My Name Is Climate" Film Festival 2025: A Resounding Success in Birmingham

The festival saw the attendance of several esteemed filmmakers and environmental advocates:

Attendees and Special Guests

● Teoman Sayin's critically acclaimed feature film, "Tapped," was a standout success, receiving the Best Feature Film Award from the United Kingdom. Additionally, Elijah Baker, the film's lead actor, was honored with the Best Actor Award.

● Tom Francome, whose film "Heal The Land" won the Best Short Film from the United Kingdom. This powerful documentary, filmed at Heal Somerset, charts an ambitious mission to rewind an unproductive livestock farm into a resilient haven for wildlife, offering hope for nature's recovery.

● Dean Cooper, whose film "Autonomous Winter Shelter" was selected for Best Short Documentary Film on Social Issue, shows an incredible true story of housing activists in East London who transformed a disused convent into a vital homeless shelter .

● Andy Vermaut, a European Climate Pact Ambassador, made a remarkable journey by bus and ferry all the way from Belgium to Birmingham to participate. He served not only as a jury member but also as part of a discussion panel. Mr. Vermaut diligently documented his experience, writing articles about every single movie he watched and all the activities he engaged in during the festival. These insightful articles are available on indegazette.be.

● Dr. Karen Johnson, author of the biography "Out of the Corner," which reflects her mission to save and change lives, was also a prominent figure. Dr. Johnson, who runs various groups to support women's rights and other causes, was part of the jury panel for the second time and now considers herself a "lifetime family" member of "My Name is Climate."

International Jury and Festival Engagement

Ten international jury members were responsible for the film selection and monitored all progress. These included:

● Dr. Don Emby from South Africa

● Subrat Acharya from Nepal

● Kavita Pajan Dhar from The Netherlands

● Katherine Shannon from the United Kingdom

● Vasoula Christodoulou from Cyprus

● Fatima Chbibane from France

● Elizabeth Gaylynn Baker from the USA

Additionally, Andy Vermaut from Belgium, Vaishalli Paatil from the UK and India, and Karen Johnson from the UK were present at the festival, actively contributing to the discussions and evaluations.

Engaging Discussions and Workshops

A pivotal discussion panel titled "The Warming World: Europe, Himalayas & Beyond" featured David Toke, Reader of Sustainability and Energy Politics at the University of Aberdeen, as a speaker. The panel was hosted by Dr. Karen Johnson, who also served as a jury member for the festival.

Attendees had the valuable opportunity for Q&A sessions with filmmakers, allowing for deeper engagement and understanding of the films and their underlying messages. The festival also offered a free workshop led by Jet Summan, a professional actor, providing valuable insights into the craft.

Community Support and Recognition

The festival received significant support from the community, including Vaishaali Patil, who runs the mental health organisation "Let's Talk," and Josh Neicho, a local climate story editor and journalist, supported the festival by conducting Q&As with filmmakers and raising awareness through his articles. The dedication of numerous volunteers was also recognised with appreciation awards and trophies.

At the close of the festival, all participating filmmakers, volunteers, special guests, and jury members were awarded with appreciation awards and certificates for their invaluable contributions to the event and its mission.

The Film Festival received additional support from Kishore Dhunna, a funding and subsidy advisor, who offered a complimentary talk on the subsidy application process. The "Support My Name is Climate" foundation also contributed to the festival.

Mansoor Zahid and Hussein Rangoonwala were integral members of the operation team, lending their support to the film festival. Tahra Sebti provided valuable assistance with photo and videography.

Inspiring Films and Awards

The festival screened 12 films, including "Toxic Influence: The Dark Side of the Dove," which had connections with Greenpeace production. A particularly moving film was "The Man of the Trees," directed by Andrea Trivero and Daniel Balima. This inspiring documentary told the story of 67-year-old polio survivor Daniel Balima from Burkina Faso, who walks with his hands and has planted over a million trees in 50 years to sustain his community and family. This film was widely acclaimed as the most loved film of the festival, showcasing how disability can transform into opportunity.

Lord Lieutenant highlighted the festival's crucial role in raising awareness through meaningful films, expressing confidence that it would grow by connecting with schools and colleges. He also acknowledged the unwavering support of HM Lieutenant on key subjects like climate change.

