Climate change and our lackadaisical attitude towards the welfare of the planet that sustains life as we know it, have brought the doomsday hour closer than ever. Sometimes the simplest things elude our complicated minds. As we strive for superior technology and innovations in a late capitalist era, with giant-scale industrialization, we are forgetting the very essence of our sustenance — Planet Earth. Billions of dollars are being spent to travel to Mars while we wilfully ignore the repercussions of the damages caused to the only planet that we know of, that sustains human life. While a schoolgoing teenager like Greta Thunberg understands the gravity of the situation we are in, multi-billionaires and CEOs of petroleum companies pay no heed to the crisis at hand.
What is the purpose of art on a dying planet? That is a question worth pondering as we face extinction in the not-so-distant future. ALT EFF, a homegrown organization, based out of Panchgani, Maharashtra, seeks to answer this question by curating films that raise awareness about the environment, climate change, and sustainability. They return this year in November with a hybrid festival, called All Living Things, with screenings in cities across India and an online edition that will available on a ‘pay-as-you-feel’ model. ALT EFF will have 55 films in the program, with 35 countries represented, and 33 exclusive India premieres.
The films that will be showcased include works by Indian filmmakers and eminent directors from all across the world. The films will explore themes of climate change, migration, and ethics. It will also delve into the importance of wildlife preservation, rewilding, animal rescue, and how wildlife and humans can co-exist in the urban ecosystem. The films will reflect on indigenous arts and communities and how large-scale industrialization has an adverse effect on them. The film festival will have a mixed bag of feature films, student films, documentaries, international short films, and animated films. This year's jury panel includes stalwarts of the film world, authors, and environmentalists such as Kiran Rao, Pradip Krishnen, Lindsay Crowder, Amit Masurkar, and Dr. Anish Andheria.
A founding member of ALT EFF,Neha Shrestha, when asked about festival, says "We wanted to ditch the daunting doomsday perception that people tend to have of environmental films and present a more lively hopeful outlook while highlighting issues, that is consumable and more palatable to a lay man. We designed ALT EFF to embody the same and enable these stories to be told, heard and understood, because they certainly deserve to."
Join this film festival in your respective cities or from the comfort of your homes from 17th to 27th November,2022.
To know more about ALT EFF and the festival, click here.
If you enjoyed reading this, we also suggest:
Attend A Kolkata Festival Aiming To Reinvigorate The City's Artistic Landscape
Kolkata, Visit An Art And Heritage Festival Celebrating The City's Rich Cultural Legacy
Head To The Hills Festival In Meghalaya To Experience Music And Culinary Delights