A fitting end to the International Sustainable Development Film Festival

Issue 65: 31/5/2024 Strategic Objective:

On Friday 17th May, the closing ceremony of the International Sustainable Development Film Festival took place on the TKO campus. This was the 3rd edition, bringing together no less than 20 institutions and 60 films this year! The artists from Hong Kong and beyond are students of all levels and ages. This year we had 60 films in competition made by students ranging from high school to nursery school.

After a month of exchanges, deliberations and awards across the various juries of the Festival categories, the names of the winners of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for this 2024 edition were about to be revealed. It was in a packed auditorium with the presence of young artists from Canton, the screening of a film made by young videographers from the Dominican Republic and the prize received by students from the Phnom Penh High School that we realised the festival is taking on an increasingly international scope. “The partnership with Youthtopia, the global network of young changemakers founded by Melati Wijsen, has been very fruitful. With online workshops with many participants which have helped to create a real community around this Festival, and beyond borders,” explained Iv Charbonneau.

This festival carries strong messages. Real issues addressed with sincerity and conviction such as waste, plastic pollution, world hunger, the suffering of ecosystems, leave the audience with the desire to act and support these motivated young people to guarantee a better future for the generations to come.

Around the themes conveyed by the five categories of films presented this year – People, Prosperity, Peace, Planet and Impact – various activities, workshops and festivities were organised and implemented by the students themselves. It was therefore in the joy of being together that students and parents celebrated the closing of the festival which honours activist art in all its forms. Of course, cinema, but also, exhibitions of drawings, photographs, book and clothing exchange workshops, in order to make the circular economy concrete for festival-goers, and a workshop making tote bags from used t-shirts. The evening ended with music, with the students of the French International School able to take the stage and show off their musical talents to an enthusiastic audience.

A big thank you to Iv for initiating this festival which gives FIS the opportunity to shine around the world, upholding the values of sustainable development that are dear to it, and a big thank you to the volunteer parents for contributing to the success of this event.

We hope to see even more of you next year!

The complete list of winners and the Grand Prix du Jury

The Festival’s Grand Prix du Jury was awarded to Paloma Hesry, from French International School of Hong Kong, for “Gong Gong & Popo”, a documentary in the form of a search for her roots through exchanges with her Cantonese grandparents. A work that is both moving and finely crafted, Paloma Hesry reminded us of the importance of cultivating knowledge of one’s own family roots, in order to better project oneself into the future.

The 16 winners are as follows:

You can view each work using the link below:

https://www.fis.edu.hk/about/news-events/?tag=festival-du-film-du-developpement-durable

Sustainability Committee
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