Dear Filmmakers,
On behalf of the CMS VATAVARAN team, I am glad to personally welcome you to the 12th edition of CMS VATAVARAN – International Environment and Wildlife Film Festival, scheduled for February 2024 in India.
CMS VATAVARAN is a pioneering international festival of films on the 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.
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 not only to showcase these films among film lovers, critics, buyers, and broadcasters, but also to policymakers, 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 acknowledgement of your creativity and ingenuity, in addition to opening doors to new learning and opportunities.
We look forward to receiving your film at this acclaimed film festival and hope your film is nominated and also wins the prestigious CMS VATAVARAN Awards.
Do join us for an exciting, vibrant and fruitful festival in February 2024. 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!
P N Vasanti, PhD
Director General, CMS
www.cmsindia.org
Awards & Prizes
There are 16 awards in 8 Indian and International categories. Indian awards carry a citation trophy and money ranging from INR 25,000 to 1,00,000. International awards carry a citation and a trophy.
Thematic Award Categories
There will be one award in each (National & International) of the thematic categories:
1. Water Conservation
Awarded to productions that provide insights into the linkages between climate change and water issues, and the need for sustainable conservation practices for addressing water equity. Films may showcase water struggles in a world dealing with global warming, climate variability, food and health insecurity, desertification, biodiversity loss, and environmental damage. On these themes, the film can also highlight compelling stories on technology use, sustainable lifestyles, indigenous practices, or policy interventions.
2. Environment Conservation
Awarded to the production of 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.
3. Wildlife Conservation
Awarded to a production that most effectively sensitizes the audience about faunal diversity, animal behaviour and social, environmental, and economic aspects of man and wildlife relationship. The films can depict successes, conflicts, trade, crime, wildlife governance, legislations, and court interventions, or profile the great defenders of wildlife in the country.
4. 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, health, and 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.
5. 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
6. Corporate and CSR films
Awarded to the Film most effectively depicting one or more aspects of recent environmental corporate citizenship initiatives. All companies are eligible to participate regardless of size or location.
7. Amateur & Student 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 or even school students
8. Short Films on Conservation
Awarded to the films that educate or inform the public about the different aspects of all the Thematic Award Categories at large. Duration, not more than 5 minutes. The film must highlight the issue or convey a conservation message.
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February 2022
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Marcos Altuve
January 2022 -
November 2021
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November 2021
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Anuj Singh
November 2021
