Since the dawn of time, storytelling in community has shaped our mindset, our outlook and ultimately, our behavior. With record heat, oscillating droughts & floods, fires, melting glaciers (and ... you know the rest) our current narrative needs some course correcting.

All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) is back for a 5th edition, pan-India cultural event. Join us at Whistling Woods International for a unique evening of cinema, art & community. Watch award-winning global films on regeneration, activism, resilience and hope and engage in conversations with India’s most inspiring change-makers. Let’s restore the narrative of stewardship, together. All are welcome!

PROGRAM:

30th November, Saturday

11:00 - 11:15 AM : Some Thoughts on the Common Toad (G. Anthony Svatek | USA | 10 mins 37 secs | English | 2023) INDIA PREMIERE

11:15 - 11:45 AM : Moon Without a House (Atanur Nabiyeva | Azerbaijan | 22 mins 03 secs | Azerbaijani | 2023)

11:45 - 1:00 PM : Esther & the Law (Tatiana Scheltema | Netherlands | 1 hr 12 mins | English, Dutch, Yoruba | 2023) INDIA PREMIERE

1:00 - 1:30 PM : Discussion/Sharing circle

1:30 - 2:00 PM : Break

2:00 - 2:15 PM : Last Days of Summer (Stenzin Tankong | India, France | 14 mins 57 secs | Boti (Ladakhi) | 2023)

2:15 - 3:10 PM : New Boats (Lansana Mansaray a.k.a Barmmy Boy | Sierra Leone, South Africa | 49 mins | English, Krio, Temne | 2022) INDIA PREMIERE

3:10 - 4:10 PM : A warning and a catalogue: The Great Nicobar Betrayal, with Prof. Pankaj Sekhsaria (IIT-B)

4:10 - 5:40 PM : Demon Mineral (Hadley Austin | USA | 1 hr 29 mins | Diné, English | 2023) INDIA PREMIERE

5:40 - 6:00 PM : Discussion/Sharing circle

1st December, Sunday

11:00 - 11:15 AM : Ullarivu (The Awakening) (Sumi Mathai | India | 14 mins 10 secs | Malayalam | 2023)

11:15 - 11:40 AM : Batsies (Liz Unger | USA | 15 mins 22 secs | English | 2023) INDIA PREMIERE

11:40 - 1:00 PM : No Winter Holidays (Rajan Kathet, Sunir Pandey | Nepal, South Korea, Romania | 1 hr 19 mins | Nepali | 2023)

1:00 - 1:30 PM : Discussion/Sharing circle

1:30 - 2:00 PM : Break

2:00 - 2:20 PM : Lunatic (Robin Noorda | Netherlands | 16 mins | English | 2024)

2:20 - 2:40 PM : Crying Glacier (Lutz Stautner, Philipp Becker | Germany, Switzerland | 14 mins 13 secs | English | 2023) INDIA PREMIERE

2:40 - 3:40 PM : Podcasting and BioAcoustics: Where Journalists and Storytellers Meet (Mongabay)

3:40 - 4:00 PM : A Body Called Life (Spencer MacDonald | USA, Switzerland, Poland | 14 mins 51 secs | English | 2024) INDIA PREMIERE

4:00 - 5:15 PM : The Night Visitors (Michael Gitlin | USA | 1 hr 12 mins | English | 2023) INDIA PREMIERE

5:15 - 6:00 PM : Q&A with filmmaker of Night Visitors (online)

7th December, Saturday

11:00 - 11:30 AM : Submerged (Iqbal Hussain | India | 24 mins 27 secs | Nimadi, Hindi | 2023)

11:30 - 11:45 AM : The Legend of Goldhorn (Lea Vucko | Slovenia | 13 mins 35 secs | No Dialogue | 2022)

11:45 - 12:10 PM : Saving The Bone-Swallower (Mayuresh Hendre | India | 16 mins 29 secs | English, Assamese | 2023)

12:10 - 12:45 PM : Q&A with Saving The Bone-swallower

12:45 - 1:35 PM : A Flaming Forest (Salman Javeed, Satya Ambasta, Vivek Sangwan | India | 48 mins 27 secs | Kannada, English | 2024) INDIA PREMIERE

1:35 - 2:00 PM : Break

2:00 - 4:00 PM : Climate Storytelling workshop by PARI

4:00 - 4:15 PM : Quick Break

4:15 - 5:40 PM : Plastic People (Ben Addelman, Ziya Tong | Canada | 1 hr 21 mins | English | 2024) INDIA PREMIERE

5:40 - 6:00 PM : Discussion/Sharing circle

8th December, Sunday

11:00 - 11:20 AM : ABBA (Fabiana Lupo | Italy | 14 mins 29 secs | Italian | 2023) INDIA PREMIERE

11:20 - 11:35 AM : Wild Summon (Karni and Saul | UK | 14 mins 39 secs | English | 2023) INDIA PREMIERE

11:35 - 12:00 PM : Further and Further Away (Polen LY| Cambodia | 23 mins 39 secs | Bunong, Khmer | 2022)

12:00 - 12:30 PM : Discussion/Sharing circle

12:30 - 1:00 PM : Break

1:00 - 1:20 PM : Lullaby of waves (Ayon Pratim Saikia | India | 15 mins 20 secs | Assamese | 2023)

1:20 - 1:45 PM : Tomorrow, the Burning Heavens (Max Bloching | Germany | 22 mins 06 secs | German | 2024) INDIA PREMIERE

1:45 - 3:00 PM : Nenets vs Gas (Sergio Ghizzardi | France, Belgium, Norway, Finland | 1 hr 14 mins | English, Russian, Nenets | 2023) INDIA PREMIERE

3:00 - 3:45 PM : Climate Solutions, Greenwashing and Renewable Energy: a talk by Land Conflict Watch

3:45 - 5:30 PM : My Mercury (Joëlle Chesselet, Pippa Erhlich | UK, USA | 1 hr 37 mins | English | 2023)

5:30 - 6:00 PM : ALT EFF Voices: With prompts and/or select curation provided by us, this is an open-mic for audiences to express themselves

NON-FILM PROGRAM DETAILS :

ALT EFF Voices:

ALT EFF Voices is a dynamic spoken-word platform that will be a key feature of our annual festival, providing a space for individuals to share their personal stories, thoughts, and observations on the pressing environmental challenges we face today. With ALT EFF Voices' inaugural edition during ALT EFF 2024, we hope people of all ages and backgrounds will feel free to channel their grief, anger, hope, and passion into powerful yet creative messages about our environment.

A warning and a catalogue: The Great Nicobar Betrayal, with Prof. Pankaj Sekhsaria (IIT-B)

About: In The Great Nicobar Betrayal, Pankaj Sekhsaria, one of the best known

chroniclers of contemporary issues in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has compiled abset of articles written by various experts that examine the proposed mega Great Nicobar infrastructure and tourism project from every angle—environmental, geological, impact on local communities, law, due process, and ecology. These pieces together shed light on the magnitude of the disaster that will be unleashed on this pristine island if the project comes through. The book is both a warning and a catalogue of the man made catastrophe that lurks on the horizon, one that will destroy more than the tsunami of December 2004 ever did.

Bio: Pankaj Sekhsaria, an Associate Professor at IIT Bombay's CTARA, is a long-time Kalpavriksh member with expertise in science, environment, and technology. Known for his extensive work on environmental issues, he has authored books on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including Islands in Flux and Waiting for Turtles.

(Kardi Tales 2021) – an illustrated story book and his first for children on turtle nesting in the Andamans. (also published in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, The Last Wave (Harper Collins 2014), his debut novel (also in Kannada and Tamil) and most recently The Great Nicobar Betrayal (Frontline 2024)

Mongabay Discussion moderated by ALT EFF rep Wild Frequencies at ALT EFF

Science, Sound, and Story Walk into a Podcast

Kartik Chandramouli will delve into the world of animal sounds and what they reveal about India’s diverse habitats. Wild Frequencies, a first-of-its-kind initiative by Mongabay India, explores the science of bioacoustics to uncover the mysteries of wildlife communication. Kartik will share behind-the-scenes stories on curating sound-based narratives, field experiences with bioacoustics experts, and insights into recording, sourcing, and designing sounds to create engaging audio stories. 

Speaker’s Bio : Kartik Chandramouli is a multimedia editor and journalist based in Mumbai, India. He specialises in crafting creative and evidence-based multimedia narratives across digital platforms. Currently working as a Senior Digital Editor at Mongabay India, he leads multimedia initiatives and collaborates with a network of freelance journalists and audio/visual storytellers.