Environment & wildlife film fest begins in capital

The Asian Age, Tuesday, November 22, 2005

New Delhi: A unique four-day film festival on environrrient and wildlife, showcasing movies on issues ranging from disappearance of vulture to climate change in Nepal kicked off here on Monday.

Organized by the "Centre for Media Studies (CMS), a Delhi-based NGO and supported by central environment ministry and United Nation Environment Programme, the festival, "Vatavaran 2005", will screen 47 films selected out of 244 entries. Environmentalists from several countries are here to interact and raise a large number of issues affecting the environment and also to increase public awareness about conserving nature. .

"The festival to be inaugurated by urban development minister Jaipal Reddy on Monday evening will debate over human conflict with environment and wildlife," Alka Tomar, the festival director said. "From disappearing animal species to long-pending humanitarian issues like Bhopal gas tragedy, e-waste and toxic impact, everything will be discussed over tile next three days," she added.

Though the formal inauguration will take place in the evening, the festival has already started screening films like 'River Taming Mantras' that deals with flood politics in Bihar from Monday morning. An interesting feature of 'Vatavaran 2005" is a panorama of Asian films and retrospective of two filmmakers from Britain, Dough Allan and Richard Brock. Britain in collaboration with CMS will also award fellowship worth Rs 6,00,000 each to four teams of environment filmmakers and environment scientists for researched documentaries on the impact of climate change on biodiversity, agriculture health and coastal areas on November 24. (IANS)