Fest5 International Film Festival 2024 :
Celebrating Cinema and Sustainability

The inaugural FEST5 International Film Festival (F5IFF’24), held from August 2nd to 4th, 2024, at the National Library of India (NLI), was a resounding success. In collaboration with NLI and the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB), the festival focused on climate change and heritage conservation, attracting enthusiastic participation and media attention. The festival was inaugurated by actress Moon Moon Sen, actress Tanushree Chakraborty, WBPCB chairman Dr. Kalyan Rudra, and painter Rathin Kanji. The NLI’s green campus provided the perfect setting for the event, reinforcing the festival’s themes of environmental preservation and cultural heritage.

F5IFF’24 showcased 17 films selected from 152 submissions across 33 countries. Highlights included Bijoyar Pore, starring Mamata Shankar, and the German documentary System Change, followed by a thought-provoking talk show featuring Dr. Kalyan Rudra, Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, and Pradeep Vyas discussing climate change’s impact on biodiversity and big cats. For more information and the full list of winners, f5iff.com/festivals/f5iff-2024/winners.

The awards evening, graced by actor Barun Chanda, recognized notable winners such as Kankana Chakroborty, who won three awards for Malti, and Khaba Maimom, a young Manipuri filmmaker. The festival also paid tribute to cinematic legends Satyajit Ray and Rituparno Ghosh. Virasat Arts [link] presented Hindustan File, a collection of colonial-era artworks, which became a major attraction. Extensive media coverage, including features on Doordarshan, helped amplify the festival’s focus on environmental issues and the role of art in addressing them. For detailed press coverage and media features, visit the link below- f5iff.com/festivals/f5iff-2024/press.

F5IFF’24 was a successful non-commercial initiative, promoting environmental responsibility and artistic excellence. The success of this year’s festival paves the way for the second edition in 2025, continuing to raise awareness about global issues through film.