ALT EFF’s mission is to increase environmental and climate literacy at a large scale through cinema, the most potent medium to change mindsets and shift perceptions. As an environmental film festival, we are focused on bringing impactful storytelling to communities and spark action towards co-creating a more sustainable and just future for all living things.

ALT EFF operates as a catalyst to engage the public on environmental and socio-cultural issues through an informed, creative and experiential discourse.

Rooted in India, ALT EFF is a destination for universal stories that transcend borders and focus on what unites humanity: our relationship with nature.

The festival takes a decentralised approach, screening across the breadth of India for a few weeks each year along with select international screenings. In 2023, ALT EFF travelled to 22 states in India, Ireland and Lebanon, hosting over 50 screening events. We had 62 groundbreaking films selected from 400 submissions. These films ranged from investigative and scientific sagas, to deeply human narratives that come together through masterful visuals to exhibit the beauty of our planet, inspire critical thought and leave audiences feeling inspired to dream big about our possible futures.

In 2024, the festival will redouble its efforts towards a decentralized, hybrid and grassroots model at the intersection of market and audience base, transforming into one of the largest environmental film festivals in the world.

ALT EFF encourages dialogue, debate and participation to build collective power for climate action through film maker Q&As, panel discussions and workshops. Through the festival period and year-round initiatives, ALT EFF brings together emerging ideas - showcasing sustainability in practice and providing opportunities for festival-goers to engage with the same. We work with film makers and creatives, ensuring their work reaches audiences around the world. In the future, we intend to use their work to engage local communities in sustainability thinking and action.

With films at its core, the festival create spaces and experiences that facilitate fruitful conversation and collective action.

Come gather with us again, in 2024!

Awards & Prizes

Best of Festival Award: Rs 1,00,000 (USD 1325)
Bhoomi Award for Best Indian Short: Rs 20,000 (USD 240)
Bhoomi Award for Best Indian Feature: Rs 30,000 (USD 360)

5Hills Award for Best International Short: Rs 20,000 (USD 240)
5Hills Award for Best International Feature: Rs 30,000 (USD 360)

Red Earth Award for the Best Animated film Rs 20,000 (USD 240)
Red Earth Award for the Best film submitted by Students or First time film-maker: Rs 20,000 (USD 240)

Award for the Best in Environmental Journalism: Rs 20,000 (USD 240)

The above awards are the minimum prize pool currently available; however, additional prize categories may be introduced or the above prizes increased at the sole discretion of ALT EFF. All submitters will be notified of the same.

Rules & Terms

THE KIND OF FILMS WE WILL CONSIDER
ALT EFF will consider all genres of environmental and sustainability themed films including documentary, non-fiction, fiction and animation, amongst others.

Shorts - Under 30 mins including credits
Feature - Over 30 mins and under 120 mins including credits

LANGUAGE
English is the official language of ALT EFF; all non-english language films must have English subtitles (where there is dialogue).

DATE AFTER WHICH THE FILM HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND WORK IN PROGRESS FILMS
1 January 2022 or later.
We accept both completed films, and works in progress*.
*Work in progress films have to be entered via FilmFreeway prior to the deadline; please provide a note in the submission and provide a link to the password protected online screener as soon as possible. We will need to see a rough cut of whatever you have ready prior to the submission deadline. If the film is accepted, we will need a final version by 15 June 2024.

FORMATS
Film submissions must be provided via an online screener, with a link and password (if required). If selected, films will need to be supplied in DCP and/or .mp4 and/or .mov for screening purposes.

FILM MARKETING AND ATTENDANCE
If your film is accepted to be part of ALT EFF, you will help market the screening of your film through all of your available channels (email, social media, website, etc.).
The Festival strongly encourages finalist film directors and associated staff (actors/athletes, screenwriters, producers, etc.) to attend the festival. A portion of the programming will be provided to you for audience discussion and interaction. On the Submission Form, please indicate whether the director, producer, other members of the creative team, or actors are available to attend the Festival, if the film is selected. We are also open to online attendance of panels or other festival-related events.
All finalists are responsible for their own travel expenses.

RIGHTS AND PROMO USE
By entering a film for consideration to ALT EFF, the submitter understands that they own or control the film's copyright and are duly authorised to submit the film to the ALT EFF. By submitting films to ALT EFF, candidates thereby grant ALT EFF to obtain full access permission to the film.

ALT EFF reserves the right to copy and use any publicity materials (photographs, film stills, trailers, and film segments up to 3 minutes) for non-commercial promotional purposes and for archival material, at no additional cost.

ALT EFF and its partners are not responsible for any claims connected with the film.

19 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Koval Bhatia

    Really amazing festival, run by people with commitment and love for cinema. We were able to show our film Against The Tide across cities and spaces that are normally not easy to coordinate for independent filmmakers, thanks to the ALTEFF team, and the response from audiences was deeply moving 💚

    February 2024
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  • Chen Sing Yap

    Great festival that I participated in remotely. Communications were good and there were multiple screenings for my film. The trophy they sent over when I won an award was really amazing.

    January 2024
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  • Ignas Van Schaick

    We have been part with our film Planet Soil at the 2023 edition of the festival. Really enjoyed their approach and very professional communication. Hopefully this will lead to a distribution of the film in India. https://vimeo.com/811011469?share=copy

    January 2024
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  • Polina Teif

    I am very grateful to the ALT EFF team for supporting our feature doc - Eulogy for the Dead Sea. Communication with the festival was seamless and I am very impressed by the global reach of this festival and its mandate to bring environmental films to communities around the globe. Thank you!

    January 2024
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  • Sourav Sarangi

    Here is a festival that cares not only for the films, but also the makers by engaging into meaningful and inspiring communications. The festival has been growing each year with upcoming venues spread across the country with wider audience participation, this is unique. I strongly recommend ALT EFF.

    January 2024
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