WATCH PARTY CURATIONS
From December 4 to 14, 2025, ALT EFF brings climate cinema to you — in your living room, café, or community space. Host a Watch Party and stream powerful environmental films from around the world, on your terms and in your space.
DO GOOD
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                    ![]()  The Last GardenIn a smog-filled city, seventy-year-old Henry finds escape in the last community garden, now under threat from looming construction. 
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                    ![]()  Waste and the City - The Mavallipura Landfill StoryWaste management challenges in Bangalore are exemplified by the Mavallipura landfill. Decades of advocacy led to legal reforms, highlighting the ongoing struggle for dignity among Karnataka’s sanitation workers. 
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                    ![]()  The Butterfly ManThe Butterfly Man follows Isaac Kehimkar, a passionate naturalist who has spent his life protecting India’s butterflies. His story unfolds with the butterfly’s metamorphosis, a transformation both remarkable and rarely seen up close. 
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                    ![]()  Reviving Rare Native Plants - One Seedling at a timeIn Tamil Nadu, Kavitha and Bharathidasan nurture over 125,000 native seedlings annually, focusing on rare and lesser-known species. 
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                    ![]()  PufflingTeenagers Birta and Selma spend their nights rescuing pufflings on a remote Icelandic island, guiding them safely to sea after they mistake harbour lights for the moon. Puffling is a coming-of-age story of responsibility, resilience, and the delicate ties binding human life to the natural world. 
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                    ![]()  Future CouncilDamon Gameau, award winning filmmaker behind 2040 and That Sugar Film, takes eight kids on the ultimate school excursion: a road trip across Europe to meet with powerful leaders and find solutions to our greatest ecological challenges, from the unique perspective of youth. 
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                    ![]()  Studio Alternatives - The Circle of ThingsChoosing the Alternative Way, set against today’s throwaway culture, follows designers Sonali and Dhara as they trace a path where circularity guides creation. Collecting discarded materials, they reimagine waste into useful forms. 
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                    ![]()  Seeing Red: Saving Red PandasFollow the success and challenges of a breeding program aiming to reintroduce the endangered Red Pandas to their native forests in India and Nepal. 
FEEL SOLIDARITY
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                    ![]()  Let's call a spade a spade - we're globally entrenched in systems of production that have led us to a point of collapse. There's no point sugarcoating it - we're in the sixth extinction and, likely, you're feeling upset, stuck or helpless. Well, you're not alone. Communities all over the world are grappling with the ripple effects of climate change that manifest in vastly different ways. 
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                    ![]()  PanhaIn a Maharashtrian village, seven year old Vithu feels the threat to his family’s ancestral mango farm from the bullet train project. While his father dreams of the city and his uncle clings to farming roots, Vithu takes action that forces the family to confront loss and rediscover unity. 
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                    ![]()  JadugodaDama, a farmer from a village being poisoned by the Uranium mines, tries his best to get his daughter married but pays a heavy price for the atomic hunger of the country right before the 1998 Pokharan nuclear test. 
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                    ![]()  PatrolAn emerging crisis in one of the last remaining rainforests in Central America ignites a heroic mission in PATROL. When illegal cattle ranchers decimate large swaths of rainforest, indigenous rangers join forces with an American conservationist and undercover journalists to expose a wealthy rancher, his government connections, and widespread deforestation. 
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                    ![]()  Frontier TownFairbourne, UK has been told that by 2054 the village will be decommissioned and left to the sea. As scientists test coastal defenses in a lab, villagers on the frontline of the climate crisis confront an uncertain future as the UK’s first climate refugees. 
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                    ![]()  The Ice BuildersAn urgent portrait of the people of the Zanskar valley and their struggle to survive extreme living conditions aggravated by climate change 
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                    ![]()  We are spending the entire day waiting for waterIn drought-stricken Mann Desh, Maharashtra, the Dhangar community faces acute scarcity. Water arrives once in twelve days, forcing farmers to sell cattle and children to migrate. Village manager Panda struggles to supply hundreds of homes, while India advances Mann Desh still waits for a dependable glass of water. 
DIG DEEPER
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                    ![]()  Put on those reading glasses and dig in: because beyond the flashy headlines lie complicated stories, where villains and heroes exchange places in a matter of seconds. Watch these films with a critical eye, begin an investigation into your own mind: does what you see resonate with what you know? Are various identities and issues intersecting in ways you didn't think possible? 
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                    ![]()  Beneath The Panel: The Hidden Losses of India’s Solar ParksIn 2016, Adani Green built the world’s largest solar park in Ramanathapuram, displacing farmland and water resources. Many villagers migrated. This documentary follows those who stayed, examining the socio-economic impacts of large solar projects and exploring what a just transition for affected communities could entail. 
