Convergence of Voices
PRAKRITI: International Documentary Film Festival
Prakriti is a prestigious documentary film festival organized by the Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC), New Delhi, following the approval granted at the 7th Meeting of the Governing Board held on May 26, 1997. Initially conceptualized as a non-competitive platform, the festival has evolved into a significant national event, held annually at diverse locations across India. It offers a dynamic space for documentary filmmakers to showcase their work and engage with audiences on pressing social and environmental themes.
The inaugural Prakriti Film Festival was held from 17th to 19th December 1997 at the Institute of Chemical Technology and Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, in collaboration with EMRC Hyderabad. Since then, the festival has travelled to various cities including Pune, Bhopal, Goa, Pondicherry (2008), Jodhpur (2010), Tripura (2011), Mysore (2012), Calicut (2014), Kolkata(2015), Chandigarh (2017), Chennai (2019), Mysore (2021), Madurai (2022), Ahmedabad (2023) and Jodhpur (2024). The most recent edition took place at University of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, in February 2026.
Each edition features a curated selection of documentaries, chosen by a distinguished panel of jurors. Filmmakers, producers, or their representatives are invited to participate in interactive sessions with audiences, facilitating meaningful discussions on the issues explored in their films.
The core aim of PrakritiFestival is to raise awareness and foster public engagement around critical themes including environment, development, human rights, and swachhbharat. In line with this vision, a dedicated Swachh Bharat category was introduced in 2018 to spotlight initiatives and narratives aligned with the national cleanliness movement.
Through its screenings and dialogues, PrakritiFilm Festival strives to sensitize viewers, promote dialogue, and encourage informed civic participation, contributing to a more conscious and responsible society.
The Prakriti Film Festival has expanded its wings to provide a larger canvas to paint the footprints on the educational aspects of equity, ethics and ecology. In the year 2018, the festival embraced a competitive format, and its reach was extended beyond India to include the South East Asian region. This expansion aimed to enhance visibility and foster greater awareness of pressing social and environmental issues on a more global scale.
It has been debated and agreed upon to expand the thematic scope of the Prakriti International Documentary Film Festival under the changing scenario of ecology, social bonding, Indigenous knowledge, and to strengthen various pertaining issues prevalent in current society. A concept note was shared with the 55th Governing Board meeting held on 31st July, 2026 where it has been discussed and agreed to frame relevant themes prevalent to the current society. It will give an opportunity to highlight current societal issues and spread awareness among the stakeholders. The Governing Board decided on the following six themes which are more relevant towards human progency.
Travel:
The Governing Board also approved Economy Class air travel for the awardees, as extended to the awardees of the CEC–UGC Educational Film Festival.
AWARD:
All submitted documentaries will be reviewed by a panel of eminent jurors, who will carefully evaluate each entry and select documentaries for screening under the six categories given above .
In each category, one or more outstanding documentaries will be selected for the Best Documentary Award, which includes:
THE ORGANIZER:
Prakriti is a prestigious documentary film festival organized by the Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC), New Delhi, following the approval granted at the 7th Meeting of the Governing Board held on May 26, 1997. Initially conceptualized as a non-competitive platform, the festival has evolved into a significant national event, held annually at diverse locations across India. It offers a dynamic space for documentary filmmakers to showcase their work and engage with audiences on pressing social and environmental themes.
The inaugural Prakriti Film Festival was held from 17th to 19th December 1997 at the Institute of Chemical Technology and Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, in collaboration with EMRC Hyderabad. Since then, the festival has travelled to various cities including Pune, Bhopal, Goa, Pondicherry (2008), Jodhpur (2010), Tripura (2011), Mysore (2012), Calicut (2014), Kolkata(2015), Chandigarh (2017), Chennai (2019), Mysore (2021), Madurai (2022), Ahmedabad (2023) and Jodhpur (2024). The most recent edition took place at University of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, in February 2026.
Each edition features a curated selection of documentaries, chosen by a distinguished panel of jurors. Filmmakers, producers, or their representatives are invited to participate in interactive sessions with audiences, facilitating meaningful discussions on the issues explored in their films.
The core aim of PrakritiFestival is to raise awareness and foster public engagement around critical themes including environment, development, human rights, and swachhbharat. In line with this vision, a dedicated Swachh Bharat category was introduced in 2018 to spotlight initiatives and narratives aligned with the national cleanliness movement.
Through its screenings and dialogues, PrakritiFilm Festival strives to sensitize viewers, promote dialogue, and encourage informed civic participation, contributing to a more conscious and responsible society.
The Prakriti Film Festival has expanded its wings to provide a larger canvas to paint the footprints on the educational aspects of equity, ethics and ecology. In the year 2018, the festival embraced a competitive format, and its reach was extended beyond India to include the South East Asian region. This expansion aimed to enhance visibility and foster greater awareness of pressing social and environmental issues on a more global scale.
It has been debated and agreed upon to expand the thematic scope of the Prakriti International Documentary Film Festival under the changing scenario of ecology, social bonding, Indigenous knowledge, and to strengthen various pertaining issues prevalent in current society. A concept note was shared with the 55th Governing Board meeting held on 31st July, 2026 where it has been discussed and agreed to frame relevant themes prevalent to the current society. It will give an opportunity to highlight current societal issues and spread awareness among the stakeholders. The Governing Board decided on the following six themes which are more relevant towards human progency.
- (i) Environment
- (ii) Vikasit Bharat
- (iii) Swachh Bharat
- (iv) Indigenous Knowledge & Cultural Ecology
- (v) Youth Action & Leadership
- (vi) Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (unity in diversity).
Travel:
The Governing Board also approved Economy Class air travel for the awardees, as extended to the awardees of the CEC–UGC Educational Film Festival.
AWARD:
All submitted documentaries will be reviewed by a panel of eminent jurors, who will carefully evaluate each entry and select documentaries for screening under the six categories given above .
In each category, one or more outstanding documentaries will be selected for the Best Documentary Award, which includes:
- • Cash Prize: ₨50,000/-
- • Trophy
- • Certificate
- • In case of joint winners in any category, the prize money will be equally shared.
- • Documentaries selected for screening only (and not for award) will receive only a Certificate of Screening.
THE ORGANIZER:
The Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC) [http://cec.nic.in] is an Inter-University Centre (IUC) established by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India in 1993. CEC is embarked upon addressing India’s higher education needs by utilising exemplary pedagogical practices, the audio-visual medium of Television and cutting-edge ICT trends. 20 Educational Media Research Centres (EMRCs) located across India are working to execute CEC’s vision of building a multimedia-enriched & ICT-enabled educational environment to promote personalised learning and empowerment. CEC is the National Coordinator for non-technical UG and PG Massive Open Online Courses that are multidisciplinary, multi-lingual and made in collaboration with renowned academicians across India.
Further, as enshrined in NEP 2020, CEC has picked up the mantle to make high-quality outcome-based education accessible to anyone, anytime and anywhere!!
Further, as enshrined in NEP 2020, CEC has picked up the mantle to make high-quality outcome-based education accessible to anyone, anytime and anywhere!!
Storytelling Begins...
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 2024 | ||
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