Dear Filmmakers,

On behalf of CMS VATAVARAN team, I am glad to personally welcome you the 10th edition of CMS VATAVARAN – International Environment and Wildlife Film Festival, scheduled for November 2019 in New Delhi.

CMS VATAVARAN is a pioneering international festival of films on environment and wildlife, initiated in 2002. Using films as a window to delve into nature, the festival showcases the best of Indian and International films and documentaries, presenting 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 our planet. Do go thru our website for more details and for visiting our previous festivals and efforts to enhance understanding of the natural world and its conservation.

This edition of the festival is focusing on theme “Celebrating Himalayas” in an attempt to highlight the importance of the spectacular mountain ecosystem in the current climate change discourse and action. We encourage Film makers to further explore this theme and make films to showcase the spirit and serenity of this majestic region.

By sending your film to this unique festival, you get a unique opportunity for showcasing your films across a wide variety of platforms and stakeholders. Nominated films of CMS VATAVARAN travel across India and the world to various other festivals, seminars, theatres, universities, television channels and forums. The aim is to not only to showcase these films among film lovers, critics, buyers, broadcasters, but also to policy makers, scientists, experts, media, students and communities interested in participating in efforts to conserve and preserve our environment or to address contemporary environmental issues.

CMS VATAVARAN is also respected widely for the high standards it has set in the judging of films – the impartiality of the process and involvement of eminent personalities from across a wide spectrum. Selection of your film in this festival will therefore be an acknowledgment of your creativity and ingenuity, in addition to opening doors to new learning and opportunities.

We look forward to receiving your film to this acclaimed film festival and hope your film is nominated, and also wins the prestigious CMS VATAVARAN Awards.

Do join us in New Delhi for an exciting, vibrant and fruitful festival in November 2019. I am sure you will really find participation in this festival worthwhile and inspiring.

Thank you for being part of this green movement for influencing policy, perception and practice!

Ms P N Vasanti
Director General, CMS
www.cmsindia.org

Awards & Prizes

There are 20 awards in 10 Indian and International categories. Indian awards carry a citation trophy and award money ranging from INR 25,000 – 1,00,000. International awards carry a citation and a trophy.

Overall Excellence Award

1. Best of the Festival Award*
Awarded to the best overall production in the Indian and International categories by the Jury to honour work which reveals a fascination with its subject, rendered on screen with style, truthfulness and integrity to its sources.
*You cannot enter for this award

Thematic Award Categories: There will be one award in each of the thematic categories:

2. Celebrating Himalayas (festival theme)
The Himalayas are spectacular mountain ecosystems and have inspired many civilizations and cultures. They are storehouses of biodiversity and natural resources, which have sustained life in the mountains as well as the plains for centuries. Impact of over exploitation of natural resources and the rapidly changing climate are now being observed in this fragile and sensitive ecological region. With this theme, we invite film makers to explore the spirit and serenity of this majestic region to remind of its important role in our planet’s ecology.

3. Environment Conservation
Awarded to the production creating awareness about environmental issues concerning the natural world i.e. conservation of natural resources like water, biodiversity, soil, & atmosphere linked with protected areas, pollution, waste management, mining, traditional knowledge and innovative practices, etc., thereby focusing on combating destructive development projects, influencing environmental policies and striving for environmental justice.

4. Wildlife Conservation
Awarded to a production that most effectively sensitizes audience about faunal diversity, animal behavior and social, environmental, economic aspects of man and wildlife relationship. The films can depict successes, conflicts, trade, crime, wildlife governance, legislations, court interventions, or profile the great defenders of wildlife in the country.

5. Climate Change – Adaptation & Mitigation
Awarded to the production which contributes to the current scientific understanding of climate change, its impacts on ecosystems, agriculture, food security, and health, human settlements, especially in the coastal areas or global politics of climate change. Films should emphasize the portfolio of strategies that include mitigation, adaptation, and technological development that are required to diminish the risk associated with climate change. The cost effectiveness of actions to tackle the impacts of climate change can also be considered.

