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
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.