Kenya’s Adelle Onyango is among the renowned professionals, artists and activists that have been selected by the World Health Organization as a jury for Health for All Film Festival.
Ms Onyango a media personality and podcaster has been selected alongside WHO senior experts.
Others include Sharon Stone (actor from the USA); Alfonso Herrera (actor from Mexico), Ricky Kej (musician from India), Melissa Fleming (United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications) and Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng (United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health from South Africa).
Also on the list are Sherrie Silver (dance choreographer from Rwanda) and Sophia Kianni (Iranian-American climate activist).
Nearly 800 filmmakers from 106 countries have submitted short films for the 4th edition of the WHO Health for All Film Festival, on themes ranging from the trauma of war to living with Covid-19.
Some 90 films have been chosen for the shortlist, for review by a jury of international artists and development leaders, before the announcement of the winners in June 2023.
“The Health for All Film Festival gathers powerful stories on many health issues from all over the world, bringing emotion and a human face to WHO’s scientific work,” says WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Film has great potential to raise awareness of lesser-known health issues and improve understanding of people’s experiences with health – these are important ways to advance towards Health for All.”
The 90 shortlisted films are in six including Universal health coverage, Health Emergencies, better health and well-being, climate change and health, sexual and reproductive health and rights and very short films.
A wide range of topics are covered by this year’s selection including trauma of war, diseases, including Covid-19, and HIV/AIDS, mental health issues, disability as well as environmental and social factors of health, including gender-based violence.
Jurors will review the shortlisted films and recommend winners to the WHO Director-General, who will make the final decision.
Since the festival launched in 2020, almost 4300 films have been submitted by patients, health workers, activists, students and professional filmmakers.
