Venue: Convention Centre, Opp Jantar Mantar, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi.
Theme: Biodiversity Conservation.
Schedule: 6-10 December
Website: http://cmsvatavaran.org
Norway committed partner
Norway has supported the festival for five years. Norway is commited to strengthen, intensify and further develop a mutually beneficial cooperation with India through strategic use of its resources and expertise. While strengthening the ties between India and Norway, the two countries are dedicated to promote the environmental agenda and working for a sustainable development.
The festival features two important and fascinating films from two of Norway’s eminent film-makers in a special section Panorama of Norwegian Green Films. Both the films present diverse and topical perspectives on environment and ecological concerns. While Otterstad’s thought-provoking Cultural Landscape chronicles the eroding ties between man and nature owing to industrialization of farming, Mellegaard’s film “Greaseball Challenge” is an innovative eco-challenge, where the durability of used edible oil is tested as it powers two vintage Mercedes, across 8000 kilometres from Washington DC to Costa Rica.
New Asian Filmmakers Summit
Among the new initiatives in 2011 is the Asian Filmmakers Summit, a unique B2B platform for commissioners, production houses, broadcasters/channels, financial institutions and filmmakers. Important for international production assignments and market for films and creative skills and to interact with a select group of highly accomplished filmmakers from different countries.
Green movement
In its decade long journey, CMS VATAVARAN has acquired the form of a green movement in the country and has ushered in a fresh green global consciousness on an extraordinary scale using environment forums and films. To mark the occasion, CMS VATAVARAN Festival 2011 has introduced a plethora of new programmes and events. Through the eclectic mix of films and forum activities, CMS VATAVARAN will carry forward the initiatives taken during 2010 International Year of Biodiversity, even as it builds momentum towards CoP11 to be held in India in October 2012.
The festival has more than 15,000 registered delegates, and total prize money INR 15,00,00. CMS VATAVARAN 2011 will recognize films in all genres that inform, educate and foster knowledge, understanding and action on environment, wildlife issues and other socially relevant themes. The nominated films will be screened and promoted at the festival and during the CMS VATAVARAN travelling film festival, touring India for many months in 2012.
The children section of CMS VATAVARAN, being organized concurrently at the prestigious National Science Centre, New Delhi, is set to be a huge creative extravaganza for the young ones in the country, packed with information and entertainment.
Best of Natural History and Conservation Cinema
This special segment will take the audience on an eventful journey in to the diverse geographical realms of our planet, through the lens of some of the finest natural history and conservation filmmakers of our time. There will be screening of award-winning films from prominent international environment and wild-life film festivals from across the world. The presence of international filmmakers and festival directors in the interactions and discussions will further add to the fun of watching best of green films from different parts of the world.
Films would be there from the following festivals:
• Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival: USA
• Ya'an Panda International Animal & Nature Film Festival: China
• Wildlife Vaasa Festival: Finland
• CinemAmbiente – Environmental Film Festival: Italy
• Inkafest Mountain and Environment Film Festival: Peru
• Earth Vision: Japan
View film festival poster
Initiated in the year 2002 by CMS (www.cmsindia.org), the festival and forum is aimed towards enhancing understanding, appreciation and shift in attitudes towards the natural world and to increase space for environmental issues in mass media and evolve a nationwide environment outreach framework. The Centre for Media Studies (CMS) is an independent professional forum engaged in research, policy advocacy, advisory services and programme evaluation.