Fourth edition of India's green Oscars in Delhi from Sep 12

New Delhi, Aug 9 (UNI) The fourth edition of the CMS Vatavaran Environment and Wildlife Film Festival, known as India's Green Oscar, will be held in the Capital from September 12.

Showcased at the five-day film festival, organised by the Centre for Media Studies with support from the Union Environment and Forests Ministry, will be 48 films focussing on a wide range of environmental issues like decimation of Tiger reserves like Sariska, Puna and Buxa, illegal trade of freshwater turtles, melting glaciers in Ladakh, Mumbai mega floods, pesticides in bottled waters, underground fires and destruction of coastal life.

Addressing a press conference to announce the festival here last evening, which seeks to award the best and brightest in the field of environment and wildlife documentary filmmaking, chairman of the festival jury and renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal said that over the years, the festival had witnessed tremendous growth.

''Starting from just 50 entries when the festival started four years ago, the 'Vatavaran' has attracted 280 film entries this year,''CMS chairperson N Bhaskar Rao said, adding that of the 280 films recieved, 48 had been chosen for screening at the festival, which will have 'climate change' as its theme this year, by a jury comprising of eminent personalities from various walks of life like Shyam Benegal, professor of the endangered species management department of the wildlife institute of India B C Choudhry, cinematographer Alphanso Roy, South Indian filmmaker Revathy Menon and emeritus scientist C R Babu.

''Vatavaran is a wonderful initiative of CMS towards sensitising Indian public at large about environmental issues and highlighting complexities of conservation through the use of medium of cinema,''Mr Benegal said.

''Watching a final selection made me suddenly aware of the fundamental role that environment plays in our lives and the centrality it occupies in lives of all living species,''he added.

Benegal said he was happily surprised to see the high quality of films entered in the competition. In this context, he said he was happy to associate himself with the festival.

The entries to the festival involve a two tier process wherein the films first went through an initial screening by the jury which selected 48 out of 280 entries for screening at the Festival.

These 48 films will be then viewed by the jury which will then select 25 films for awards in various categories.

This year, the festival has introduced five new categories.

Further, Vatavaran this year will also recognise acheievements in technical excellence besides honouring dedicated environmental journalists through the FEJI young environmental journalist print and broadcast award.

The awards will be announced on September 16, on the concluding day of the festival.

After the festival, the nominated ansd award winning films will tour different parts of India as part of CMS Vatavaran's travelling film festival.

UNI