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                    ![]()  Down The DrainDown The Drain is a documentary-fiction film about Bangalore’s sewage, told from the perspective of a woman who accidentally flushes her watch down the toilet. Using mixed media, the film follows the watch’s journey and reveals the pipes, people, and conversations that shape the city’s hidden sewage system. 
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                    ![]()  STEALING GIANTSThe documentary 'STEALING GIANTS' exposes the shocking illegal trade in live elephants smuggled from Laos to China and the United Arab Emirates. Animal activist Karl Ammann and director Laurin Merz reveal the dark underbelly of a world where corruption and profit triumph over wildlife conservation. 
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                    ![]()  How Mallah Women Fought Caste Hierarchy and Sex SlaveryIn Bihar, over 5000 fisherwomen face violent opposition and systemic oppression as they fight for rights to village ponds. They confront patriarchy, caste abuse, and sexual slavery. Guided by social worker Viji Srinivasan, the women recount their struggle, revealing the courage and resilience required to challenge entrenched injustice. 
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                    ![]()  A Sanctuary in the CrossfireSet in Assam’s Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, this film traces the impact of railway electrification and oil exploration on India’s only ape. Through reportage, interviews, and visual storytelling, the film examines the fragile balance between conservation, local communities, and the pressures of rapid development in this biodiverse forest. 
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                    ![]()  Blood WoodEurope's last wild forests are in danger due to heavy logging for commercial use. Can they be protected before it's too late? In Romania, journalist Max Ihlenburg follows activists challenging the wood industry’s greenwashing, while scientist Ria reveals the critical role of primary forests in fighting climate change. 
AFFIRM WHAT’S NATIVE
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                    ![]()  WeedsAmid endless weedy fields, a hidden garden is lovingly tended by the Gardener. When a fierce storm floods it with weed seeds, it turns into a life-and-death battle for the garden’s survival. 
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                    ![]()  Amu Darya: River to a Missing SeaThe film traces the memories of the Amu Darya, a river once flowing to the Aral Sea. Through voices of Uzbek and Karakalpak communities, it captures the loss of water, the resilience of people, and the USSR’s transformation of a vast lake into the world’s youngest desert. 
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                    ![]()  Phir Bhi (Even So)In India’s Charotar region, people live in harmony with marsh crocodiles, India’s largest freshwater predator. With fewer than ten attacks in ten years, this coexistence is remarkable. Phir Bhi follows these communities to understand their deep tolerance, their challenges, and how collective care shapes a shared future with wildlife. 
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                    ![]()  The Dooars WorldDooars is the geographical corridor between India and Bhutan at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas. Filmed over three and a half years, it captures remarkable biodiversity and human–wildlife stories. It tells of a rare coexistence between past and future, the evolving human–wildlife relationship in the Dooars. 
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                    ![]()  Keepers of the Kelp ForestAlong California’s coastline, once-thriving kelp forests are vanishing, consumed by unchecked sea urchin populations and erratic environmental shifts. In Monterey Bay, home to one of the nation’s largest marine protected areas, scientists, conservationists, and volunteers race against time to restore this vital habitat before it disappears completely. 
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                    ![]()  After The World Ends... It Begins AgainThis film tells the story of three generations of Kheria Sabar women resisting cultural erasure. While history recalls punitive violence against Sabar men, it foregrounds women’s invisible wounds, showing how climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and migration extend state violence with a deeply gendered impact. 
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                    ![]()  Karma Gaabo ReKarma Gaabo Re offers an intimate glimpse into the Baiga tribe of Madhya Pradesh, displaced from their ancestral forests yet holding on to echoes of their heritage. Through songs, dances, and rituals, the film captures a resilient people whose deep connection with land and tradition continues to endure. 
CELEBRATE LIFE
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                    ![]()  Kharvan- in search of the Elusive oneKHARVAN, set in Goa’s 3,000-year-old Khazan wetlands, follows the smooth-coated otter, a species thriving in this human-shaped ecosystem. Using live action and animation, the film reveals deep ties between nature, culture, and belief in Rakhandars, spirit guardians of the land, reflecting on coexistence, ecological fragility, and ancestral stewardship. 
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                    ![]()  Would You Still Love Me If I was a Sticky Frog?A young couple in a long-distance relationship imagine themselves as three different endangered species - Cameron Highland Sticky Frog, Proboscis Monkey, and Great Hornbill. Viral-meme-turned-film combines scripted drama with wildlife sequences for a refreshing cross-genre take on natural history and endangered species. 
