Panaji, June 3 (). The first edition of the Goa Environment Film Festival (GEFF) opened on Saturday with the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whispers.
The three-day film festival highlighting global issues related to the environment was inaugurated by state Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral. Sanjit Rodrigues, Secretary (Protocol) and Nodal Officer of G-20 (Goa) and Mahesh Patil, Chairman, Goa State Pollution Control Board were present on the occasion.
On the occasion of inauguration of Environment Film Festival, Nilesh Kabral said, 50 films will be screened in the film festival. Everyone should try to protect the environment. I hope that we all will make efforts in this regard.
He said that the GFF has been organized on the sidelines of the G-20 meetings being held in Goa, however from this year it would be an annual event. Nilesh informed that films from Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Finland, Ireland, Oman, Portugal, Russia, Spain and other countries will be screened during the film festival.
Various aspects of environmental protection can be learned by watching these films, he said. Therefore, I appeal to the student community and the general public to watch these films by participating in the film festival.
Sanjeet Rodrigues said, I think environment is a very dear subject. As we are working with so much gusto for the nine G-20 meetings in Goa, we thought there should be a connect with the local population and thus came up with the idea of a film festival that would unites.
He further added that such films show what is happening in countries with environment related issues and how these countries deal with them. Film is a great medium to bring awareness and it is a medium that is acceptable to all.
FZ/SGK
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