The 8th edition of the World Vegan Festival saw the inauguration of the World Vegan Film Festival in Jakarta from May 13th to May 14th and Bali on May 16th in Indonesia. The festival showcased a captivating lineup of films that explored various aspects of veganism, ranging from animal rights and environmental sustainability to the health benefits of a plant-based diet and worldwide conservation efforts.
The World Vegan Festival this time was grander than ever, celebrating veganism, conservation, and animal rights and featuring a variety of vegan food choices with a wide spread of Indonesian food with diverse flavours resembling Indian food delicacies. It could be felt how culturally aligned Indian and Indonesian ways of everyday eating are.
Among the film festival highlights, people from across Asia were part of movie screenings and talks by renowned speakers. Aprajita Ashish, the regional liaison of the Animal Save Movement in Asia, represented Plant Based Treaty, a global campaign focussing on transitioning towards a holistic plant-based food system and the urgency to move towards climate-resilient, non-exploitative systems.
While explaining the interconnection between a plant-based diet, the environment and community actions, Aprajita stated, “We are writing to mayors and government officials in India to endorse the Plant Based Treaty and support actions which will ultimately align with the goals of the Paris Agreement. By bringing in more plant-based options, we can fight climate change effectively. India has abundant plant-based options, and millet, for instance, being internationally endorsed as the crop of the year, has much potential. We should empower youth to harness their skills and take initiatives for a better plant-forward future.”
Aprajita Ashish speaking at the Panel Discussion on Climate Change
Another important part of the festival was the Plant Based Treaty Gallery which showcased various aspects of shifting to a plant-based diet. It was projected with posters on proper nutrition sources, such as where to get protein from in plant-based foods, and also a strong call to action for people to endorse the treaty as well as understand the urgency of climate action, mitigating emissions from animal agriculture and also transitioning towards a just food system.
Glimpse of the Plant Based Treaty Gallery
Amongst the selection of films at the film festival was “Maa Ka Doodh”. The film, directed by Dr Harsha, has received a positive response from the film industry and viewers, especially youth. The film depicts the detrimental effects of the dairy industry on the environment and the lives of cows trapped in an exploitative system in India. Also, it exposes the standard practices followed in the dairy industry, not just in India but across the world. Maa Ka Doodh is being screened at various film festivals, theatres, and events and is available on its official YouTube channel, @maakadoodh.
Harsha being honoured with the World Vegan Organisation Golden Damar Kurung First-Time Filmmaker Award
Harsha was also honoured with the World Vegan Organisation Golden Damar Kurung First-Time Filmmaker award. The award is for a filmmaker who tackles subjects dealing with protecting the planet and animals and promoting a plant-based diet, often exposing truths not widely known to the public through filmmaking. While being awarded, Harsha expressed his journey in creating this movie while quoting, “I hope the film will raise public awareness and encourage people to switch towards plant-based milk and other products to reduce the burden on the planet and also save countless bovines suffering in the dairy industry.”
The World Vegan Film Festival explored the link between food choices, animal rights, and environmental health, leaving a lasting impression on attendees and promoting compassion through the power of cinema.
