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See Change : All Living Things Environmental Film Festival to highlight environmental issues

While its easy to fall into nihilism about the environmental crisis, as corporations and governments bigger and more powerful than us go back and forth on environmental action, individuals and communities across the world are deciding that enough is enough and taking charge of their environment. It is this spirit of resilience that All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) is set to showcase with over 86 films from 39 countries to be screened across Indian cities, kicking off with a two-day event in Bengaluru. You wont find films that are the classic David Attenborough-style nature documentaries here. We are looking for new perspectives, hyperlocal voices, under-represented geographies, films that provide audiences with an insight into the scale and nuance of this globally unprecedented change in the environment, says the festivals founder Kunal Khanna, adding, When we watch these films, theres a sense of hope, direction, and inspiration to make change. This weekend, Bengalureans can see films being screened along with panel discussions and live performances, Beware of Plastic Asura: A Yakshagana performance being one. A major highlight will be a set of three Australian films on show through a collaboration with the Australian Consulate in Bengaluru. Khanna elaborates, One film, Ngarridurndeng Kured , is about the indigenous culture of Australia, the longest living culture in the world that has continued to live in the same traditional ways for over 30,000 years now and the implications of that in the modern world. Another, titled Future Council follows eight kids on a road trip across Europe to meet with powerful leaders and find solutions to our greatest ecological challenges. An interesting feature will be an immersive installation that allows visitors to experience the feeling of being in Australias forests. Indian films too, in languages from Kannada, Marwadi, and Bengali to Garo and Khasi, will be screened, many of which are India premieres. Other highlights include Mushroom Keepers , exploring the relationship indigenous people in Meghalaya share with the fungi and Miyazaki Spirit of Nature about Studio Ghibli filmmaker Hayao Miyazakis depiction of nature in his films. Miyazaki Spirit of Nature depicts Studio Ghibli filmmaker Hayao Miyazakis connection with nature This year, a new initiative seeks to make the films at ALT EFF more accessible with watch parties that anyone can sign up to host, as long as they have a space, an internet connection, and people to watch with. We wanted to further democratise the experience with watch parties anyone can become a host and use their own space to bring a community together and have informed climate conversations. There are eight bundles of films, all with around three hours of watch time to choose from, explains Khanna. On the last day of the festival, Dec 14, another ALT EFF event will allow a small group of Bengalureans to sign up for a trip to Channapatna hosted with Local Narratives, that adds a new layer of understanding to the concerns explored in the films, Khanna says, People will get to stay the night, watch films and engage in discussions (with artisans). Its a full immersion where people can experience the traditional way of making handicrafts and relate them back to the film. (The festival will take place at Bangalore International Centre on Dec 6 and 7, from 12pm onwards. For more information, visit alteff.in)