The Global Sustainability Film Awards (GSFA) this year will have six competitive categories and one nominated category to fete films both on their creativity as well as on the sustainability impact.
The Television for the Environment (tve) hosted the launch of the GSFA here on Monday evening.
The six competitive award categories for the tve GSFA 2023 are Transforming Society Short Film Award, Young Filmmaker Short Film Award, Greener Living Short Film Award, ESG in Business Short Film Award, Women/Girls In Sustainability: Global Perspectives Short Film Award and the Documentary Impact Film Award.
There is also the nominated category which is the Founder’s Award that is given to a feature film that best tackles sustainability issues in a new and innovative way on the big screen.
A UK-registered charity founded by the United Nations Environment Programme, WWF-UK, and Central Television (now part of ITV) in 1984, tve aims to use films and the power of storytelling to drive real world change to foster a more sustainable future.
The tve GSFA is now in its 12th year. Last year it had received more than 70 film submissions worldwide with a significant contribution from Indian filmmakers, further bolstering the global narrative of sustainability.
A diverse and eminent international jury panel drawn from the fields of sustainability and filmmaking would adjudicate on the entries to first come up with the shortlisted films for each category and then announce the winners.
Last evening's event was steered by tve president Surina Narula and its chairperson Mei Sim Lai.
The launch featured a keynote address by Lewis Pugh, the UN's first Patron of the Oceans.
In light of India's pressing environmental challenges, Narula said, "In India, we are at the intersection of tremendous growth and environmental urgency. Our vast population, rich biodiversity, and rapid industrialization make it critical that sustainability is more than a buzzword - it's a lifeline." The GSFA is a "beacon of hope, spotlighting stories that inspire us to make that crucial shift towards a sustainable future", Narula, a philanthropist who is behind, among other initiatives, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, said.
At the GSFA 2022, two Indian films were awarded. "Bad Blood" by VICE Media won the Greener Living short film award and a special tve Trustee Choice Award was given to "Water for Life" from Green Hub. The GSFA has a history of recognizing impactful cinema. "My Octopus Teacher", which was awarded by GSFA went on to win an Oscar.
Submissions are now open via the FilmFreeway portal.
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