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                    ![]()  Ghughuti Ki Maala (The Garland of Ghughuti)On Makar Sankranti in Uttarakhand, children string fried sweets into garlands to feed crows. Bhanu, eager to eat, is stopped by his grandmother and hears from his grandfather the ritual’s story. The Garland of Ghughuti weaves food, family, folklore, and the playfulness of cultural tradition. 
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                    ![]()  Desi OonThis film traces the cultural, spiritual, and ecological significance of Deccani wool through the story of Balu Mama and his revered flock. Exploring resilient sheep, shepherding traditions, and wool’s sacred role, it contrasts a rich heritage with modern neglect, asking if past wisdom can inspire renewed value for pastoral life. 
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                    ![]()  The cloud peopleIn the early 20th century, Japanese scholar Abe Masanao filmed clouds worldwide. A century later, scientists gather in Barbados to study clouds’ mysteries and their climate role. Through discoveries and setbacks, locals and climatologists reflect on the timeless fascination clouds inspire. 
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                    ![]()  ReindalenIn the fastest‑warming place on Earth, two friends and their polar‑bear–guard dog explore the tiny, fat Svalbard reindeer thriving amid climate change. But through their close encounters, they wonder—are these positive signs, or is this the end of innocence for these extraordinary Arctic creatures? 
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                    ![]()  The Last DiveTerry, an American veteran in Baja, forged a remarkable bond with Willy, a 22-foot manta ray. Their dives together turned Terry into an unlikely conservationist. Now in his 80s, he sets sail on one final voyage—seeking Willy, and perhaps peace, closure, and farewell. 
SEEK RESILIENCE
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                    ![]()  The modern world has been designed to keep us siloed, separating us from each other and from nature. But there's plenty of evidence that time spent in nature (and with community) is the remedy for our over-stimulated, technology-heavy lives. When possible, some people are able to find that balance for themselves. Cheggit. 
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                    ![]()  Daughter of the SeaIn a smog-filled city, seventy-year-old Henry finds escape in the last community garden, now under threat from looming construction. When he clashes with Narjisse, a young activist determined to fight back, their unlikely encounter tests two generations and sparks the possibility of awakening a passive community. 
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                    ![]()  One Seed At A TimeA silent revolution is unfolding in the agriculturally distressed regions of Maharashtra,India. Through new farming practices based on agroecology, marginalised women farmers are challenging societies oppressive structures and bringing equity to their lives. 
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                    ![]()  The Mushroom KeepersThe Mushroom Keepersi, explores the deep ties between fungi and the Khasi and Garo of Meghalaya. Through conversations with elders, it reflects on the intertwined loss of forests and ancestral knowledge, embodying the Foundation’s mission of research, education, and conservation. 
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                    ![]()  Snow Leopard SistersAn inspiring story of an unlikely yet powerful friendship between two Indigenous women in one of the most isolated corners of the Himalayas. Conservationist Tshiring Lhamu Lama mentors 17-year-old Tenzin Bhuti Gurung, who is desperate to escape a forced marriage, as they search for endangered snow leopards. 
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                    ![]()  SeaspeakerIn Urur Olcott Kuppam, fisher elder S. Palayam records daily ocean data, blending faith and science. Partnering with researcher Nityanand Jayaraman, he co-founded “Science of the Seas.” His youth story, animated by shadow puppeteer Muthuchandran Rao, celebrates traditional knowledge in a changing world. 
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                    ![]()  KentaroKentaro follows a 7 year old boy in the remote mountain community of Kawakami, Japan, where his birth—first in the village in 25 years—brings new energy to a dwindling village. His presence symbolises renewal, inspiring hope for tradition, connection, and a future amidst population decline. 
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                    ![]()  Zag-Tall Trees Need Deep RootsThe Araucária tree and the Xokleng people are one. To ensure survival, a small family takes on the mission of saving their sacred tree—an act of love, resistance, and faith in generations yet to come. 
PARALLEL REALITIES
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                    ![]()  GenesisIn a near-future Mumbai, mothers stop lactating, and the state forbids feeding others’ children. Urvashi, a widowed fisherwoman with an infant, survives as a milk donor. As economic collapse leaves only the wealthy able to buy milk, her fate changes when she finds an abandoned baby. 
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                    ![]()  OdhAfter beach goes missing, a fisherman drags his boat into the city, leaving his estranged daughter to face the consequences of his actions. 
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                    ![]()  Where trees weepA rural community wakes up to a crime scene in the middle of the forest. Little by little, a series of previous situations show us the conflicts that happened in the same place. 
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                    ![]()  Outgrow the SystemOutgrow the System, directed by Cecilia Paulsson and Anders Nilsson, explores innovative economic ideas replacing today’s resource-draining model. Amid humanity’s crisis, these pioneers present new perspectives with the potential to transform the world, offering solutions for sustainability, justice, and a resilient future. 