The festival celebrated over 123 winners across multiple categories, with the full list available here:

Award Winners by Category:

SPECIAL AWARDS

● MY NAME IS CLIMATE BRAVERY AWARD: The Stolen Life of Lucy the Elephant - Fern Susan Levitt - Canada

● BEST CLIMATE ACTION BY YOUTH FILM AWARD: Green SuperHeroes 2030 - Los Angeles Barea - United States

● BEST INSPIRING KEY CAST: The Man of The Trees - Daniel Balima - Burkina Faso

● DIVERSITY AWARD: Kanenon:we - Original Seeds - Katsitsionni D Fox - United States

● COMPASSION AWARD: The Last Drop - Omar Al-Naimat, Malek Ahmad - Jordan

● GREEN FUTURE AWARD: The Inga Tree Model 2025 - Adam Wakeling - Honduras

● AWARD FOR BEST FARMER STORY FROM UNITED KINGDOM: Stroodelande - a vision for nature restoration - Graham Higgins - United Kingdom

● AWARD FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL FARMER STORY: Reviving Millets for Climate Resilience - Kavita Carneiro - India

● BEST OCEAN LIFE AWARENESS AWARD: Ocean seen from the heart - Iolande Cadrin-Rossignol, Marie-Dominique Michaud - Canada

BEST SUSTAINABLE FILM

● BEST FILM AWARD: It'll Never Work - Joe Osborn - United Kingdom

● JURY AWARD: The Value of Things - Tobias Luchsinger - Switzerland

● BEST DIRECTOR: The Electric Caravan - Kyle Niemer - United States

BEST SHORT FILM ON CLIMATE CHANGE

● BEST FILM AWARD: to Save Life on Earth - Jan Phillips - United States

● AUDIENCE AWARD: The Future is in Our Territories - Eliana Lafone - Colombia

● JURY AWARD: Ice Breaker - Chayanee Niljianskul - Thailand

● HONOURABLE MENTION:

○ Les Matérialistes - Jonathan Lapalme, Meggan Collins - Canada

○ How We Are Saving a River | Restoring Ross Island : David Alexander Baker - USA

○ Remains - Robert Duncan - United Kingdom

○ Blink by Chris Redmond - Chris Redmond, Jon Hardy, Liv Torc - United States

○ Super Sleuths of the Streets - Liv Torc, Chris Redmond, Jon Hardy - United Kingdom

○ Inundations - Anne Ciecko - United States

BEST FEATURE FILM ON CLIMATE CHANGE

● BEST FILM AWARD: Harmony - Yuda Kurniawan - Indonesia

● AUDIENCE AWARD: AMPHIBIANS. Pioneers of life on land - Sławomir Skupiński - Poland

● JURY AWARD: Dating Planet A - Johannes Felder, Jonathan Hofmeister - Germany

● HONOURABLE MENTION:

○ Brave Love - John Calder - New Zealand

○ Insect_O_Cide - Georgina Willis - United Kingdom

○ Europe's lithium paradox - Stijn van Baarle - Belgium

○ STRATA- Verena Stenke, Andrea Pagnes, VestAndPage - Germany

○ Carbon Men Salvations: The Senator’s Dilemma - United States

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM ON CLIMATE CHANGE

● BEST FILM AWARD: Frozen Waters - Anastasia Fetisov - United States

● BEST EDUCATIONAL AWARD: Herders of Change - František Ficek, Christian Fischer, Verónica Relaño - Germany

● BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR: Something in the water - Alex Eggermont/ Jaron Pham - Belgium

● BEST WRITER: On African Soil - Jackson Kingsley - South Africa

● BEST WOMEN DIRECTOR: Ko Tātou Te Wai - We Are the Water - Stephanie Guest - New Zealand

● BEST WOMEN DIRECTOR FROM UNITED KINGDOM: Rising Tides, Raising Voices Jody Kristina Santos - United Kingdom

● BEST FILM FROM UNITED KINGDOM: Keep our Sea Chemical Free - Senara Wilson United Kingdom

● BEST DIRECTOR FROM UNITED KINGDOM: Ocean of Sounds - Jackson Kingsley United Kingdom

● BEST DRAMA FROM UNITED KINGDOM: Sentinels - Mark Knightley - United Kingdom

● BEST FIRST TIME FILMMAKERS: Amu Darya: River to a Missing Sea - James Chapman, Oscar Fraser Turner, Annie Liddell - UK

● BEST NARRATOR AWARD: Its Time - Dave Pettitt - United States

● JURY AWARD:

○ Keepers of The Coastline - Jermey Charles - United States

○ Desert Of The Mists - Cristiana Bontemps - Monaco

○ Correnteza - Diego Müller, Pablo Müller - Brazil

○ Refabricate - Brielle Barozzini - United States

● HONOURABLE MENTION:

○ Women Lead the Charge for a Waste-Free Jim Corbett - Anushka Rovshen - India

○ Transforming the Future of Food - Anelisa Garfunkel, Jeanne Eisenhaure - United States

○ Civil Disobedience - Thomas Østbye - Norway

○ The Taste of Honey - Mohammad Rakibul Hasan, Fabeha Monir - Bangladesh

○ Aeras - Yannis Bletas - Greece

○ My Name is Swallow - Kirsty Wells, Nick Manser - United Kingdom

○ The Soul of the Salzach - Pascal Rosler - Germany

BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM ON CLIMATE CHANGE

● BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARD: Priceless Forests - Orane Burri - Switzerland

● BEST FILM FROM UNITED KINGDOM AWARD: THE RWENZORI RAINMAKERS - Zuleika Kingdon - United Kingdom

