The World Health Organization invites independent filmmakers, production companies, public health institutions, NGOs, communities, students, and film schools from around the world to submit their original short films to the 5th Health for All Film Festival.

The festival aims to recruit a new generation of film and video innovators to champion health issues. Films are a powerful way to raise awareness, improve understanding, and encourage action.

Join our LinkedIn group, where we will share updates about the festival event and where you will meet other candidates, jurors, and past winners. Visit the group at
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9011296/
In social media platforms you can use #Film4Health to retrieve posts and/or insert this hashtag in your own actions to comment this project of health impact through film.

Since the inaugural Health for All Film Festival edition in 2020, a total of 4,300 short film submissions were received from more than 110 countries. Incredible content was curated and the winners got a platform to showcase their work.

Be part of the Health for All Film Festival! It is free to participate.

Please visit the multilingual film festival website on www.who.int/film-festival to learn more about previous official selection, winners, jury composition, and agenda as well as our terms and conditions (also copied below).

In submitting a short film, the copyright owner of the film has to choose one category of competition among the three described below, which relates to WHO’s global health goals set out in the Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13):

1. Universal health coverage (UHC) – films about mental health, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and other UHC stories linked to communicable diseases not part of emergencies;

2. Health emergencies – films about health emergencies, such as COVID-19, Ebola, disaster relief, and health in conflict settings;

3. Better health and well-being – films about environmental and social determinants of health, such as nutrition, sanitation, pollution, gender, and/or health promotion or health education.

Each of the three categories will have a jury made up of external advisers drawn from the arts as well as WHO technical experts. The jury will watch a maximum of 15 selected videos for each category. These shortlisted videos will be announced in March 2024 and screened online for public viewing.

Each prize will include a trophy and a grant as follows:

There will be three GRAND PRIX, one for each category, each GRAND PRIX will receive a payment of US$ 10,000.

In addition, juries can nominate special prizes (listed below) for short-listed videos not receiving a GRAND PRIX. From this pool, the Director-General can choose up to four special prizes, each receiving a payment of US$ 5,000.

The winners of GRAND PRIX are not eligible for special prizes. In addition, there will be only one special prize per candidate. The special prizes are:

• SPECIAL Film Prize on Physical Activity and Health – Individual stories and those at the community, health facilities, and/or national levels are welcome in the perspective of demonstrating the health benefits of physical activity.

• SPECIAL Migrants and Refugees Health Film Prize – Films that shed light on the impact of migration and displacement on the physical and mental health and well-being of migrants and refugees. Films raising awareness of the rights and unique health needs of these populations, and showcase how access to health care for these populations contributes to their better health and well-being.

• STUDENT Film Prize – films produced by students who can justify that the films were made during their university studies.

• VERY SHORT Film Prize: for videos from 1 minute to 2 minutes 59 seconds long with a story in line with the content of the main three categories and/or the content of other special prizes described before.

Please note that, as per our festival rules, commercial/corporate film advertising for a new product, device, or private business service, won’t be selected.

By submitting a film to the Health for All Film Festival (the “film festival”), you are deemed to have read and consented to these Rules (the “Rules”) in their entirety. Any candidate whose film has been shortlisted for official selection to be presented to the public will be required to agree to these Rules with their signature at the end of this document to confirm the selection of their film.
Your application must comply with the terms of FilmFreeway’s website and these Rules. These Rules, and the terms of FilmFreeway, govern your submission and participation in the film festival in all respects. In the event of any conflict between these Rules and the terms of FilmFreeway, these Rules shall prevail.
Submissions not in line with these Rules will not be considered for selection, and will be rejected by the World Health Organization (“WHO”), which is under no obligation to inform an applicant of this rejection (though WHO may provide such information at its discretion).
You may withdraw your entry at any time on written request to WHO via FilmFreeway.
The list of short films selected by the film festival since 2020 constitutes a catalog of audiovisual resources that WHO promotes on a long-term basis for health promotion and health education activities (See Chapters 7 and 8 below).

1) General terms of participation
i) If you are otherwise eligible, you may submit one video only to the film festival for consideration, free of charge, through the online platform on FilmFreeway at https://filmfreeway.com/HealthForAllFilmFestival, subject to these Rules.
ii) The period for submissions is from 1 November 2023 through 1 January 2024.
iii) Only videos created between 1 January 2021 and 31 January 2024 are eligible.
iv) The content of all submissions must address a health issue. According to WHO’s Constitution, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The content of proposed videos could, for example, include or address the social or environmental determinants of health.

