Wetlands for LiFE Film Festival & Forum
The "Wetlands for LiFE Film Festival & Forum" convened diverse stakeholders to highlight the importance of wetlands. Through impactful film screenings, interactive workshops, and discussions, the festival inspired youth and communities to advocate for wetland conservation and climate resilience. Serving as a platform to celebrate wetland conservation through visual storytelling, the festival showcased over 160 films, totalling 1,756 minutes of compelling content, including notable works like ‘Renuka Lake: Nature's Mythical Treasure’ and ‘Heroes of the Wild Frontiers’.
The festival format combined screenings with interactive sessions, panel discussions, and social impact filmmaking workshops, engaging over 4,500 youth, filmmakers, environmentalists, and government stakeholders in meaningful dialogue about wetland preservation. It also offered hands-on training in mobile storytelling techniques, with 168 emerging filmmakers trained to create conservation narratives using mobile technology, fostering creativity, advocacy, and a deeper understanding of wetland ecosystems among participants.
The Wetlands for LiFE Film Festival & Forum 2024, held in Indore from February 3-5, brought together global environmental leaders, including Her Excellency Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary-General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, to celebrate and promote wetland conservation. This ground-breaking three-day event featured 30 award-winning environmental films, engaging panel discussions, and a transformative Social Impact Filmmaking workshop that produced 11 original conservation films. The festival's highlight was the formation of a dedicated network of 59 Wetland Mitras who pledged to protect Indore's wetlands. Through creative competitions, photo exhibitions, and expert-led discussions, the festival successfully united diverse stakeholders in the mission to preserve these vital ecosystems for future generations.
The Wetlands for LiFE Film Festival & Forum in Lucknow was held from August 1-3, 2024, at the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University. This open to all three-day festival featured film screenings, painting and quiz competitions, panel discussions, social impact filmmaking workshops, and on-spot Wetland Mitra enrollment, combining art, education, and community involvement to highlight the critical role of wetlands in our environment and encourage active participation in their preservation.
The Wetlands for LiFE Film Festival & Forum in Shimla was held from August 30-31, 2024, at the Hotel Peterhoff. The Shimla edition was in partnership with the Himachal Pradesh State Wetlands Authority (HPSWA) and the Himachal Pradesh Council for Science, Technology & Environment (HIMCOSTE).
The festival was inaugurated by Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Honourable Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. This open to all three-day festival featured film screenings, painting competitions, engaging panel discussions, social impact filmmaking workshop, and on-the-spot Wetland Mitra enrolment. This festival combined art, education, and community involvement to underscore the critical role of wetlands.
Following successful regional festivals in Indore, Lucknow and Shimla, the festival culminated with the national film festival in New Delhi. The "Wetlands for LiFE” national festival took place from October 3-5, 2024, at the Ganga Auditorium, Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, in Jor Bagh, New Delhi. This three-day national festival featured film screenings, engaging seminars, thought-provoking discussions and an exhibition of top artworks. Admission was by invitation only.
This national festival had an exciting element, the "Green Film Fete", which occurred from September 10-20, 2024, across eight schools and universities in New Delhi, aimed at inspiring youth through wetland conservation-focused discussions. The fete included award-winning films, painting competitions, and debates on pressing environmental issues. The festival highlighted the urgency of global ecological challenges while promoting sustainable practices for biodiversity and wetland conservation.
The theme, "Wetlands for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)," encouraged individuals, communities, and organizations to adopt eco-conscious lifestyles that contribute to wetland conservation. As part of the Indo-German Technical Cooperation project, "Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection," initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India, and GIZ, the "Wetlands for LiFE" project played a central role in this edition of CMS VATAVARAN.
