The Global Health Film Festival uses film, animation and immersive media as a catalyst for discussion and change on global health issues.

This year's Global Health Film Festival takes place on 06-07 December 2019 in Central London. The two-day festival will combine a mix of feature films, premieres, short films, keynote presentations, workshops and virtual reality installations with several sessions in parallel in order for delegates to tailor their experience.

We invite film submissions of short (25 minutes or less) and feature (over 25 minutes) length on any global health topic including LGBT rights, maternal and neonatal health, healthy ageing, mental health, refugee health, climate change, emerging infections, communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases.

Awards & Prizes

Planetary Health Film Prize
Films that highlight planetary health - an emerging interdisciplinary field that focuses on the human health impacts of humanity’s vast and accelerating transformation of Earth’s natural systems.

Subject areas could include the health impacts of:
Degradation of natural systems
Climate change and biodiversity loss
Air, water and soil pollution
Population growth and urbanisation
Food security and malnutrition
Spread of vector-borne and zoonotic disease

The £10,000 Planetary Health Film Prize will be awarded to the film that sets out the most compelling case and call to action

Rules & Terms

The £10,000 Planetary Health Film Prize will be awarded to the film that sets out the most compelling case and call to action, which could be an advocacy, education or other impact initiative. It should be carefully budgeted with achievable, measurable milestones.

The prize could be used to fund a discrete element within an existing advocacy or education initiative, or impact campaign – or to further develop an existing plan

Films that fall within the scope of the prize will be shortlisted from submissions and the prize will be announced at the Global Health Film Festival on Saturday 08 December.

Scoring criteria
Shortlisted films will be judged by a panel of planetary health experts and film-makers; criteria will include:

Scientific credibility
Strength of planetary health messages
Creativity and innovation of call to action
A carefully considered budget
Evidence that this £10,000 prize will make a tangible and meaningful difference
5 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Karen Akins

    We were thrilled to have the world premiere of El Susto at this year’s Global Health Film Fest. If you are looking to reach a highly intelligent, engaged, and creative group of folks passionate about health and science, this is the place! It was an intimate festival with multiple opportunities to engage with other filmmakers and swap stories. Our screening was well attended and followed by an excellent post-screening panel and audience discussion. Gerri and her festival staff were all wonderful to work with.

    December 2019
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Karen! It was a privilege to host the world premiere of El Susto! We look forward to working with you in 2020 to take this excellent and most timely film to a wider UK audience!

    Very best wishes from everyone at Global Health Film!

    Gerri

  • Tomislav Zaja

    I really enjoyed Global Health Film Festival - the communication was great, the screening of my film was packed, and the discussion with the audience lively. Hope to be there next year again!

    December 2019
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Tomislav!

    It was great to have you with us at this year's Global Health Film Festival! We were delighted to include Neighbors in the programme and it was very well received indeed.

    Looking forward to having you with us again in 2020!

    Gerri

  • Jon Holmes

    I've only done a few festivals myself, but I feel like Global Health is going to be hard to top. I was well treated, with respect and thoroughly kept in the loop with where and when things were happening, not to mention by a host who was genuinely caring, and a venue that was truly extraordinary. Would certainly recommend for anyone.

    December 2019
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much Jon! It was so good to have you with us and an honour to showcase your excellent, courageous and timely film.

    I do hope we will see you again next year - in the meantime we'll be following the journey of Dogs Chasing Cars with great interest!

    Very best wishes to you from everyone at Global Health Film - Gerri

  • Kelly Amis

    I truly enjoyed this film festival, which premiered my most recent short film "Waiting Patient." The festival is very unique as it brings together professionals from the global health field, filmmakers (and VR producers) producing work in the field and, of course, documentary film fans.

    The film selection and speakers were outstanding, the venues were exceptional, and the staff, led by founder and director Gerri McHugh, was exceptional. This easily goes into my five top favorite film festivals ever!

    January 2019
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much Kelly!

    It was great to have you with us; it was an honor to premiere 'Waiting Patient' and such a bonus for us that you also delivered a workshop that was extremely well received.

    Looking forward to future collaborations!

    Very best wishes from us all at Global Health Film - Gerri

  • Christy Westad

    I was unable to travel to London to attend the festival in person, but the festival organizers went out of their way to accommodate me and arranged for me to participate in the post-screening Q&A via Skype. I found the panel really informative, there were great speakers, and the other film that screened with ours was terrific. Overall, even though I wasn't there and can't comment on the rest of the festival, my filmmaker experience with the festival was fantastic!

    January 2018
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    Response from festival:

    Many thanks Christy!

    We loved having Parched in last year's programme and you were amazing to join us by Skype at early dawn local time!

    We very much hope you will submit more material this year - very best wishes as always - Gerri