2) What type of videos can be proposed?
The main competition categories for the Health for All Film Festival are aligned with WHO’s main global goals for public health. For submitting a short film, the film owner must choose one category of competition among the three described below.

For each of these three ”Grand Prix” categories, candidates can submit short documentaries, animation films, or fiction films of 3 to 8 minutes in length:

· Category 1 - Universal health coverage (UHC) – films about mental health, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and other UHC stories linked to communicable diseases not part of emergencies;

· Category 2 - Health emergencies – films about health emergencies, for instance, COVID-19, Ebola, disaster relief, and health in war zones;

· Category 3 - Better health and well-being – films about environmental and social determinants of health, such as nutrition, sanitation, pollution, gender, and/or about health promotion or health education.

Please see in chapter 4 below, the description of a “Very short film” prize which might be attributed to a film of 1 to 2’59” in length.

3) What are the technical requirements for submissions?
i) Every video submitted must be a final edited product: rough cuts will NOT be considered for the selection.
ii) Submissions do not need to have been already distributed to be eligible.
iii) A Submission can be in any language; if it is not in English, English subtitles must be included.
iv) Every submission must be in horizontal format in full HD (1920 X 1080 pixels) compressed with MP4 codec, data-rate of 10 MB/s. In case a video is produced in square or vertical formats, the file should be inserted in the horizontal full HD format as described with black bands on left and right sides.
v) WHO takes no responsibility for submissions that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason. Proof of delivery of the entry is not proof of receipt.

4) What are the awards for winning submissions?
i) Each of the three categories will have a jury made up of external advisers from the arts as well as WHO experts In specific areas of public health. A maximum of 15 videos for each category will be selected for the jury to watch. An additional shortlist of 10 to 15 films may be considered for special prizes described below. These shortlisted videos will be announced mid-March and screened online for public viewing, in the months following this announcement. (See section 7-i below). The WHO Director-General will choose the final winners in each category based on the jury’s recommendations. Winners will be informed confidentially in April or early May, prior to a public announcement. There will be only one prize per candidate.
ii) Each prize will be constituted of a trophy and a payment (see paragraph 4-iii below) as follows:
(1) There will be three GRAND PRIX, one for each category described in section 2 above. Each GRAND PRIX will receive a payment of US$ 10,000.
(2) In addition, juries can nominate special prizes (listed below) for short-listed videos not receiving a GRAND PRIX. From this pool, the Director-General can choose up to four special prizes, each receiving a payment of US$ 5,000.
2-1 STUDENT PRIZE: for videos of 3 to 8 minutes long produced by students who are legal adults in their country and enrolled in formal education, including audio-visual and film-making schools.
2-2 FILM ABOUT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH: for videos of 3 to 8 minutes long with a story in line with the content for this special prize described on the festival website: www.who.int/film-festival
2-3 FILM ABOUT MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES HEALTH: for videos of 3 to 8 minutes long with a story in line with the content for this special prize described on the festival website: www.who.int/film-festival
2-4 VERY SHORT FILM PRIZE: for videos of 1 minute to 2 minutes 59 seconds long with a story in line with the content of one of the main three categories and/or the content of other special prizes described in the festival website: www.who.int/film-festival

iii) After the public announcement of prizes, each winner will be requested to provide the administrative documentation required to create their account as a supplier to WHO. Then, the payment of their prize will be treated as a purchase of the copyright license as described in chapter 7-ii) below. WHO will not be held responsible if the required documentation cannot be provided by a winner.
iv) A ‘people’s choice’ process may be held in which members of the public are invited to choose their favorite video. This award will not result in any trophy or payment from WHO.

