1. Introduction
The collaboration between All Living Things – Environmental Film Festival (ALT-EFF) and Gram Vikas is based on a shared commitment to environmental awareness, climate action, and empowering communities. The mission of ALT-EFF is to increase climate awareness at scale through the emotive power of cinema by curating impactful storytelling and experiential learning which closely aligns with Gram Vikas’s goals of raising environmental and climate awareness among communities, promoting biodiversity conservation, and encouraging sustainable practices. By using films as effective tools for learning and discussion, the partnership enables critical thinking on climate change and sustainability while making complex environmental issues accessible and relatable. This collaboration also inspires responsible environmental behaviour and local action, especially among young people and community stakeholders, strengthening collective efforts toward building environmentally conscious and resilient communities.
The All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT‑EFF) 2025 was organised across multiple locations in Odisha with the objective of creating mass awareness on climate change, environmental protection, and the interdependence between humans, nature, and all living beings. Through carefully curated films, interactive discussions, and participatory learning activities, the festival reached students, community members, local leaders, and institutions. Across Baliguda, Rourkela, and Rudhapadar, ALT‑EFF created inclusive learning spaces where cinema became a medium to spark dialogue on climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and social justice.
Objectives of the Festival
To raise environmental and climate change awareness among students and community members
To promote understanding of biodiversity and the protection of all living beings
To use films as an effective educational and sensitisation tool
To encourage critical thinking on sustainability, ecological balance, and climate justice
To inspire responsible environmental behaviour and community‑level action
3. Locations and Participation Overview
Locations Covered: Baliguda (Kandhamal), Rourkela (Dumerjor GP), Rudhapadar
Period: 7th, 10th and 14 December 2025
Baliguda, Kandhamal (14 December 2025)
Venue: Town Hall, Baliguda
Participants: 210 students, community members and CSO representatives
Audience Profile: Students from Patakhanda High School, Banabasi Seva Samiti (BSS), Adivasi College, VDC members, community stakeholders, and Gram Vikas staff
Rourkela – Dumerjor Gram Panchayat (10 December 2025)
Participants: 200+ participants
Audience Profile: GPCC members, SHG members, villagers, youth, elders, and Gram Vikas team
Rudhapadar (School‑based Screening)
Participants: 200 School students
Audience Profile: Children and adolescents engaged through interactive facilitation and guided discussions
4. Learning Approach and Engagement Methods
The festival adopted a blended learning approach combining:
Environmental film screenings
Facilitated discussions and reflection sessions
Visual learning through banners, posters, and themed decorations
Interactive activities such as games, question‑answer sessions, and group sharing
Thematic Focus
Climate change and rising temperatures
Solid waste management and waste segregation
Human–wildlife coexistence
Impact of mining and industrialisation on communities
Indigenous knowledge, culture, and building resilience communities
Climate justice and vulnerability of marginalised groups
5. Venue Decoration Themes and Interactive Learning:
Solid Waste Management (Baliguda)
A key attraction was the Recycling Station Game, where students practised segregating wet, dry, and hazardous waste. This hands-on activity helped participants clearly understand waste management and its link to climate change and environmental health.
The decoration theme of the film festival was “Solid Waste Management”, focusing on the importance of responsible waste handling, segregation, reduction, and its impact on the environment and climate change. To make the learning simple and interesting, students were engaged not only through screenings but also with banners, posters, and interactive games. Recycling Station game, where students were shown different waste items and asked to put them into the correct bins. Through this hands-on activity, they learned in an easy and practical way how to separate wet, dry, and hazardous waste, and why waste segregation is important in everyday life.
Biodiversity and Living Beings (Rudhapadar)
School spaces were decorated with animal and nature themes, like turtles and elephants, to represent biodiversity and ecosystem balance. This helped kids connect emotionally with the festival’s message. The program continued with a discussion on why the school was decorated, and the kids asked about the turtle and elephant themes. The team explained that olive ridley turtles are important for marine ecosystems and elephants symbolize the link between culture and nature, making the environmental message more relatable.
6. Films Screened (Across Locations):
In December 2025, ALT-EFF screening was organised at three locations in Odisha - Baliguda (Kandhamal), Rourkela (Sundargarh), and Rudhapadar (Ganjam).
