Pune: The Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival (KVIFF) returns to an in-person format for its 19th edition, bringing together films, discussions, performances and community activities around environmental issues.The festival has been organised by the SL Kirloskar CSR Foundation and will be held on Aug 21-22 at the Pune International Centre, Pashan. This year’s theme is Brought to You by Earth and aims to encourage people to pay close attention to the changing climate, fragile ecosystems and the environment.The annual festival began in 2007 as a platform to build environmental awareness through cinema and public engagement. It moved online during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. This year, it returns to a physical venue with a programme designed for Kirloskar Group employees, students of Kirloskar schools and the wider community.The first day is exclusively curated for Kirloskar Group employees. “We want to inculcate a regard for the environment into our employees as well as the wider community. Ideas and concepts emerging over the previous editions have been incorporated into our daily functions — like becoming a zero-waste organisation,” said director of SL Kirloskar CSR Foundation Arti Kirloskar.Kirloskar said that following last year’s theme Healthy Society, Nutritious Food and Flourishing Nature, the organisation had introduced several changes. “Our canteen serves mainly millet dishes, along with promoting clean eating and other sustainable practices,” she said.The second day will begin with a special session for students of CB Tube Sadhana Kanya Vidyalay, Loyola High School and St Joseph High School at 9am. “The schools are close to the venue, so we have coordinated with them. Hopefully, other schools will want to participate in future editions. The goal is to increasingly get students to attend and take part,” she said.The student programme will include two short-film screenings, interactive discussions and a workshop aimed to make environmental issues easy for young audiences to understand.Nidhi Bennur of The Youth Cosmo, a social enterprise that works with young people on environmental awareness, will conduct two sessions. One will explore pastoral communities in India, while the other will look at the migration of animals and humans. The latter session will examine why migration happens and how it is connected to larger ecological systems.“The goal is to help children see themselves as part of larger ecological systems and consider how their individual actions can contribute to environmental stewardship,” said Bennur.The evening programme will include Ghungroo — a folk dance performance by the Melghat tribal community. It will be followed by three environment-related short films and a feature film curated by ALT EFF. A student-led skit will also be presented.The festival will conclude with the Vasundhara Sanman and Vasundhara Mitra awards, which recognise individuals and organisations for their contribution to environmental protection. An eco-bazaar will also be held from 3pm to 7.30pm, featuring sustainable products, innovations and community-led initiatives.