5) Who can apply for the festival?
i) Submissions of films may be made by production institutions or individuals 18 years or older.
Institutions applying can be from the public or non-profit domains, as well as audiovisual production companies and public or private academic institutions. All non-profit or private institutions applying attest through these signed Rules and their film submission that they don’t receive any funding from military, arms, tobacco, alcohol, or pharmaceutical products, services, or industries.
United Nations agencies or programmes are not eligible.
Individuals under 18 years of age may participate with the permission of their parents or legal guardians. If the film of an entrant under 18 years of age is chosen as a semifinalist or finalist, and written parental or guardian permission cannot be provided, WHO has the right to reject the entry. In the event an applicant is a minor (under 18), the term “you” in these Rules refers to the applicant’s legal guardian.
ii) Every application must name the individual (or group of individuals), as the author(s) of the video.
iii) In case of a group of authors, the names and ages of all authors must be listed. This group will be considered as a single applicant in the copyright Rules described below, as well as for the award of the prize for winners, and in this case the term “you” in these Rules refers to each such applicant as an individual and as a group of applicants.
iv) Each applicant or group of applicants can submit only one video to this festival. Videos may be submitted in only one of categories one, two, and three.
v) If you wish to be considered for the student prize, you must provide proof of your enrolment in a high school or educational institution during the period when the submitted video was made.
vi) Applicants cannot be the staff of (or the family members of such staff) any United Nations system organization (including WHO); nor can they have any direct ties (employment, or otherwise) to the tobacco or arms industries.

6) What are the content requirements applicable to a submission to the festival?
i) Your submission must be your own original work, must not be copied, must not contain any third-party materials and/or content (including background music) that you do not have permission to use, must not promote your own or third-party goods or services or include any trademarks (other than those belonging to WHO), and must not show inappropriate or dangerous behavior, or otherwise be obscene, defamatory, distasteful, offensive, or in breach of any applicable legislation or regulations, or in breach of any confidentiality obligations owed by you to third parties. If WHO has reason to believe your entry is not your own work if a person objects to the inclusion of a video in which they are featured being included in the film festival, or if your entry otherwise breaches these Rules, then WHO reserves the right not to reject or not consider the submission.
ii) In submitting an application to the film festival, you warrant that:
- you have not and will not grant licenses of your submission to companies dealing with military, arms, tobacco, alcohol, or pharmaceutical products or services, or for advertising of commercial products or services.
- your submission has not been produced with funds or any kind of support from the above-mentioned industries.
- your submission has not been produced with funds from WHO or related programs, nor from other United Nations institutions or programs.

7) What are the legal terms and conditions applicable to films shortlisted by the festival?
i) In the event that your short film is chosen to be part of the festival selection you agree:
a. to ensure that all production and distribution companies involved in your submission shall also agree, to give a non-exclusive, worldwide, fully paid up, perpetual, sub-licensable license to the World Health Organization for its public screening during the festival events;
b. To extend this license if necessary to public screenings, and online events dedicated to highlighting the official selection of the film festival, with a written notice to you.
c. that WHO may promote the titles and summaries of the shortlisted films from all festival editions since 2020 in its online platform. This catalog would encourage the usage of these films for health promotion and/or health education activities. Furthermore, if your film is considered by WHO for such an educational usage, you agree to be contacted to discuss a separate agreement covering the conditions of this usage either by WHO or a third party collaborating with WHO in line with WHO’s health promotion objectives. Some of these actions undertaken for this health promotion would be to organize additional public screenings helping to promote both the content of films shown and the festival's educational objectives.
ii) In addition, if you are a winner of the film festival you agree to ensure that all production and distribution companies involved in your submission shall also agree, to extend the scope of the above-mentioned license to all distribution of your submission by WHO in its various social media, digital and web platforms, as well as for additional screenings at national or international events in which WHO will have an official participation, and further for WHO’s activities relating to public health, consistent with its mandate, and beyond the scope of the film festival. This extension of the agreement will grant to WHO a perpetual, non-exclusive, sub-licensable, worldwide license to reproduce, publish, disseminate, exhibit, and in any other manner use and deal with the video in any format and in any media whatsoever, without any additional payment or authorization to be made between the parties.
iii) By submitting an application, you warrant to WHO that your submission is your original work and in no way a violation of any existing copyright not declared in above mentioned certificates, and that they have the power to grant the license/permission described above, and to the extent the submission is not your original work, you have obtained all required permits and licenses to provide the licenses to WHO described above. Upon request, winners must be able to provide to WHO with the relevant documents confirming that they have the appropriate permissions and licenses.
iv) You further warrant that consent has been obtained regarding the name, likeness, biography, picture, and clinical details related to any person, including any deceased person, figuring in your submission. Copies of any such permission and consent shall be provided to WHO together with the submission.
v) You will indemnify and hold harmless WHO for legal liability incurred by it on the grounds that the video proposed would be a violation of the terms of these Rules and any of the above warranties.
vi) WHO may exclude your application from the film festival if you breach these Rules, breach any applicable law, or take any act or are party to any act or thing prejudicial to WHO’s goodwill, reputation, or overall public image.
vii) If your film is selected by WHO, for either the shortlist or a prize, you are authorized to mention this selection in your communications, without using the WHO logo.
viii) Any use by WHO of a submitted video will acknowledge the authors.
ix) Entering the film festival does not guarantee that you will win a prize or derive any other benefit. WHO accepts no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury or disappointment incurred or suffered by you because of entering the film festival or accepting any prize. WHO further disclaims liability for any injury or damage to you or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participation in or downloading any materials in connection with the film festival. WHO reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, this film festival and the prize competition, with or without prior notice, including due to reasons outside its control. The decision of WHO in all matters under its control is final and binding.
x) Any dispute relating to the interpretation or application of these Rules or any other aspect of the film festival shall, unless amicably settled, be subject to conciliation. In the event of failure of the latter, the dispute shall be settled by arbitration. The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the modalities to be agreed upon by the parties or, in the absence of agreement, with the Rules of arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce. You and WHO shall accept the arbitral award as final. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as a waiver of any of the privileges and immunities enjoyed by WHO under national or international law, and/or as submitting WHO to any national court jurisdiction.

