Kolkata, September 5, 2025

 

It is often said that women and nature share an intrinsic bond — both nurturing, both resilient, and both bearing the scars of exploitation. This sentiment came alive at the grand inauguration of the Fest5 International Film Festival (F5IFF’25), held on Friday (September 5, 2025) at the Anthropological Survey of India Auditorium, where the opening ceremony became a tribute to womanhood and the environment.

Four distinguished women — actor, dancer and Padma Shri awardee Smt Mamata Shankar; Techno India Co-Chairperson Prof. Manoshi  Roychowdhury; Union Ministry of Culture Consultant Dr. Gouri Basu and educationist Prof. Shaini Lihitkar — together with Shri SAmit Ghosh, Deputy Director of the Anthropological Survey of India, inaugurated the festival. Their presence set the tone for four days of cinematic storytelling devoted to climate change, environmental justice, and cultural memory.

Dr. Gouri Basu stressed that F5IFF’25 is “not just a film festival but a platform for building dialogues and collective action on what shape the world will take. The legacy we must leave behind is not of loss and depletion but of renewal and responsibility.”

Shri Amit Ghosh introduced the pioneering work of AnSI, sharing: “We are really fortunate to collaborate. We have already produced 55 documentary films, and we immediately agreed to support this festival because of its environmental concerns.”

Prof. Manoshi Roychowdhury emphasised the urgency of cinema as an environmental voice: “What can be more evocative than film to tell us that our Mother Earth is in danger? If the Earth is happy, we will all be happy. Through such festivals, we can learn to create a balance and build a greener future.”

Smt Mamata Shankar, inaugurating the festival fresh off her Padma Shri honour, called it “a privilege to be part of an international platform where films from across the world bring us closer to global concerns. I am truly honoured.”

Prof. Shaini Lihitkar added, “This festival weaves together cultural memories, critical thinking, and the vision of a sustainable future. It captures everything that is important for the generations to come.”

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