Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 201

A Unique Festival

01.10.2013, Mumbai  

Central Indian Highlands Wildlife Film Festival (CIHWFF) is a unique film festival organized every year by the Crusade for Revival of Environment and Wildlife (CREW).  I have attended the festival last year and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Excursions to the National Parks and the award ceremony at the end of the programme are important components of this film festival which are held each year as part of our Conservation Awareness Programme (CAP). Under CAP, the participants are exposed to various facets of wildlife conservation and management through jungle-safaris. They also get the opportunity to visit the villages inside or at the periphery of the forests/national parks to understand various issues linked with park-people interface. Once thus exposed, the participants conceptualize and make a film based on their perceptions and understanding acquired during the CAP. These films are evaluated by a renowned jury which pays special attention to their relevance as a conservation awareness film and their technical finesse.
The festival entries are invited in 4 categories: documentary film, short film, photography and painting. For jungle-camp registration / participation in the festival, one can log in to www.cihfestival.in.
I have been on the jury of the festival and chatted with the experts on the making of these documentaries. Very soon I intend to participate in their camp and experience the workshop as well.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya