The 12th edition of the CMS VATAVARAN International Film Festival and Forum on Environment and Wildlife is scheduled to commence on September 2nd, 2024, in New Delhi, India. This year's theme, "Wetlands for LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment)," aims to advocate for environmentally conscious lifestyles that support wetland conservation. The festival has received a total of 320 film entries, with 166 Indian and 154 International entries across 8 categories, accumulating to 115 hours, 45 minutes, and 55 seconds of viewing time.

The judging process includes Peer Review of 800+ entries, Nomination Jury selecting 320 films, and Award Jury choosing winners in 16 categories plus 1 Best of Festival (National & International).

The Nomination Jury process involves two phases: Phase I from April 29th to May 1st, 2024, and Phase II from May 6th to May 8th, 2024. The esteemed nomination juries will carefully evaluate each film, ensuring that only the most compelling and thought-provoking works are nominated to the Award Jury for selecting coveted CMS VATAVARAN Awards.

The categories for film selection include Best of the Festival Award, Amateur & Students Films, Climate Change: Adaptation & Mitigation, Corporate and CSR Film, Environment Conservation, Livelihoods & Sustainable Technologies, Short Film on Conservation, Water Conservation, and Wildlife Conservation.