All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) Programming Head Anaka Kaundinya opens up about the festival

ALT EFF showcases the beauty of our planet, creates awareness on current and critical issues, and leaves you feeling inspired to envision and shape our possible futures. ALT EFFs films are accompanied with dialogue and debate that get our audience talking, asking questions and sharing ideas.

Through pay-as-you-feel global online streaming & in-person community screenings, the ALT EFF audience witnesses untold stories of regeneration, activism, crisis and hope. The festival’s mission is to engage the public on the environment and social issues of our time, through an informed, creative and experiential discourse. ALT EFF seeks, empowers and uplifts talented filmmakers, locally and at large. The festival director, Kunal Khanna was born into the mad hum in Mumbai, raised amongst the monkeys and mountains of Panchgani, and made independent in an adulthood in Australia; Kunal has returned back to his roots running a permaculture farm and developing ALT EFF to become a catalyst for environmental change in India. The festival’s programming lead is Anaka Kaundinya was a theatre actor and Bharatanatyam dancer, worked as voice talent in Mumbai and New York City and ran a non-profit arts collective, ‘Dear Imagination.’ Since then, her work as a creative producer, writer and journalist has won awards and been broadcast through leading publications, radio stations and film festivals. In conversation with CineBlitz, she explains more about the ALT EFF festival.

Also read: Satyajit Bhatkal on joining the jury of ALT EFF: “It gave me an opportunity to engage with the most important question of our times”

How did your festival ALT EFF come into existence?

While the festival founder, Kunal Khanna is not a film-maker, he had first hand experience in working with film festivals in Melbourne. Namely, Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) and the Environmental Film Festival of Australia (EFFA). Through these experiences it became very clear to him the role the arts and culture has to play to bring about important societal shifts. When he returned to India in 2018, he quickly realised that such platforms were few and far between. He reached out to the other co-founders (Neha Shreshta and Rudransh Mathur), who also happen to be film-makers and run a design studio in Panchgani, where Kunal was located. And hence the idea was born, they planned to host a festival in Panchgani in 2020. However, covid-19 hit and instead the festival was launched globally on the festival’s virtual platform. It continued virtually for 2 years before becoming a decentralised hybrid film festival starting 2022.

On what basis are films selected?

ALT EFF believes in the power of storytelling. Ultimately, we are looking for films which tell the stories of people, cultures, and the environment efficiently, truthfully, emotionally and powerfully. While practical environmental impact is at the core of our philosophy, we are excited by relevant stories that speak for themselves and can create action and a discourse for positive change.

Also read: Producers Taher Shabbir and Ashutosh Shah on Karmma Calling: “It’s a family entertainer!”

Are all the films directly linked to the theme of the environment?

Absolutely. But this requires redefining the genre of environmental films in a wider, more holistic and interdisciplinary way. This means that we do not look at environmental issues in a silo but rather as the integral link to so many parts of our lives such as politics, culture, and history. Our films are character-driven stories that are about conservation, climate justice, technology and sustainability.

What’s the purpose of planning a multi location festival?

As with art, sometimes film festivals are accessible only to a certain class of people. By designing a decentralised festival, we hope to make engaging with environmental issues more accessible and democratic. Ultimately, we want to strengthen and empower communities across the country. For this reason, it is important for us to be present with different people beyond geographical borders. Our hope is to facilitate fresh perspectives and ignite individual as well as collective action.

What are some of the highlights of this year’s lineup?

Patrick and the Whale, We Are Guardians, Against the Tide, Leopard’s Tribe, Deep Rising are some of the films that we are excited to present this year. They display a strength of conviction that inspires, with a fresh voice that portrays the interconnectedness of life across the planet. This year, we have planned some really stimulating conversations with scientists, researchers and artists. In addition, some fascinating workshops such as one about coping with climate anxiety, is also a part of this edition.

Also read: Rashmika Mandanna on wrapping Chhaava: “It took me two whole days to get myself to accept it.”

Has the festival been able to advance the causes that it supports?

In three years, ALT EFF has already grown an online audience of more than 15,000 people, many of whom have been inspired to take climate action in their lives. And this year, we’ve doubled size and scope, and are hoping to create an exponential impact. By partnering with organisations such as Keystone Foundation, The Habitats Trust, Dakshin Foundation, A Dialogue and more – we draw attention and interest to their on-ground impact work. In this way, we act as a crucial link between people and changemakers by empathetic storytelling. We believe that art and cinema have the capacity to move people and inspire positive ripple effects. We have created awareness, accountability and a deep sense of affection for the natural world.

Does Panchgani serve as the base station for the festival?

As the festival launched virtually, we have built the organisation to be completely virtual over the years that followed. This means our team members are dispersed all over the country and even internationally. The official headquarters are in Panchgani and we do come together as a team each year post the event, however for the rest of the year all of us are digital nomads.

What’s your vision for ALT EFF in the coming years?

With our core values, we aspire to take this festival to the world and make as many people a part of the environmental movement as possible. There is a certain stigma and reluctance to address the climate issue, as it poses existential threat. We hope to continue empowering people against helplessness and inspiring a generation of filmmakers to create responsible, ambitious and beautiful work. We want to have the support of more investors and partner organisations, in order to continue existing for years to come. Only when we have a solid and secure support system, can we hope to implement policy level changes in a country like India.