Nature inFocus returns with a bigger, more inclusive vision for 2025

I wanted to highlight the illusion of boundaries we’ve created between the so-called civilised world and the wild. In reality, these boundaries don’t exist. We made them. Blurring Boundaries is about recognising that this is a shared space. Wildlife lives in cities just as much as in forests. The idea was to start a conversation around this and to remind people that these separations are artificial.

My goal has always been to challenge the idea that 'our world' is different. It is not us versus them. There is one ecology and one Earth and every being has an equal right to exist here. We need to keep talking about this, become more sensitive and relearn how to live with the wild. Today, as wildlife populations grow, including leopards, tigers and elephants, they are naturally moving beyond reserves and national parks.

We must relearn how to coexist with them. This is the reality and it is urgent. There is also another layer to Blurring Boundaries within the conservation space. The lines between researchers, scientists, biologists, conservationists and storytellers are blurring too. A researcher today must communicate their work well. Storytelling is essential. Collaboration across fields is important. We cannot stay limited to one discipline. We need to see how everything connects so that the natural world, which includes us, benefits in the long run.

Since 2014, when we started the festival, we have stayed consistent and brought in new audiences each year. Nature inFocus has become a platform for dialogue, where research organisations, conservationists and government institutions come together to share ideas. The festival helps ensure we do not work in silos. It helps us open conversations, collaborate, find common ground and move forward together.

Beyond the festival, Nature inFocus also runs a portal where we publish stories and articles. We work with research organisations to simplify their white papers and make them accessible to a wider audience. We also use social media and films to communicate, as films are often the most powerful way to talk about nature and wildlife.

One such initiative was Vanakatha, created with WCS. It is a series of more than twenty stories that look at the connection between nature and culture. We have also partnered with NCF, ERA and several other organisations. Wherever Nature inFocus can contribute or collaborate, we do.

Yes, we began as a photography festival because we realised that photographers in India did not have a platform to showcase their work or find meaningful opportunities. That is how Nature inFocus started. Two years later, we added sessions on research and conservation. The community grew and the festival began to change. We were originally called the Nature inFocus Photography Festival, but we later dropped the word 'photography' because the festival had become a balanced mix of discussions on issues, research, photography and films. This year, we set up a dedicated curation team with Dr Vidya Athreya, Dr Ravi Chellam, Dhritiman Mukherjee and Sudeep Shivaram. We worked together on the programme and that collaboration played a big role in shaping this year’s festival.

We have made a conscious effort to ensure representation across communities and from a gender diversity perspective. We are not claiming to have achieved perfection and there is always room to grow, but this year’s schedule shows real variety. The sessions explore where people and nature meet, with voices like Dr Tash, Shailesh from Mongabay and Iravati. We also have young voices, such as author Ishan Shahnawaz, who talks about what drives his work, and filmmaker Arvind Mohanraj, whose film, supported by us, has already crossed 250,000 views on YouTube. We have awarded grants to three young filmmakers and mentored them through storytelling, editing and trailer creation. One of the highlights for me is having Romulus Whitaker with us. We also have the legendary Bedi Brothers, pioneers of wildlife filmmaking who have been doing this for four decades. They will be sharing their experiences from a time before Google or advanced equipment. There is also a session on wildlife trade and trafficking with Jose from WTI. Many people discuss crime series on streaming platforms, but few talk about wildlife crime, which is just as urgent and real.