PRITHVI RATNA Award to Sanjay Barnela

One of the most prestigious awards of CMS VATAVARAN is Prithvi Ratna has been announced for eminent film maker Sanjay Barnela.

The coveted CMS VATAVARAN Prithvi Ratna Award has been given since 2003 by CMS VATAVARAN to eminent filmmakers for their outstanding contribution to nature and conservation filming throughout their career which has resulted in bringing change in perception, practice and policy with regards to environment. Previous Awardees of Prithvi Ratna have been Mike Pandey, Naresh Bedi, Shekha Dattatri, Krishnendu Bose and Ashish Chandola.

The 2014 Prithvi Ratna Awardee is Sanjay Barnela. He is one of the founder members of Moving Images, a Delhi-based media production team comprised of film makers and academic researchers who have engaged with a variety of issues of common concern informed by nuanced research. Over the last twenty years, he has produced a number of documentaries on a diverse range of issues including, the political economy of water, wildlife-human conflicts, conservation & livelihoods, issues related to access and benefit sharing in the context of customary rights of rural communities and the use of the Forest Rights Act to strengthen community claims to manage the forests, water and grasslands they depend upon.

Sanjay has combined his vast climbing and trekking experience in the Himalaya with filmmaking, documenting resource use and traditional practices of the Gaddi herders and herb collectors in the alpine meadows in the Kullu and Kangra valleys. He joined Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology last year, and set up Srishti Films, a production house, at the school to enable students to learn professional documentary film-making.

Sanjay’s films have been nominated for awards at various national and international film festivals. A few of his notable films are Hunting Down Water that won the award for ‘Best Documentary’ at the Festival du film de Strasbourg 2004 and was awarded ‘Best Direction’ at the Festival du Cinema de Paris, 2004. Turf Wars dealing with conservation issues in the Great Himalayan National Park won the 3rd prize at JEEVIKA 2003, New Delhi. River Taming Mantras won the ‘Best Documentary’ award at VATAVARAN 2005 and another film Village of Dust, City of Water was declared the ‘Best Environment feature’ (Antelope award) at Wildlife Asia film festival, 2007 held in Singapore.

This Award will be given at the gala inaugural ceremony on Jan 30, 2014 at the IGNCA lawns (6.30 – 8.30 pm). The 2014 CMS VATAVARAN is 5 day biodiversity gala and will feature film festival, forums, exhibitions, musical festival, food festival, green bazaar and many more at the IGNCA Lawns (near India Gate and Central Secretrait Metro Station), New Delhi from January 30- February 3, 2014.