The first edition of the Goa Environmental Film Festival (GEFF) kicked off on Saturday with the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers. The three-day film festival which highlights global issues related to the environment, was inaugurated by State Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral.
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Secretary (Protocol) and Nodal Officer of G20 (Goa) Sanjit Rodrigues and Chairman of Goa State Pollution Control Board Mahesh Patil were also present on the occasion. Speaking at the inaugural of the film festival, Nilesh said that 50 films will be screened in the film festival. "Everyone should try to protect the environment. I hope we will make efforts in this regard," he said.
He added that GEFF has been organised on the sidelines of G20 meetings taking place in Goa, however, it will be an annual event from this year. Nilesh said at the event that films from Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Finland, Ireland, Oman, Portugal, Russia, Spain and other countries will be screened during the film festival.
He also stated that various aspects of protecting the environment could be learnt by watching these films. "Hence I appeal to the student community and general public to watch these films by participating in film festival," he said.
50 international short films and documentaries will be exhibited during the festival, each of which offers a distinctive viewpoint on topics like the environment, sustainable living, communal life, biodiversity, and ways to combat plastic waste and conserve water.
These films seek to expand the knowledge of how people and the natural environment are interconnected, in keeping with the G20's overarching theme of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - One Earth, One Family, One Future."