Zoya Akhtar, Richa Chadha and Randeep Hooda on Art and the Environment
At ALT EFF, three leading voices show how film can drive real conversations about a warming world
According to the annual report on climate released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on November 11 this year, "India faced extreme weather events on 99 per cent of days in the first nine months of this year, marked by heat and coldwaves, lightning and storms, heavy rain, floods and landslides."
The report goes on to state that these extreme weather events have claimed around 4,064 lives (compared to 2,755 in 2022), killed around 58,982 animals and destroyed close to 100,000 homes. It is this state of climate vulnerability that the All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF), now in its sixth year, seeks to discuss through the medium of cinema.
"The climate emergency is here and is now shaping how we live, in real time. People are moving cities due to air quality or flooding. Weather 'anomalies' and destruction are happening routinely now. We are all affected by it health-wise and financially because there is no economy without ecology. A home-grown film festival that tells stories of the earth is a great step because stories are powerful catalysts of change," says actor and producer Richa Chadha, who has come on board as a goodwill ambassador for the film festival.
Randeep Hooda concurs, stating that becoming a goodwill ambassador for the festival is meaningful for him because it amplifies a message he truly believes in - i.e., it is our collective duty to safeguard our natural world and that every action, no matter how small, counts. "ALTEFF stands at a crucial intersection where art meets responsibility using cinema as a vehicle for change. When cinema is used to illuminate the realities of our environment, it has the power to move people in ways statistics can’t. I hope these films (the ones showcased at the festival this year) encourage audiences to step up for the planet we all call home," he says.
This year's edition of ALT EFF is set to take place from December 4 to December 14, with Turtle Walker, produced by Zoya Akhtar, set to open it.
"As the festival continues to grow into one of India’s most forward-thinking platforms for documentary and environmental cinema, we’re proud to showcase a film rooted in authenticity, research and a unique cinematic voice. ALT EFF has built an ecosystem that champions bold storytelling and fosters collaborations between filmmakers, audiences and impact organisations. Screening here feels like the right fit for Turtle Walker, and we’re excited to contribute to a festival that pushes the boundaries of how socially conscious stories are experienced," said Akhtar, Reema Kagti and director Taira Malaney in a joint statement to Esquire India.
Besides Turtle Walker, the festival also features Humans in The Loop, the Kiran Rao- and Biju Toppo-produced film that tells the story of an Adivasi woman who starts working as an AI data labeller in a remote centre in Jharkhand.
Another movie to watch out for is Panha, which follows a family facing the loss of their ancestral mango farm to a bullet train project.
This year, the festival is also launching a Rs 40 lakh film fund, India’s first such dedicated endeavour to support and nurture environmental filmmaking. Besides Turtle Walker, Panha and Humans in The Loop, ALT EFF 2025 will also feature films such as Future Council, Snow Leopard Sisters, Farming The Revolution and Black Snow.