At a UK gala, Indian movies take home the Global Sustainability Awards.
The winners of the biennial TVe Global Sustainability Film Awards include a documentary film about water conservation in Cherrapunji and one that tells the inspirational tale of an Assamese poacher’s redemption (GSFA).
Award-winning documentary director Naman Govil’s film Bad Blood took home the Greener Living Award at an event on Tuesday in London. A former rhinoceros poacher who has devoted his life to animal protection is the subject of the film.
The Trustee Choice Award went to the second Indian winner, Water for Life by Green Hub, for its compelling message of water conservation.
This year, we received more than 70 videos from 20 different nations. According to Surina Narula, the Indian-origin philanthropist and founder of the awards, “the calibre of the films competing in these awards is a matter of great satisfaction as this indicates the success we have had in bringing more organisations and individuals to actively engage in the conversation on global sustainability over the last 11 years.”
In support of the Iranian women who are demonstrating for their rights and independence, Narula donned a T-shirt with the revolutionary phrase “Woman-Life-Freedom” to the awards ceremony.
The Founder’s Award was given this year to two films that portray the struggle for rights in keeping with the theme of freedom: the feature film Call Jane, which is about abortion rights in the US, and the documentary The Territory, directed by Alex Pritz, which is set in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.
Freedom is one of the principles that I hold most dear as the creator of these awards, said Narula.
The TVe GSFA, now in its eleventh year, is regarded as one of the most important international film awards that honours works that have an impact on sustainability while also being creative.
An international jury group made up of experts in sustainability and cinema from around the world chose the winners.
Nick Nuttal, chair of the TVe GSFA 2022 jury, said, “The films we judged and awarded were undoubtedly inspirational but also told fascinating stories that reflect both the threats, and importantly the solutions, to climate change and the loss of animal and plant life up to how to build sustainable livelihoods.”
Other honorees this year included Henry Smith’s Changing Paradigms (Young Filmmaker Award), Eating Our Way to Extinction (Documentary Impact Award), Road to Fulfillment (Transforming Society Award), and Age of Change: Circulor (Digital Technology and AI for Sustainable Living Award).
In 1984, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), WWF-UK, and Central Television, now a part of ITV, created TVe, a charity that is registered in the UK.