8) Third-party institutions and individuals supporting the festival.
i) Various institutions and individuals support WHO’s festival in many ways at different phases of its public promotion: call for films, announcement of the jury, sharing of the official selection of films, and its awards ceremony. They also help with various in-person public screenings around the world beyond the festival events, especially to contribute to health promotion and health education. These screenings are organized under the conditions described in above chapter 7-i-c of these Rules.
ii) These institutions and individuals willing to support the festival on above points are chosen by WHO under at least one of the following criteria:
- Engagement as Temporary Adviser to WHO’s Director-General for the jury of the festival.
- Being one of the regular WHO’s official partners.
- Public institutions administered by Governments of WHO’s member states, including universities, hospitals, traditional media such as TV or radio broadcasters, etc.
- Non-Governmental Organizations or any other non-profit associations championing a health issue, if they don’t receive any funding from military, arms, tobacco, alcohol, or pharmaceutical products, services, or industries.
- Film festivals administered under non-profit and/or public Rules, respecting the same funding conditions.
iii) WHO’s festival website displays the identity of these institutions and a short text about their support of the festival goals.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Kazi Arifin Jamil Jany

    Amezing Experience ! Thanks again for choosing my flim as an official selection on the top 15 last year.

    December 2023
    Logo
    Response from festival:

    Dear Kazi,
    Thank you very much for your feedback and your trust in the WHO's Health for All Film Festival :)
    Sanitation Worker is indeed part of the official selection 2023, and we thank you for helping us to challenge Climate Change and Health issues.

  • Yiran Wang

    Thank you so much! I'm very honored to have my film selected by WHO Health for All Film Festival. It's a incredible experience! The event is very well organised and is provide a remarkable platform to raise awareness about the importance of health and well-being for all individuals and communities.

    September 2023
    Logo
    Response from festival:

    Thank you for your feedback Yiran,
    We are really glad to have your short animation among our official selection! The new call for films will start on 1 November 2023; you are welcome to participate again and help us to create a positive impact through films :)

  • Irina Pampim

    It is such an honor to participate with Impossible Cities ate Health for All Film Festival. It is a much needed Festival showcassing good quality films. Thank you so much again!

    July 2023
    Logo
    Response from festival:

    Creating awareness of health issues through films is our main goal. The Health for All Film Festival is a collective achievement and we invite you and your network to keep following #Film4health for a greater impact. The new call for films is coming on 1 November 2023 ;)

  • My Film Sound of Nature was one of the Nominee in Climate Change and Health category. Was Happy to be part of such a prestigious Film Festival organized by WHO. Thanks a lot to WHO and surely will submit another film in next edition.

    June 2023
    Logo
    Response from festival:

    Thank you very much for your review, Sandeep! We are happy to read that you are willing to participate again and create strong stories that will help WHO pursue its missions. The new call for films will open on 1 November 2023 :)

  • Terry Ombaka

    Greatly honored to have been a winner .I thank all the organizers and the whole team for this opportunity to tell the story of so many people out there.

    November 2022
    Logo
    Response from festival:

    Congratulations again Terry Ombaka :-) And glad that our prize would help you creating more strong videos about health issues in your country.