24 September 2020: FaithInvest is delighted to announce a series of short films bringing together faith groups, artists and conservationists to launch a bold new vision for engaging people on environmental issues, as part of the programming line-up for the newly launched, global EarthX TV platform.
The nine CelebrationEarth! films are the result of a collaboration between FaithInvest, award-winning Off the Fence Productions and WWF-UK, and bring together faith groups, artists and environmentalists in a series of bite-sized stories and discussion pieces, ranging from 12 minutes to 33 minutes long.
FaithInvest CEO Martin Palmer said: 'We're calling this CelebrationEarth! because if something is worth celebrating, it's worth saving. So much of the environmental message has focused on doom and gloom and guilt, which paralyses people rather than inspires them. We want to celebrate stories from around the world that give us the vision for our collective future.
The films offer inspirational, visually powerful examples of environmental action from around the world, from the Buddhist monks of Cambodia who 'ordain' trees to prevent them from being cut down, to the last remnants of Ethiopian forest which survive because they are protected by churches, and the giant tree puppets of Buxton, Derbyshire.
Woven alongside these inspirational stories are studio-based discussion pieces or interviews on the contribution of faiths, artists and conservationists to protecting nature. They feature:
Martin Palmer, CEO FaithInvest
Tanya Steele, CEO WWF-UK
Miranda Kristovnikoff, President RSPB
Storyteller Gordon MacLellan
Artist Sangita Lakhanpal
Dr Husna Ahmad, CEO Global One
Alison Prout, CEO International Network for Conservation and Religion; and
Chantel Elkin, Head of WWF's Beliefs & Values Programme.
The films were directed by Nicolas Brown of Off the Fence Productions, an award-winning producer of factual television and feature documentaries, and form part of the exciting programming line-up for EarthX TV, a new global television platform sharing a vision for a healthy and sustainable planet. More information: https://earthx.org/event/celebration-earth/
T
he nine films are:
Why Celebrate Earth? Martin Palmer, FaithInvest and Miranda Kristovnikoff, RSPB. Watch here
Christian Faith and the Environment Martin Palmer, FaithInvest and Miranda Kristovnikoff, RSPB Watch here
The Arts and the Environment Storyteller Gordon MacLellan and Miranda Kristovnikoff, RSPB Watch here
Yoga and the Environment Sangita Lakhanpal and Chantal Elkin, WWF Watch here
Buddhism and the Environment Chantal Elkin WWF and Martin Palmer, Faithinvest Watch here
Eight Billion Voices (World Wildlife Fund) Tanya Steele, CEO WWF and Martin Palmer, Faithinvest
Muslim Faith and the Environment Dr. Husna Ahmad OBE and Miranda Kristovnikoff, RSPB Watch here
Faith Long Term Plans Alison Prout INCR and Martin Palmer, FaithInvest Watch here
The films are the first step in a bigger initiative to build an online community, inspiring others to make their own films of their engagement with nature and motivating them to take action to protect the earth.
EarthX: is an global NGO that uses the power of film and emerging media to raise awareness of environmental and social global issues: https://earthx.org.
FaithInvest: is a UK-based international NGO founded to grow the scale and impact of faith-consistent investing. It grew out of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation: www.faithinvest.org
Off the Fence Productions: is an award-winning producer of factual television and feature documentaries: www.offthefence.com