Babul NGO successfully hosted the 9th Annual International Babul Eco Film Festival (BEFF) in Hyderabad, Telangana, from 1st to 10th June 2025, coinciding with the World Environment Day celebrations. The festival was held across multiple venues, including Ravindra Bharathi, PBEL City, Jain Carlton Creek, Lamakaan, GNITS, Pulla Reddy College of Pharmacy, Ramanaidu Film School, and Sri Sarathi Studio, along with a special Clean-up Drive with Monin on World Environment Day 5 June 2025. Some films were also screened after 10 June 2025.
This year’s festival witnessed enthusiastic participation from filmmakers and environmental enthusiasts around the globe. A total of 105 films were received from 33 countries, out of which 72 films were officially selected for screening. The Chief Guest for the inauguration was Sri Mamidi Harikrishna, Director of Language and Culture Department of Govt of Telangana, who graced the event and appreciated Babul NGO’s consistent efforts in promoting environmental awareness through creative visual storytelling. spoke about ending plastic pollution. Other speakers include Mr. Sagar Dhara, Senior Scientist; Tarun Kathula, MoEF Govt of India; Akarsh Sriramoju, Ms Nandini Biswas of NALSAR, Dr Donthi Narasimha Reddy, Ms.Nikita Naidu, Ruchith Asha Kamal, Master Reyansh.
The festival featured several side events and eco-activities such as Eco Cartoon, FunDuChallenge, EcoDoctor, EcoShoot, EcoFit, and announcement of Lifetime Achieivement Award to Sri Vijay Ram Organic Farmer. encouraging active audience participation and spreading environmental messages in innovative ways. The Best Volunteer Award was presented to Dr. Tanisha Suvarna for her dedicated service and contribution by making EcoWord videos for Babul’s EcoDictionary – world’s only vidtionary dedicated to the Environment. The Award-Winning Films of BEFF 2025 included:
- Quota by Job, Joris & Marieke
- Sacrebleu – Chapter 1 by Clement Oberto
- The Boy and the Pin Wheel by Jaehyang Choi
These films were recognized for their outstanding storytelling, cinematic excellence, and strong environmental messages and cash prizes given away.
The festival had a blend of virtual and in-person filmmaker interactions, featuring international directors such as Maria Korporal (The Wishing Table), Jonathan B. Behr (ANNA – A Tale for Tomorrow), Hing Tsang (Amazon Visions), De Mars Jerry (Green Legacy), Damian Sánchez (Crystal Frog), Livia Giuliani (Cycling Against Ghost), Mindaugas Survila (The Ancient Woods – Sengirė), and Sławomir Skupiński (Amphibians: Pioneers of Life on Land).
The prestigious Jury Panel consisted of eminent personalities including K. Babu Rao (Scientist), Rizwan Ahmad (Filmmaker, Media Strategist & UNESCO Expert Director of the Instructional Media Centre (IMC) at MANUU), Parashar Kumar (Environmentalist), Madhu Mahankali (FTII Alumnus, Cinematographer & Director), Prasad Jaladi (Social Entrepreneur, Founder of Suraksha, USA), Gopichand Poludasu (Retd. Deputy Commissioner of Central GST), and Imran Siddiqui (Wildlife Biologist).
Media coverage was strong, with electronic, TV, and YouTube (YTCH) platforms highlighting festival events and award moments. The Festival Report Video (Watch here) and the Signature Film (Watch here) captured the essence of BEFF 2025, showcasing its diverse film lineup and impactful environmental message.
The festival achieved significant audience engagement on social media through hashtags like #babulecofilmfestival #babulecofilmfest #beff2025
9TH bEFF REPORT VIDEO