Ritanjali Hastir, Associate Editor, 9th July, 2016, Shimla
The three days long Woodpecker Environment and Wildlife Film Festival finally concluded with screening of nearly 45 national award winning films and five films from Himachal Pradesh at Gaiety Theater, Shimla. The festival was organized with the aim to highlight the environmental concerns based on the theme critical environment and wildlife conservation issues like climate change, forest conservation, biodiversity and man-animal conflict.
The festival was organized by WWF India in collaboration with CMSR foundation, Delhi with the support of the Himachal Pradesh Department of Language, Art and Culture Department of Forest. “Our mission is to stop degradation of planets natural environment and build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature and the film festival is an important and impactful way of communicating to the masses,” WWF-India, Project Director (Shimla) and State Coordinator, WWF-India, Aarti Gupta said.
Day One of the festival opened with films screenings for children as Arti said, “The festival targeted students and youth as the major audience of the festival. Lighting the lamp by student is a symbolic gesture to ensure that they carry the light of conservation and environmental protection for the years to come”.
“The idea is to showcase films that promote discussions, expand expectations, challenge attitude and change life and we are continuously experimenting to promote issue based cinema,” Festival Director, Narender Yadav said.
More than 175 students from various schools including GGSS Portmore, GHS Tuti Kandi, Govt. Sr. Sec School Rajhana and GHS Khalini participated in the morning segment of the festival.
A painting competition was also organized during the event where students gave voice to environmental and wildlife problems.
Prominent movies that were screened in the festival were National Award Winning Films on man-animal conflict – God on the Edge, India’s Wandering Lions, The Forgotten Tigers, Kutch- Fragile Frontier, Changing Climate, Moving People, Baranaja: Twelve Seeds of Sustainability, Shrinking Shores and The Ritual.
