We're living in surreal times.  Almost everyone in Kenya, simultaneously, is being confronted with the reality of lost control through the spread of a virus.  A tiny virus, invisible to the naked eye, has brought with it untold suffering to millions of Kenyans.  Sickness, job losses, failed businesses and worse, Death.The state's response to the chaos has been akin to killing a mosquito with a hammer. We've witnessed unreasonable countrywide lockdowns and curfews enforced by a brutal police force that has led to the needless  maiming and death of Kenyans. We've also witnessed the degeneration of society as Gender Based Violence cases soar in the country.Pain, hurt and abuse of basic human rights has become part of our daily lives and many of us have found escapism in one form or another.  The socially conscious amongst us are struggling to articulate what is going on around us in a way that can lead to social transformation. Some do it through music, others through art. For those who love the lens,  Under Our Skin Festival is providing a platform for you to bring to the fore stories that touch on Human rights issues.The purpose of the Under Our Skin 2021 film festival is to entertain, inform and inspire through the medium of film. They hope to motivate audiences and participants to question, debate, and reflect on the state of human rights in Kenya and internationally with an aim of engendering positive change for society and individuals. They welcome documentaries, fiction, conceptual films, and animations of short, medium, and long/feature-length. Submissions to the open call should fit with the ethos of this human rights-focused film festival.Under Our Skin aims to host its first film festival edition in Kenya and has chosen to focus on three main human rights themes: injustice by design; expression as a right; and social contract redefined. During the pandemic, these issues are increasingly relevant in the Kenyan context.In Kenya, film has long been a way of bringing people together, for both entertainment and education. In economically disadvantaged areas, peer groups gather at local community centers to watch blockbuster movies, football, news, and local programs. Under Our Skin sees potential in galvanizing the power of film as a tool to inspire individual and communal efforts towards positive change around Human Rights outcomes.If you're a film maker with an affinity for humanitarian stories, Under Our Skin is urging you to submit your film to get a chance to be featured in their world-renowned film festival this July. Submissions began this past week and close on April 25th 2021.READ MORE on how to go about submitting your film.Good Luck!