Gangtok, September 15 (IPR): The three-day Green Film Festival and Forum on Environment and Wildlife commenced today at Sidkeong Tulku Conference Hall of Forest Secretariat in Deorali. The event is being organized by SECURE Himalaya Project of UNDP with the support of Forest and Environment Department, Government of Sikkim and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India and CMS Vatavaran.
The festival was inaugurated by Additional Chief Secretary-cum-PCCF, Forest Department, Shri M.L. Srivastava, in the presence of Conservator of Forest, (Wildlife)-cum-nodal officer (SECURE Himalaya Project), Shri Udai Gurung, Additional Director, Smt. Rajni Bhandari, Deputy Director, CMS Vatavaran, Shri Sabyesachi Bharti, FTII faculty member, Shri Ritesh Taksande, and UNDP representatives.
The programme was attended by participants including college students, professors and NGO members from Sikkim. Addressing the gathering, ACS-cum-PCCF, Shri Srivastava, stressed on the need for dynamic sensitisation on climate change and its effects with a major focus on the conservation of biodiversity. He added that it can be achieved by acknowledging a shift in habitual attitudes towards nature. Highlighting the role of mass media in spreading mass awareness on environmental issues, he stated that the Green Film workshop will offer a great platform for the participants to understand and enhance their environmental storytelling skills for wider outreach.
The inaugural session was also addressed by Conservator of Forest, Shri Udai Gurung, wherein he briefly spoke about the various components of the SECURE Himalaya Project and expressed hope that the workshop would be interactive and come to fruition while achieving the objective of spreading awareness on environmental issues. The first two days of the Green Film Festival and Forum will feature a Green MOJO Filmmaking workshop on environmental filmmaking, mobile journalism and post-production along with practical works and evaluation, which will be conducted by faculty member, SKIFT at FTII, Mojo Educator and Film & Photography Educator, Shri Ritesh Taksande.
The final day of the festival on 17th September will include a screening of around 11 national and international nominated and awarded as well as SECURE Himalaya films on environment and wildlife issues. The festival will conclude with a quiz competition followed by an award in the closing ceremony.
It may be mentioned here that the Green Film Festival and forum is part of the 9th CMS Vatavaran Travelling Film Festival and Forum being held in Uttarakhand, Ladakh, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh. The idea behind this festival and forum is to support this unique green movement for conservation through the medium of films, festivals and forums and engage with a cross-section of stakeholders including the Government of India, media, conservation organizations, experts, academics, corporations, youth and the general public.
