Geneva – As part of IOM, the UN Migration Agency’s drive to promote diversity and challenge the current rhetoric around migration through motion films, the Geneva-based body is calling upon all film makers from developing countries to submit their proposals to be part of the Organization’s very first Virtual Reality Film competition – ‘Through the Eyes of a Migrant’.

The Virtual Reality Film Competition will use motion pictures to depict the challenges and promises of migration in the form of a virtual reality experience as a nod towards the soon-to-be-adopted ‘Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration’, as well as presenting an array of compelling films that will be screened worldwide.  All film makers from and residing in developing countries (see the list of eligible countries here) between the ages of 15–30 are encouraged to submit a short video pitch explaining their idea of migration to be part of the Competition.

Participants for the film competition will be selected through a panel of professionals and the selected participants will then proceed to a series of webinars conducted in English, where professionals from the field will guide them through the process of developing virtual reality films (360 video). Each participant selected to be part of the training will receive a virtual reality kit for the development of the film.

Submissions for the pitches will be accepted starting from 26 October 2018 through to 30 November 2018. Each submission should be a maximum one-minute video pitch that addresses the question of what migration is and/or what it means to them, submitted via the weblink for the Competition.

All participants selected for the training are eligible to win a cash prize at the end of the Virtual Reality Film Competition and all the films developed will be screened at the Global Migration Film Festival 2019.

Films play an integral part of informing and provoking debate on important topics such as that of migration. ‘Through the Eyes of a Migrant’ – Virtual Reality Film Competition is part of the Global Migration Film Festival launched by IOM in 2016 with the aim to use films as educational tools that influence perceptions of and attitudes towards migrants bringing attention to social issues.

The Global Migration Film Festival has been present in over 100 countries across the globe, bringing together over 30,000 people as part of its audience even in impromptu settings amongst the midst of emergencies in countries like South Sudan and Yemen.

For more information, please follow the link to our main webpage.