Zanzibar to host Africa’s first global health film festival

Unguja. Zanzibar is set to make history this year as it hosts the continent’s inaugural Global Health Film Festival from September 13 to15.

Organised in collaboration with Wajamama, a women-led social enterprise-NGO and Zanzibar’s premier holistic healthcare center, the festival promises to showcase compelling narratives from around the globe, with a special emphasis on maternal and child health.

The festival lineup will feature a curated selection of films, drawing from previous editions of the Global Health Film Festival and including recent local productions.

Among the headline films is the African premiere of “WOMENstruate” (GHFF2019), a candid portrayal documenting the experiences of seven women across Africa navigating the societal taboos surrounding menstruation.

Nafisa Jiddawi, founder and CEO of Wajamama, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “Storytelling transcends boundaries, sparks empathy, and vividly illustrates the challenges faced by humanity.

Partnering with Global Health Film to bring this extraordinary platform to our continent for the first time is a profound honor! It will be an unforgettable journey, sharing impactful narratives and fostering meaningful conversations on charting a path forward.”

Gerri McHugh, the founder and director of Global Health Film, emphasized the power of film in addressing complex global health issues.

“Film is a potent medium for cultivating understanding and empathy,” she remarked. “We are excited to embark on this new partnership with Wajamama, collaborating with Nafisa Jiddawi and her team to bring outstanding global health storytelling to the audience in Zanzibar.”

The festival will feature in-person screenings and panel discussions in Stone Town Zanzibar, with selected elements of the program available on-demand and livestreamed for international audiences.

This pioneering event not only marks a significant cultural milestone for Zanzibar but also underscores its growing prominence as a hub for global health dialogue through the lens of cinema.