In the lead up to the Regional Conference on Climate Change in Nepal on 28 August - 2 September, the British Embassy, British Council Nepal and DFID Nepal encouraged people to share their stories on Climate Change.  People were invited to make short, impactful films of up to 3 minutes in length on the themes of climate change.

The winners of a 3 minute documentary film competition on the impact of climate change on the people of Nepal were announced on 2 September at the South Asian Regional Climate Change Conference in the presence of the international delegates. The Right Honorable Subas Chandra Nembang, Speaker of Constituent Assembly, opened the ceremony. He presented the awards with the Minister for Environment the Honorable Mr Thakur Prasad Sharma. The Minister said, “This is a creative and educational way of spreading important climate change messages”.

A total of 124 documentary-makers entered the competition, organised by the British Council, the British Embassy and the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID), in Kathmandu. Introducing the ceremony, Jim Drummond, Director for South Asia, from DFID, said, “It is the poorest who are most severely affected by climate change. They are the least able to prepare adequately, respond quickly and adapt effectively to the disasters and changes that climate change will bring, yet they have emitted the least. They must be our focus and that is why films like these – that showcase their stories, are so important.”

Winners

First Prize (Nrs 60,000) – Santoshi Nepal and Ishu Lama for ‘Act Locally Think Globally’.

Second Prize (Nrs 40,000) – Shiva Sharan Koirala for ‘Jeopardy’.

Third Prize (Nrs 30,000) – Binod Kr Dhami and Padam Raj Paneru for ‘3Cs of Climate Change’.

Members of the judging panel included: filmmakers Sushma Joshi and Kesang Tseten, and author Dr Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha. The films will be shown at the Kathmandu International Mountain Film festival 2009 in December and at other venues.

You can view the films.