6. Livelihoods & Sustainable Technologies
Awarded to the film that highlights those fighting for protecting the natural assets and/or renewable energy such as land, water and forest, which are so intrinsically linked to their livelihood and survival and/or renewable energy in almost all areas of human living, including energy generation, water use, building construction, health, food production, transportation and mobility, commerce and industry etc.

General Award Categories

7. Public Service Announcements (PSA)
Awarded to the messages, short or promotional films, commercials or advertising campaigns that educate or inform the public at large. Duration not more than 180 seconds. The programme must highlight the issue or convey a conservation message.

8. Animation
Awarded to the animation film produced with traditional animation techniques, computer generated images (CGI) or other production methods highlighting concerns on environment and wildlife or promoting conservation efforts.

9. Amateur & Youth Films
Awarded to the Film most effectively communicates environment and wildlife conservation and produced by a first time film maker amateur i.e. upcoming filmmaker/individual, college student/ group of college students of film-making.

10. School Student Film
Awarded to the documentary or short film or experimental work produced on environment and wildlife conservation issues by a regular school student or a group of students from any school.

Rules & Terms

CMS VATAVARAN – RULES AND REGULATIONS

The Rules and Regulations and Terms of Entry as contained in this document will govern the 10th CMS VATAVARAN - Environment and Wildlife Film Festival and will hereafter be referred to as the CMS VATAVARAN – Rules and Regulations. Please read the CMS VATAVARAN – Rules and Regulations carefully for submitting the entries.
Film entries must meet the following criteria:

QUALIFYING DATES
Films must have been completed on or after January 1, 2017 and must carry a release date or copyright date or airdate during the calendar year 2017, 2018 or 2019.

JUDGING AND EXHIBITION COPY LANGUAGES
Entries are invited in all languages. Non-English and Non-Hindi language productions must include an English voiceover or subtitles.

EXHIBITION AND JUDGING FORMAT
All films are required to be submitted in H.264 HD Format in Pen Drive/ Hard Disk/ Vimeo Link.

PRESS KIT AND FESTIVAL DIRECTORY
Please include High Resolution Photographs (JPEG, TIFF or EPS formats). The following will be required for the press kit and Festival Directory; (a) Production stills (5); (b) Director’s photograph (2); (c) Poster, press clippings, brochures pamphlets etc (optional);

All the above to be sent by email or in a Pen Drive along with the duly filled form and other required enclosures.

DELIVERY
Courier payment formalities should be completed before materials are dispatched. CoD (Cash on Delivery) will not be accepted.

CREDIT
Names on the Credit roll must match with those in the Entry Form.
Entries can be submitted by the producer, co-producer, commissioner, broadcaster, director or any individual/organization that has the right to submit the entry.

BROADCAST OPPORTUNITY
All shortlisted and nominated films will be eligible for broadcast on select television channels. Broadcast right includes, but is not limited to, terrestrial TV, direct or indirect satellite TV, digital and cable television. Payment for broadcast will be on prevailing rates negotiated with the respective broadcaster.

PAYMENT OPTIONS
ENTRY FEE is non-refundable.
INDIA: ENTRY FEE may be paid by DD/ Cheque or Credit Card
INTERNATIONAL: ENTRY FEE must either be paid by Bank Transfer or Credit Card (VISA) using the festival website www.cmsvatavaran.org

MODE OF PAYMENT
Bank transfer details for entries sent offline
(Please check the applicable Entry Fee from the Entry Guidelines)
Account Holder CMS Support Services Pvt. Ltd.
Bank Name State Bank of India
Branch SAKET
Bank ID State Bank of India
Branch ID 8442
Account No. Current Account No. 10341657022
Address J-20, Saket, New Delhi-110 017, INDIA
Swift Code SBININBB547 (International Entrant)
IFSC Code SBIN0008442 (Indian Entrant)

Payment
Bank Transfer
(Please intimate submission@cmsvatavaran.org regarding the Bank Transfer payment details).

