Bengaluru to host 3-day fest that aims to put nature in focus

What started as a platform for wildlife photographers in 2014 has evolved into a three-day event for all nature lovers.

Nature in Focus Festival 2023 is being held this weekend in Bengaluru’s Jayamahal Palace, from July 28 to 30. The festival will feature film screenings, talks, panel discussions, photography exhibitions, art installations, workshops and masterclasses and a sustainable flea market, all in an effort to foster a deeper connection with nature.

On day 2, Delhi-based band, Indian Ocean will perform songs from the latest album ‘Tu Hai’, which among other pertinent issues, also talks about environmental degradation. “We also try to involve policy makers. We have been inviting senior officials from the forest and the police departments so that we can start a dialogue with them,” said Rohit Varma, founder of Nature in Focus. According to Varma, he and his co-founder Kalyan Varma, both wildlife photographers, started the festival in 2014, as there was no platform for wildlife photographers to showcase the work or to learn or to collaborate with other wildlife photographers.

“But later we realised that people are also interested in knowing about conservation projects that are happening in India or outside India. Also, about the science behind the whole ecology. The festival began to evolve and include all such interests,” added Varma. Festivals like this do have a big impact on wildlife or environmental awareness, agreed Aditya Singh, a Ranthambore-based wildlife photographer known for his biggest collection of tiger pictures. He will be exhibiting five of his favourite tiger photographs at Jayamahal Palace. “These events get urban folks a bit closer to our natural heritage. My generation – I am 57 years old now — hardly had any opportunity and we were totally clueless about wildlife or nature. My daughter’s generation is a lot more clued into these things and events like these are partly responsible for that turnaround,” added Singh.

Wildlife filmmaker Rita Banerji, who has been attending the festival for the last two years, said the festival is a fantastic space for young wildlife filmmakers. Banerji, who is training people from marginalised tribes and communities in the north east through Green Hub Fellowship, said her fellows have been participating in the festival since 2016. “NIF is considered one of the toughest and prestigious photography competitions in India. So, it helps a lot when you win that. The film festival bit is still evolving, but in the last decade, a lot has changed in the field of conservation and wildlife filmmaking. The festival organises panels on opportunities and funding that my fellows find very useful,” said Banerji.

This year, Banerji will also be conducting a workshop on wildlife filmmaking on July 28.

Varma too recalled how when they expanded its scope to include films, the festival started to draw more people from all across India. “I remember in 2018 when we introduced the film festival, people travelled all the way to Electronic City to watch the films. We had no space in the room. We were shocked to see that there is so much interest among people to watch these kinds of films,” added Varma.

For Anish Andheria, president of Wildlife Conservation Trust(WCT), events like these are a boon as it lets them network and find fundings for projects. “I started coming regularly from 2016. We at WCT do fund a lot of projects, but we also look for philanthropists who could support us. The fest is a good place to find both,” said Andheria, adding that Bengaluru is a perfect venue as several institutes and conservation organisations have a presence in the city.

Andheria will also be holding a joint session on how important funding is for conservation on July 30.

Varma said although the festival started as a platform for the nature and wildlife community, it also expanded to include the key stakeholder when it comes to nature – common man. “This time for instance, we have curated a session on how one can have a sustainable lifestyle. We are not advocating drastic changes, but small things that could make a huge difference in our surroundings,” added Varma. JR