Across these locations, the festival engaged over 610 participants, including students, community members, SHGs, Gram Panchayat representatives, teachers, local leaders and NGO representatives. Film screenings were followed by interactive discussions and reflections, enabling participants to relate environmental issues to their own lived experiences.
| ● | Desi Oon – Traditional livelihoods, pastoral culture, and sustainable practices. Desi Oon is a short Indian stop-motion animated film directed by Suresh Eriyat. The film tells the story of India’s native deccani sheep and the traditional wool connected to pastoral communities. Through the life of a shepherd named Balu Mama, the film shows how this rich cultural heritage is slowly being ignored in modern times. |
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| ● | The film highlights the importance of local wool, traditional livelihoods, and the deep relationship between people and their animals. Real Deccani wool has been used to create the animation, which makes the film visually unique and closely connected to the subject it represents. Desi Oon has received international recognition, including a Jury Award at the Annecy Film Festival 2025. Overall, the film sends a strong message about protecting traditional knowledge, culture, and sustainable practices. |
| ● | Keeper of the Last Herd – Grassland conservation and community‑led wildlife protection. A documentary film that shows the struggle to protect wildlife in the Dhawa Doli area of Rajasthan. In this dry grassland, animals like blackbucks and chinkaras face danger because their land is being cut into pieces by farms and fences. These fences and attacks by feral dogs make it hard for the animals to move freely and survive. |
| ● | The film follows Sharvan Patel, a local conservationist, who cares deeply for these animals and works hard every day to protect them. He and his community build water holes, help injured deer, and try to keep the wildlife safe. The story shows how difficult it is to save nature, but also how people who care can make a difference. The film highlights the connection between people, animals, and the environment, and how collective effort is needed to protect wild animals and their land |
| ● | After the World Ends… It Begins Again – Tribal resilience, climate crisis, and cultural survival. A short documentary film that follows the lives of three generations of Kheria Sabar women from a tribal community in India. The film shows how these women continue to keep their culture and traditions alive, even as their way of life is under threat. It highlights how issues like climate crisis, loss of biodiversity, and forced migration are affecting their lives and adding pressure on their community. It also reflects how the tribal people are affected due to the migration and the rights of accessing forest products are reduced gradually, their livelihood is ruined due to the climate crises. |
| ● | Phir Bhi – Human–crocodile coexistence and community harmony. A short documentary film that shows how people in the Charotar region of Gujarat live together with marsh crocodiles, which are India’s biggest freshwater predators. Normally, crocodiles are feared, but in Charotar the local community has found a peaceful way to coexist with them. The film explores how these people have learned to understand and tolerate the crocodiles, even though they live close to human homes and farms. It highlights the importance of respect, patience, and collective care in protecting wildlife and building a shared future with nature. It also gives a way of livelihood for the people by fishing in charotar having less than 10 attacks of crocodiles in ten years. |
| Fight Shall Continue (Ladai Chhodab Nahi) – Adivasi women, mining, resistance, and environmental justice. The Fight Shall Continue, Ladai Chhodab Nahin is a documentary film that follows the lives of Adivasi women Sitamani, Basanti, and Bigan, living in the changing landscapes of Jharkhand. This region is facing the pressure of mining and industrial expansion, which threatens the land, forests, and the traditional way of life of local communities. |
The film shows how these women deal with displacement, loss of livelihood, and environmental damage due to mining projects. Rather than giving up, they rise up as leaders and keepers of knowledge, standing strong for their rights, dignity, and future. Their stories reflect deep courage and resilience, showing how people continue their struggle for justice and a healthy environment even in difficult conditions.
Boon of the Curse: Unholy Chambal – Conservation through cultural perception this movie ,” talks about Chambal river which was never worshipped. It was called cursed and this myth kept people away and also kept her wild and clean. Today Chambal is home to over 400 species. Screening of this movie leads to the idea of protection and conservation among students.
Jadugoda – Health and social impacts of uranium mining “Jadugoda,” was displayed which gave a glimpse of the struggling life of tribals and other locals living near Jadugoda Uranium mines. It showed how people are disabled there and females are infertile because of exposure to uranium and with this they are also facing societal exploitation.
Ghughuti ki Mala – Culture, folklore, and ecological traditions, “Ghughuti ki mala” was a cartoon movie, which showed how in uttarakhand during makar sakranti, children string fried sweets into garlands to feed crow. This ritual had the story behind it and the garland of Ghughuti weaves family, food, folklore, and the playfulness of culture. Community connected more with the other three movies.
Urban Tiger – Human‑wildlife coexistence in urban spaces focuses on the human-wildlife interactions in urban spaces, helping students think about coexistence and conservation. How Bhitara Kanica and Chilika bird sanctuary co-existances examples were made and discussed further.
