International fest on wildlife, natural history in Bengaluru

Bengaluru will host the ‘Wildscreen Festival’, a leading biennial international festival on natural history and wildlife, on October 21 and 22. The festival, which is in its 40th year, is organised by UK-based conservation charity Wildscreen and Bengaluru-based wildlife film production and visual arts company Felis Creations.

The Bengaluru edition of the Wildscreen Festival, to be held at the Bangalore International Centre, will provide a platform to exchange ideas and forge partnerships for wildlife scientists, conservationists, filmmakers, photographers, and aspiring talent, a statement from the organisers said.

The festival will feature screenings of Panda Award-nominated films, panel discussions, and masterclasses by ace wildlife filmmakers and photographers, including Shekar Dattatri and Sandesh Kadur, and UK-based writer-director Harry Marshall.

Previous Wildscreen Panda Award winners and conservationists Krupakar-Senani and Rita Bannerji, and eminent wildlife filmmakers, including Gautam Pandey, Akanksha Sood Singh, and Ashwika Kapoor, will be among the attendees.

Lucie Muir, CEO of Wildscreen, said the festival’s 40th anniversary was being marked by an expansion of its global reach through new hubs in Kenya, South Africa, and India.

Sandesh Kadur, noted wildlife filmmaker and founder of Felis Creations, said India’s forests and wildlife were at a critical juncture where circumstances and pressures — natural and otherwise — were set to permanently alter the country’s natural landscape.

“In bringing the Wildscreen Festival to India, we hope to take the conversation about the country’s natural world centre-stage,” he said.

For free and ticketed registrations and other details, visit https://wildscreen.org/ festival/global-hubs/.