A scene from ‘The Feast’ by Rishi Chandra Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The All Living Things Environmental Film Festival will host more than 700 screenings in 20 states and 110 schools, along with international events.

The All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) has come a long way since it launched as a digital-only event five years ago. This year’s edition is not only bringing climate-forward stories to the fore, it also has a number of firsts as part of its programme.

ALT EFF 2024 will host over 110 screenings across 20 states between November 22 and December 8 and over 700 screenings will be conducted in schools across India. “We are launching ALT EFF Voices, a new spoken word platform dedicated to the environment, and selected speakers will be speaking at film screenings as well as during the festival,” says festival director Kunal Khanna.

A scene from a German short film crying glacier By Lutz Stautner | Photo Credit: Philip Baker

The festival – which has been in the works for the past seven months – will also go international this year with plans for screenings in Costa Rica, Nepal, Chile, the US, Ireland and Australia. Closer to home, the films were released in Andaman (in partnership with South Foundation), Srinagar (in partnership with Wildlife Conservation Fund), rural Odisha (in partnership with Gram Vikas) and Tilonia and Singla (in partnership with Barefoot Colleges in Rajasthan). Will reach. Northeast, among others.

A photo of Ishani K Dutta Jamna – The River Story
Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Kunal explains how the 72-film program at ALT EFF 2024 highlights “the rapidly changing world we live in and our impact on it”. Broadly, the films are based on our fellow earthlings, reflections on the changing world, women-led narratives, Forced to Adapt, etc. Kunal says, “As we continue to experience the consequences of climate collapse, biodiversity loss and the breakdown of planetary systems, filmmakers and storytellers are increasingly making these themes part of the stories they set out to tell.” Chosen for.” This means increasingly sophisticated films are coming to us, making the final cut more challenging, which is a good challenge.

Stubble – a curse for the farmer Shaz Syed explores the serious air pollution crisis in northern India. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Indian line-up, documentaries include Ishani K Dutta Jamna – The River StoryA 38-minute film, narrated by a local boatman, that takes an in-depth look at how historical neglect and current mismanagement have contributed to the decline of the Yamuna River; Stubble – a curse for the farmer by Shaz Syed, which explores the severe air pollution crisis in northern India, particularly Punjab, caused by stubble burning, among other things. Short films included festival/virundhu by Rishi Chandra about a fisherman who hosts a lavish meal for a powerful local politician and serves an extraordinary secret dish with the ability to rejuvenate a dying lake; animated gutter fish Written by Natasha Sharma, which highlights the climate change struggles of residents in Govandi, a marginal resettlement colony in Mumbai.

A scene from a Palestinian film pasture By Jumana Manna Photo Credit: Alima De Graaf

Another new category introduced this year is environmental journalism. Kunal says it was introduced to “highlight, encourage and recognize the high potential of environmental journalism films”. He says that these films have an arc that is investigative, and present the facts from all perspectives so that the audience can get a complete understanding of the issue. The team received 31 submissions in this category and the final program included eight films. sea ​​camels, looking for grassfrom India among others.

A scene from Chitrangada Chaudhary’s film, seed stories
Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

International features include Palestinian film pasture by Jumana Manna which depicts the drama surrounding the practice of foraging for wild edible plants in the area; German short film by Lutz Stautner crying glacier Where sound artist Ludwig Berger sets out on a journey to the Morteratsch Glacier in the Swiss Alps, and captures the deep sound of a glacier in distress; french animated short honey bee forest by Erwan Le Gall which tells the story of a beekeeper living on the picturesque island of Ouessant in Brittany, France; among many others.

ALTEFF 2024 will be held from November 22 to December 8. For details, visit alteff.in/.