Credit Card
For offline credit card (VISA) payment, you need not give us Credit Card details. Please email your request to submission@cmsvatavaran.org mentioning PAYMENT in the Subject Line. With details like (Name, address, state, pin code, contact no – phone and mobile and email address for generating the electronic invoice). An electronic invoice will be sent to you. You may click this invoice to make the payment securely.

Note: For all other Credit Card types (MASTER CARD/ VISA), please enter ONLINE ONLY using the services of our Festival Submission Partner, FilmFreeway.

For Bank Transfer Details please refer to ENTRY FORM, section - MODE OF PAYMENT (INTERNATIONAL ENTRANTS).

GENERAL
1. One film can be entered in one category only.
2. Films may be of any length. The only exceptions are Public Service Announcements which should be not of more than 180 seconds of duration.
3. Films may be of any genre – documentary, fiction or non-fiction etc., however it must be based on environment and wildlife issues.
4. Entrant may submit more than one film in any category. Each film must be accompanied by a separate ENTRY FEE and ENTRY FORM.
5. Film(s), previously submitted to CMS VATAVARAN, or modified versions of previous entry will not be entertained.
6. CMS will not be responsible for any loss or damage to any films. All films and related materials may be insured by the entrant against any damage or loss which may occur during transit or in the course of the festival.
7. CMS reserves the right to shift a film to a more suitable category and the entrant will be duly informed about the change.
8. CMS reserves the right to exclude films which are not in conformity with aims of the Festival or produced in ways which does not respect living creatures, their behavior and habitats.
9. The screening committee of the Festival will decide the composition of the events, protocol and screening schedules of the Festival.
10. Exhibition copy formats submitted to the Festival will not be returned and will be a part of the CMS VATAVARAN archives. Please do not submit originals (original DVD, original tape, print photographs etc).
11. The trophies and the citations of international winners will be handed over to the filmmakers/designated representatives only. Request for the trophy and citation to be be shipped/ couriered to the filmmaker’s native country, will not be entertained.
12. Please preview your entries before shipping. Programs with time code or other defects may be disqualified. NO REFUNDS.
13. The decision of the Nomination Jury and the Award Jury shall be final and no correspondence will be entertained in this regard.
14. The Jury reserves the right to withhold an award in any category for which there is an insufficient number of qualifying submissions, or to create new awards for films deserving special recognition.
15. CMS has the right to change any information contained in this document (including festival dates, venues, events, awards and eligibility requirements) without further notice.
16. Please thoroughly review the CMS VATAVARAN- Rules and Regulations, Category Information and Entry Form included in this Performa.
17. Submission of entries implies full acceptance of the CMS VATAVARAN – Rules and Regulations, Guidelines and Terms of Entry.
18. All matters regarding the Festival will be decided by the Festival Directorate and its decision in these matters shall be final.
19. All matters not mentioned in these regulations will be decided by the Festival Directorate. The discretion to make an exception to any rules and regulations of the festival will rest with the Festival Directorate.
20. All disputes are subjected to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi only.
21. Copyright CMS. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction of this form, or any other CMS VATAVARAN material, in any manner is strictly prohibited.
JUDGING PROCESS
The Judging at CMS VATAVARAN is a three tier process. It consists of Peer Review, Nomination Jury and Award Jury. A panel of Nomination Jury reviews and decides on the CMS VATAVARAN Nominees. The Award Jury selects the award winners from amongst the Nominated films. The Jury looks for content, treatment, presentation, authenticity, accuracy, technical excellence, educational value and motivational elements. Both, the Nomination Jury and the Award Jury consists of a panel of experts and professionals from diverse backgrounds such as environmental wildlife, film production, academicians, media, Industry representatives, cinema and advertising world etc. of national and international repute.

Send the entry form with all enclosures to:
CMS VATAVARAN,
RESEARCH HOUSE, Saket Community Centre
New Delhi – 110 017, INDIA
P: 91-11-2686 4020, 2685 1660 F: 91-11-2696 8282

For submissions related enquiry, please contact:
Mr. Sabyesachi Bharti
M: +91 9818367459 / submission@cmsvatavaran.org
For all Festival related query and information please write to:
info@cmsvatavaran.org