All Living Things Environmental Film Festival will launch a 1.2 billion rupee ($126,000) initiative supported by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, one of India’s largest environmental film funds, to provide grants to three documentary projects.
Applications are being accepted until June 30th.
The fund, developed in partnership with documentary platforms Greenstories and DocedgeKolkata, is open to films that explore the relationships between human society, wildlife, ecosystems and climate across India and build on the theme of coexistence. In addition to funding, selected filmmakers will receive mentorship, storyline support, guidance on impact campaigns, and access to distribution channels through ALT EFF’s international network.
The second application round, led by DocedgeKolkata, will begin on November 1st and end on December 10th.
“For many years, my philanthropic work has supported organizations working towards human-wildlife coexistence, and we have learned that communities across India have long found ways to live in harmony with nature,” said Rohini Nilekani, Chair of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies. “In times of ecological crisis, we need stories that help people reconnect with the natural world and each other.”
The fund is specifically designed to bring to the surface projects from underrepresented regions, second-tier cities and communities that have historically not featured in mainstream environmental cinema. This applies to both development and production stage projects.
“India has some of the most urgent, layered and emotionally powerful environmental stories in the world, but filmmakers often lack the long-term support systems needed to bring these stories to life on a global level,” said Kunal Khanna, co-founder and festival director of ALT EFF. “Through the ALT EFF Environmental Film Fund, we want to create an ecosystem for climate storytelling in India.”
Selected films will also be supported by impact campaigns such as community screenings, educational support, collaboration with NGOs, and policy engagement. Now in its sixth year, ALT EFF has screened over 360 films from over 60 countries and attracted over 50,000 attendees across India and eight more countries.
