Press Release
New Delhi

CMS VATAVARAN 2006 - Environment and Wildlife Travelling Film Festival visits Birsa's land for the first time this December.

Ranchi CMS VATAVARAN 2006 - Environment and Wildlife Traveling Film Festival, slated for 7th -9th December 2006, will be held at Gossner Theological College, Main Road, Ranchi.

The festival is jointly organized by CMS, Manthan Yuva Sansthan and Nazar TV as the media partners. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, GoI and the Department of Forests and Environment, Jharkhand.

On it maiden run Ranchi CMS VATAVARAN 2006 - Environment and Wildlife TravelLing Film Festival will offer a bouquet of over 30 films. Many of these films have won the coveted CMS VATAVARAN awards. This festival presents an opportunity to view an array of films on topical, Indian environment and wildlife issues. Symposium on topical issue - "Mining and its Effects on Tribal Livelihood" will be held in as parallel event. CMS VATAVARAN awardee Mr. Meghnath, Noted filmmaker Mr. Ashwini K. Pankaj, Mr. Arjun Prasad Jalan, President, Federation of Jharkhand Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Mr. S. K. Satpathy, Secretary - Mines, Govt. of Jharkhand, and Dr. Nitish Priyadarshi, Lecturer, Department of Environment and Water Managementr, J. N. College, Ranchi University, are the panelists of the symposium.

Besides the screening of the Best of Indian Films on environment and wildlife, Regional Films on environment and wildlife from different parts of Jharkhand will form a special part of the screenings. Premiering at the festival will be regional films like Iron is Hot by Meghnath and Biju Toppo, Ro Ro by Ashwini K Pankaj, Rajmahal R.I.P. by Ashwini K Pankaj and Adavi Evarokosam? (Whose Forest?) by Shriprakash.

A Photography Exhibition on Forest and Wildlife conservation by the Dept of Forests and Environment, Jharkhand.

Drawing and Painting competition for children of different age groups will also be organised as part of the festival. The themes are "Nature and Me", "Environment Issues You Want to Work On", and Climate Change".

According to Alka Tomar, the Festival Director, "Ranchi CMS VATAVARAN 2006 is expected to create awareness on the environmental problems of the region. It will generate greater momentum on environmental issues and lead to action for change."

The festival will felicitate local filmmakers like Mr. Shriprakash, Mr. Meghnath, Mr. Biju Toppo, Mr. Ashwini Kr. Pankaj, Mr. Sudhir Pal, Ms. Diksha Prasad and Ms. Punam Kerketta for their relentless effort to highlight the local environment issues of the region.

The festival will reach out to approximately 6000 people including filmmakers, NGOs, government organizations, environmentalists, researchers, conservationists, policy makers, activists, public and private sector organisations and students of all ages.

For more information contact:

Mr. Ashwini K. Sinha P: 09899046542 E: ashwanikrs@gmail.com

Ms. Priya Verma M: 09899979165 E: priya@cmsindia.org

CMS VATAVARAN Film Festival Directorate
CMS
RESEARCH HOUSE
Community Centre, Saket
New Delhi 110017
P: 91-11-24992597 (D) 26522244; F: 91-11-26968282
E: info@cmsvatavaran.org; www.cmsvatavaran.org


Manthan Yuva Sansthan
Hindpiri, 3rd street
Ranchi, Jharkhand
M: 9431325249 / 9431107277
T: 0651 - 2202202
E: sudhir_pal@yahoo.com / manthanidnia@gmail.com