Medicine in Literature and the Arts at Newcastle (MiLAN) is a cross disciplinary society for students and staff at Newcastle University, exploring health based narratives in literature and the arts. The inaugural MiLAN Film Festival was held in the Faculty of Medical Sciences in 2015. During the festival, films on medical and health themes from the Medicine in Literature Collection were screened alongside professional speakers and post film discussion. The festival was very popular within the faculty and launched to the general public by 2017. In more recent years, the festival has been taken out into the community and held in local independent cinemas. This collaboration with medicine, the arts and the humanities explores what it means to be human and broadens our understanding of each others' life experiences and challenges.