6th CMS VATAVARAN 2011

MILESTONES

  • The fourth CMS VATAVARAN Environment and Wildlife Travelling Film Festival and Environment Forum’s theme was Climate Change and Sustainable Technologies. Over 400 films were screened in 8 cities at multiple venues. Series of panel discussion on the theme “Confronting Climate Change: Towards Carbon Neutral Indian Citiesâ€?were organized across these cities.
  • The fifth CMS VATAVARAN Competitive Film Festival’s theme was Climate Change and Sustainable Technologies. The festival attracted 366 entries from 20 Indian states and 23 foreign countries. Twenty two programmes were organised including workshop on confronting climate change, international environmental journalists congress, seminar on eco-tourism and climate change primer for teachers.
  • The third Travelling Film Festival, 2008-2009, held in eight cities (with the highlight on climate change) screened 304 films over 24 days. Seminars, symposiums, technical workshops, painting competitions, exhibitions, games, talks and eco-trips were held. Six national and 51 state partners lent support and 80,000 participants attended.
  • Awards for technical excellence and the Young Environmental Journalist Award were initiated. Based on climate change, the festival drew 275 entries from 18 Indian states and 18 countries. Workshops, panel discussions, exhibitions, summits, and a seminar on the state of Indian rivers were also held. Noted filmmaker Shyam Benegal was the jury chairperson
  • The Travelling Festival went overseas to Abu Dhabi and Sao Paulo apart from touring Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kashmir, Kolkata, Pune, Ranchi and Sirmour.
  • The third CMS VATAVARAN Competitive Film Festival received 244 entries in various environment and wildlife categories. The festival theme was forest for life and 5,000 people attended. There were 134 new filmmakers and nine awards worth INR 10 lakhs. The Steering Committee was chaired by Dr. Karan Singh, eminent scholar and a member of parliament, and the final jury was headed by Shyam Benegal.
  • The first Travelling Festival of CMS VATAVARAN Film Festival went to Chennai, Coimbatore and Mumbai. People began recognising and supporting the CMS VATAVARAN environment awareness movement.
  • The second CMS VATAVARAN Competitive Film Festival became biennial, it saw 154 entries and a year round outreach programmes. CMS and UNEP instituted an award ‘Prithvi Ratnaâ€?for extraordinary contribution to wildlife filmmaking and natural history. The festival celebrated water for life theme
  • India’s one and only environment and wildlife Film Festival â€?CMS VATAVARAN - began its maiden run. It served a dual purpose â€?one, generating awareness on environmental issues, and, two, lending recognition to the endeavours of environment and wildlife filmmakers. The initiative was supported by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India

A few words about us

CMS VATAVARAN is India’s homegrown international Competitive and Travelling Festival of Environment and Wildlife Films.

Background
The path breaking reforms introduced in India in the aftermath of 1991 economic crisis led to the beginning of the era of liberalization, privatization and globalization. During the succeeding decade India underwent a major economic transformation marked by increased FDI resulting in high economic growth. However uncontrolled and unsustainable growth, industrialisation and urbanisation resulted in acute environmental fall-outs, affecting millions of people in different parts of the country, particularly in tribal and rural areas. It was in this background that the idea of CMS VATAVARAN, India’s only environment and wildlife film festival and forum took wings.

Initiated in the year 2002 by CMS(www.cmsindia.org), the festival and forum is aimed towards enhancing understanding, appreciation and shift in attitudes towards the natural world and to increase space for environmental issues in mass media and evolve a nationwide environment outreach framework.

Competitive and Traveling Festivals
CMS VATAVARAN has become one of the most prestigious film festival across the globe and has successfully positioned India as a fast emerging destination for environment and wildlife filmmaking. The festival works on a unique format of organising an international competitive film festival in New Delhi followed by a traveling film festival in different states of India in the subsequent year. Till 2010 five competitive film festivals and four traveling film festivals have been organised. The sixth competitive edition of the festival will be organised from December 6-10, 2011 at New Delhi.

CMS Environment Forum
Half the duration of the Film Festival is devoted to the activities of the Environment Forum. Held alongside, the effort is to host an array of environmental seminars, symposiums, workshops, exhibitions, games, interactive talks by experts, open forums, discussions, eco trips and competitions. The Environment Forum has successfully created a strong pan-India network of environment groups, schools, colleges, eco-clubs and NGOs in the country.

The Green Beacon
In its decade long journey (2002-2011) CMS VATAVARAN has acquired the form of a green movement in the country and has ushered in a fresh green global consciousness on an extraordinary scale using environment forums and films.