The World Health Organization (WHO) will host the first-ever ‘Health for All Film Festival’ in Geneva on May 17-21 on the occasion of the 73rd World Health Assembly.

Independent filmmakers, production companies, NGOs, communities, students, and film schools from around the world have been invited to submit their original short films on health.

The submissions can be on any health issue or social and environmental determinants of health for the first two categories (non-fiction and animation), according to the UN office in Dhaka.

The third category focuses on nurses or midwives to pay tributes to the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife in 2020.

Only films completed between January 1, 2017 and January 30, 2020 are eligible for the festival. For each category, there is a prize of USD 5,000 and a special student mention of USD 2500.

Film has the unique ability to make people feel, laugh, cry and think, WHO says mentioning that through the creation of compelling human-interest stories, filmmakers have the potential to influence health and catalyse change.

Films are a powerful way to raise awareness, improve understanding and encourage action and that is why WHO will host the first-ever Health for All Film Festival in Geneva in May 17-21.