Festival as a vital platform for raising awareness about a wide range of health issues and contributing to WHO's mission of ensuring universal access to health as a fundamental human right.

Through the power of film, the Health for All Film Festival aims to engage audiences worldwide, spark conversations, and inspire action towards achieving health equity and addressing pressing global health challenges.

The WHO Health for All Film Festival has assembled an esteemed jury comprising distinguished professionals, artists, and activists, along with senior experts from WHO. This year's jury includes renowned individuals such as actor Sharon Stone from the USA, actor Alfonso Herrera from Mexico, actor Nandita Das from India, film director and producer Apolline Traore from Burkina Faso, refugee Olympic athlete Yusra Mardini from Syria, and photographer Mário Macilau from Mozambique.

A total of 61 shortlisted films have been curated into four YouTube playlists, each corresponding to one of the competition categories: universal health coverage; emergencies, refugee, and migrant health; better health and physical activity; and very short films. These films can be accessed on the Health for All Film Festival website.

The public is encouraged to watch and engage with the shortlisted films, sharing their favorites and advocating for them on social media platforms using the hashtag #Film4Health. By amplifying these impactful stories, audiences can contribute to raising awareness and fostering dialogue around critical global health issues.

Over the next few weeks, the jurors of the WHO Health for All Film Festival will meticulously review the shortlisted films and recommend seven winners to the WHO Director-General. These winners will be selected from among the shortlisted entries and will include three "Grand Prix" recipients, as well as four special film prize awardees. The final decision on the winners will be made by the WHO Director-General.

The announcement of the winners is scheduled to take place on May 26, during an Awards Ceremony held on the eve of the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva. This event will recognize and celebrate the outstanding contributions of filmmakers in raising awareness about global health issues and promoting health equity through the art of storytelling.

Since its inception in 2020, the Health for All Film Festival has received an overwhelming response, with over 5,000 films submitted by a diverse array of individuals, including patients, health workers, activists, students, and professional filmmakers from across the globe. This impressive level of engagement underscores the festival's significance as a platform for amplifying diverse voices and perspectives on critical health issues.

Source: whoint