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                    ![]()  The Girl and The PotIn a dystopian world, the Girl breaks her ceramic pot, which holds a secret within. The breaking of the pot opens portals to a parallel universe and the girl enters a time of transformation in which the creation of a new world is finally possible. 
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                    ![]()  kawausoKawauso tells the story of a girl who encounters a Japanese river otter. They attempt to communicate, but the otter is already extinct. Through this poignant meeting, the film reflects on modern society’s losses and invites viewers to consider the sacrifices behind them. 
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                    ![]()  WHEN THE WIND RISESIn this fictional satire, an aging activist wages a solitary struggle against the expansion of an oil refinery in his tiny fishing village. All the while the other villagers are infectiously united in their indecisiveness between sustainable change and short-term social security. 
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                    ![]()  Chasing TimeOver 15 years, Chasing Time follows James Balog’s Extreme Ice Survey, capturing glaciers vanishing and providing visual evidence of climate change. Reuniting with the Emmy-winning Chasing Ice team, it concludes their epic work, reflecting on time, mortality, and intergenerational hope. 
FOR THE YOUNG ONES
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                    ![]()  Desi OonThis film traces the cultural, spiritual, and ecological significance of Deccani wool through the story of Balu Mama and his revered flock. Exploring resilient sheep, shepherding traditions, and wool’s sacred role, it contrasts a rich heritage with modern neglect, asking if past wisdom can inspire renewed value for pastoral life. 
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                    ![]()  CacophonyA city-weary blackbird finds a private garden and tries to serenade a female resident, only to realize the quiet he sought is still elusive. Straining his voice to be heard, he faces challenges and must navigate the struggle to reclaim his song. 
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                    ![]()  HOW WATER MAKES CLIMATEHow Water Makes Climate portrays the crucial connection between water cycles and climate. The animation shows what a healthy intact water cycle is, the consequences of its destruction, and how our broken cycle can be restored. It inspires youth to learn about water and take action in communities. 
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                    ![]()  Ghughuti Ki Maala (The Garland of Ghughuti)On Makar Sankranti in Uttarakhand, children string fried sweets into garlands to feed crows. Bhanu, eager to eat, is stopped by his grandmother and hears from his grandfather the ritual’s story. The Garland of Ghughuti weaves food, family, folklore, and the playfulness of cultural tradition. 
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                    ![]()  The Butterfly ManThe Butterfly Man follows Isaac Kehimkar, a passionate naturalist who has spent his life protecting India’s butterflies. Born in Mumbai, one of the world’s most crowded cities, Isaac creates butterfly gardens and teaches children. His story unfolds with the butterfly’s metamorphosis, a transformation both remarkable and rarely seen up close. 
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                    ![]()  Kharvan- in search of the Elusive oneKHARVAN, set in Goa’s 3,000-year-old Khazan wetlands, follows the smooth-coated otter, a species thriving in this human-shaped ecosystem. Using live action and animation, the film reveals deep ties between nature, culture, and belief in Rakhandars, spirit guardians of the land, reflecting on coexistence, ecological fragility, and ancestral stewardship. 
- 
              
                
                    ![]()  Phir Bhi (Even So)In India’s Charotar region, people live in harmony with marsh crocodiles, India’s largest freshwater predator. With fewer than ten attacks in ten years, this coexistence is remarkable. Phir Bhi follows these communities to understand their deep tolerance, their challenges, and how collective care shapes a shared future with wildlife. 
- 
              
                
                    ![]()  The Last GardenIn a smog-filled city, seventy-year-old Henry finds escape in the last community garden, now under threat from looming construction. When he clashes with Narjisse, a young activist determined to fight back, their unlikely encounter tests two generations and sparks the possibility of awakening a passive community. 
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                    ![]()  Shelling Out: A tale of crabitat lossHermie, a hermit crab from the Andamans, searches for a home in a world where seashells disappear and plastic takes their place. Playful yet sobering, this short film reflects on climate change, compassion, and humanity’s role in protecting fragile marine life. 
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                    ![]()  Future CouncilDamon Gameau, award winning filmmaker behind 2040 and That Sugar Film, takes eight kids on the ultimate school excursion: a road trip across Europe to meet with powerful leaders and find solutions to our greatest ecological challenges, from the unique perspective of youth. 
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                    ![]()  PanhaIn a Maharashtrian village, seven year old Vithu feels the threat to his family’s ancestral mango farm from the bullet train project. While his father dreams of the city and his uncle clings to farming roots, Vithu takes action that forces the family to confront loss and rediscover unity. 
 
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                      