The 10th CMS Vatavaran film festival, being held in the Capital next week, will attempt to highlight the importance of the spectacular Himalayan mountain ecosystem in the current climate change discourse and action.

Being held from 27-30 November at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath, this edition of the festival, termed as Asia’s biggest green film festival, is focusing on the theme “Celebrating Himalayas”.

A total of 1020 entries (national and international) from 60 countries were received for the competitive edition of this festival. After a peer-review-based shortlisting, 284 films were reviewed by a 30-member expert Nomination Jury, headed by Anil Joshi, founder of Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO). This jury selected 77 films to be nominated for awards. An eminent Award Jury, headed by BJP leader Suresh Prabhu and co-chaired by R R Rashmi, Special Secretary in the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, met in the last week of August to finalise 20 awards in nine categories.

This unique green festival of four-days will screen all the nominated national and international films on environment and wildlife, along with a range of programmes, including seminars, workshops, exhibitions, and competitions. The highlight of this festival will also be a screening of the awarded films of the Short Film Competition and Festival 2019 on Pollution, initiated by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, in collaboration with CMS Vatavaran.

Using films as a window to delve into nature, the festival showcases the best of Indian and international films and documentaries. The festival presents nature stories from all over the world, stories on critical ecological and developmental challenges faced today, some of the most compelling practices as well as enchanting snippets on the diversity of the planet.

CMS Vatavaran, through its festival and forum design, brings together some of the best conservation experts and enthusiasts from across the globe. Along with taking the best green films from across the globe to the masses, it has been able to institutionalise strong specialised knowledge networking platforms, forge partnerships, and enhance capacities and expertise.