Film fest on environment, wildlife to start Jan 30

The seventh edition of CMS VATAVARAN - International Environment and Wildlife Film Festival and Forum, will be held here starting Jan 30. The theme this year is mainstreaming biodiversity conservation at different levels to promote living in harmony with nature.

The five-day biodiversity gala will showcase 150 films along with over 70 eminent speakers in 48 thematic sessions and expert talks.

To be held at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, CMS VATAVARAN is an outcome of not-for-profit organisation Centre for Media Studies' core commitment to go "beyond research".

The inaugural ceremony is expected to be high profile, and the event is likely to be packed with a music festival, organic food, green haat, and an open stage festival, apart from the film screenings and forums, said a statement.

The festival and forum are designed around four sub-themes of the festival: Blue Agenda, Forest Biodiversity, Mountain Biodiversity and Inland Waters and Wetlands Biodiversity.

Around 1,00,000 participants consisting of policy makers at central and state level, businesses, communities, civil societies, research think tanks - researchers, research institutions, scientists, environmentalists, filmmakers and more.

Some of the popular speakers and participants include actor-filmmaker Amol Palekar, filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan and conservation biologist Raghuwat Chundawat.

There will also be a dedicated section for children and youngsters. They can indulge in activities like film screenings for children, interactive sessions with filmmakers, workshop on filmmaking and editing. An awards night will be held Feb 2.