Cacophony – Noise pollution and its effects on humans and birds, this short film sparked a conversation about sounds that irritate and sounds that soothe.As few students identified in day today life people face irritating DJ sounds, loud music and
When the Body Can’t Cool – Climate change and vulnerability of persons with disabilities.“When body can’t cool,” is easy to understand by participants, because of its language. This story was based on Odisha peoples lives, specially the people with spinal cord damage. This movie showed how day by day increase in temperature affects the people with spinal cord damage and after watching this they discussed more.
7. Discussions, Reflections, and Community Voices
Student Reflections
Students actively connected film stories to their daily lives, identifying how human actions impact nature and how climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable groups in the society. How very often school and college students are also being part of climate disturbance due to not giving importance to solid and liquid waste management. Every year environment day is being celebrated rather than a good message of protection, care and sustainability.
Community Experiences
Elders shared real stories of land alienation and displacement due to mining. Local leaders reflected on false Gram Sabha processes and denied compensation. Youth and women spoke about environmental degradation, loss of livelihoods, and the need to protect community rights. These reflections created an intergenerational dialogue linking past, present, and future environmental challenges.
8. Guest Addresses and Key Messages (Baliguda)
Shri Suresh Kumar (Goonj, Odisha): Emphasised waste segregation at source, sustainable lifestyles, and the link between environmental and human wellbeing. During the interaction session, Shri Suresh Kumar, spoke about the close link between environmental health and human wellbeing. He emphasised solid waste management, particularly segregation at source, as a crucial step toward environmental protection. He also discussed broader issues such as climate change, population growth, and pollution, urging participants to adopt sustainable practices in daily life. He encouraged households to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste as a simple yet effective step. He also spoke about broader challenges such as climate change, rapid population growth, air pollution, and increasing pressure on natural resources, cautioning that failure to address these issues would adversely affect future generations. He concluded by urging everyone to adopt sustainable practices in daily life and actively contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment.
Shri Panchanan Mishra (PAHAD): Highlighted traditional knowledge, biodiversity protection, and collective responsibility. Highlighted significance of traditional knowledge and practices. He reflected on the messages conveyed through the films. He highlighted how closely human lives are connected with nature, animals, and local culture, and explained that neglecting traditional knowledge, wildlife, and natural resources gradually impacts society’s future. He encouraged students to learn from the stories shared through the films and to understand the importance of protecting the environment, local livelihoods, and biodiversity. He emphasised that small individual efforts such as caring for animals, respecting nature, and standing up for one’s community can collectively bring meaningful change.
Shri Rabindra Kumar Panda (Bana Seba Samiti): Spoke on climate resilience, wise use of natural resources, and community action. He explained that the films clearly illustrated how disturbances in natural balance affect people, animals, and ecosystems alike. He stressed that the wise use of natural resources is no longer optional but essential. He encouraged the audience to value land, water, forests, and animals, and to avoid misuse and wastage in daily life. He also highlighted that building climate resilience begins with small actions, such as protecting local resources, adopting sustainable habits, and supporting community initiatives.
Ms. Mami Kumari Nayak (Headmistress): Encouraged students to practise cleanliness and environmental responsibility at school and home. She addressed the students on the importance of developing good habits from a young age. She spoke about the role of schools in promoting cleanliness and environmental responsibility and encouraged students to practise waste segregation both at school and at home. She also motivated students and other audiences to share their learning with their families and appreciated the programme for creating awareness and inspiring students to become responsible and environmentally conscious citizens.
9. Key Learnings and Outcomes
Films are a powerful medium to simplify complex environmental issues into a simple form of animated and curative movies for reflection and realisation of climate change and its urgency.
Communities relate strongly when stories reflect their lived realities
Waste management, climate change, and mining impacts are immediate concerns for the communities.
Young participants show strong potential as environmental ambassadors
Dialogue builds awareness, empathy, and motivation for action.
10. Conclusion
The ALT‑EFF 2025 events across Baliguda, Rourkela, and Rudhapadar successfully transformed cinema into a participatory learning experience. By combining storytelling, dialogue, and practical activities, the festival deepened understanding of environmental challenges and inspired participants to reflect on their role in protecting nature.
The programme strengthened awareness on climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, waste management, and environmental justice, while reinforcing the idea that sustainable change begins with informed individuals and empowered communities.
The films created a strong impact by showing real-life stories related to nature, wildlife, culture, and community struggles. The interactions with the guests further helped students connect these stories with their own surroundings. Students actively participated in discussions and shared their views, which reflected their growing awareness and interest in environmental protection. The programme helped participants to learn about caring for the environment and adopting local sustainable practices. It encourages people to understand building resilient communities and protecting nature.
