THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala is all set for a premium biodiversity experience. Come January, the state will host the first-of-its-kind International Nature Film Festival of Kerala (INFFK) in the state capital. Along with highlighting Kerala’s unique biodiversity, the forest department wants the event to familiarise Malayalis with global conservation practises.
Taking a cue from the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) — the 30th edition scheduled for December — the INFFK is being planned as an annual affair from 2027. The festival will be a collaborative initiative, involving the tourism and cultural departments, the Chalachithra Academy among others.
“A slew of initiatives is in the pipeline to highlight nature conservation and to promote efforts among the younger generation. The government plans to hold a mega festival on the lines of the IFFK in January,” Forest Minister Shibu Baby John said on Thursday.
He was addressing nature enthusiasts at an event to mark International Tiger Day.
Besides screening international films on nature, the festival — proposed as a five-day event — will comprise segments on nature photography and nature writing and reporting. It will screen globally acclaimed movies in different categories, including competition, mobile video and documentaries.
The photography segment will focus on the exhibition of images curated by the International League of Conservation Photographers. The works of budding photographers will also be exhibited. The segment will also be divided into various categories including mobile picture and reel-making.
The festival promises a unique visual experience. One of the themes planned will feature each of the seven continents. The attempt will be to showcase Kerala’s biodiversity and conservational efforts in the global arena, officials said.
“It will be a two-way experience. We will portray our natural heritage before the global audience. At the same time, we would get to know more about the possibilities and conservational efforts on the international stage. It will be more of an ecological cultural exchange which would definitely contribute to our tourism and cultural initiatives,” additional principal chief conservator of forests Pramod G Krishnan said.
The department plans to hold several events in the run-up to INFFK, including the screening of nature movies across the state and programmes with the joint participation of the state Library Council and educational institutions.