● BEST INTERNATIONAL WOMEN DIRECTOR: OFF THE MARK - Wera Uschakowa Norway

● BEST WOMEN DIRECTOR FROM UNITED KINGDOM: Tim Stead Magician With Wood Beatrix A. Wood - United Kingdom

● BEST DIRECTOR: On Melting Snow - Mojtaba Bahadori - Belgium, Iceland

● BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREEN WRITER: Imprint - Mattias Olsson - Sweden

● BEST SCREEN WRITER FROM UNITED KINGDOM: System Update | Rebooting Our Future - Paul Maple - United Kingdom

● BEST PRODUCER: Water - Gary Beeber/ Hope Taft - United States

● BEST SCORE: Artery - Ádám Balázs - Hungary

● AUDIENCE AWARD: Machland – Four Dimensions of Sustainability - Patrick Veit, Lewin Grabo - Germany

● BEST EDITOR AWARD: Mountains In Harmony - Francisco Javier Fernández Bordonada Spain

● JURY AWARD:

○ The Red List - Ross Pierson - United Kingdom

○ Not In My Country - Stijn van Baarle - Belgium

○ Our new world - Gilles Dufraisse, Frédéric Fougea - France

● HONOURABLE MENTION:

○ Wild Again - Nick Wilkinson - United Kingdom

○ Mes Voisins Sauvages - Pascal Cardeilhac - France

BEST SHORT ANIMATION FILM ON CLIMATE CHANGE

● BEST FILM AWARD: Solid as a Rock - Tiva Door Pam - Netherlands

● BEST DIRECTOR: Lunatic - Robin Noorda - Netherlands

● BEST WOMEN DIRECTOR: Artic Shifts - Anna Linermann - United States

● AUDIENCE AWARD: The Straight Poop - Sue Orloff - United States

● JURY AWARD:

○ Animal Anthem Music Video - Ben Wild - United Kingdom

○ By the Shore - Rojin Aslan Vesek - Turkey

● HONOURABLE MENTION: Unless - Antonina Gotfrid - Poland

BEST SHORT FILM ON ANIMALS

● BEST FILM AWARD: Protect & Conserve - Atzmon Dagan - Israel

● HONOURABLE MENTION: Friends Not Food - Peter Stray - United States

BEST FEATURE FILM ON ANIMALS

● BEST FILM AWARD: The Master Of The Altai Mountains - Vadim Vitovtsev, Ilya Tsyganov - Russian Federation

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM ON ANIMALS

● BEST FILM AWARD: The Lingerie Protest - Jordan Ehrlich - United States

● AUDIENCE AWARD: Arctic Encounters - Cristiana Bontemps - Monaco

● JURY AWARD: Journey of Transformation - Jaap Perenboom - Netherlands

● HONOURABLE MENTION: Meet The Woman Saving Orangutans from Extinction - Nigel Duarte - United States

BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM ON ANIMALS

● BEST FILM AWARD: Wilding - Miguel Cortes Costa, Carolina Castro Almeida - Portugal

● BEST DIRECTOR: Jake & Isa and the Biomes of Brazil - Joao Amorim - Brazil

● JURY AWARD: 399:Queen of the Tetons - Elizabeth Leiter - United States

● HONOURABLE MENTION: The European pond turtle. A unique relic of Polish nature Michal Ogrodowczyk - Poland

BEST SHORT ANIMATION FILM ON ANIMALS

● BEST FILM AWARD: Cows - Alina Sivets - Czech Republic ● BEST DIRECTOR: Bees, Beavers and Bats - Elena Fox - United States

● JURY AWARD: Save Swift Parrots - Jim Southwell - Australia

BEST SHORT FILM ON SOCIAL ISSUE

● BEST FILM AWARD: SHELTER - Tony G.X. Shi - Canada

● BEST DRAMA: Beholden - Leon Lopez - United Kingdom

● BEST DIRECTOR: Ban Before Reading - Stephen Ziegler - United States

● JURY AWARD: Earth in 100 Seconds - Daniel Raven-Ellison - United Kingdom

BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM ON SOCIAL ISSUE

● BEST FILM AWARD: Purpose - Martin H. Oetting - Germany

● BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roots of Resilience - Benjamin Thomassin - Saint Lucia

● BEST DIRECTOR: ROMAGNA TROPICALE - PASCAL BERNHARDT - Italy

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM ON SOCIAL ISSUE

● BEST FILM FROM UNITED KINGDOM AWARD: Autonomous Winter Shelter - Dean Cooper - United Kingdom

● BEST FEMALE DIRECTOR: Freetown’s Ultracool Roofs - Surabhi Tandon - Sierra Leone

● BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARD: THE MAN OF THE TREES - Andrea Trivero - Italy

● JURY AWARD: Tempest - Bridget Sutherland - New Zealand

BEST FEATURE ANIMATION FILM ON SOCIAL ISSUE

● BEST FILM AWARD: Imagine - Jack Manning Bancroft - Australia

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM

● BEST FILM AWARD: SACREBLEU-Chapter-1 - Clement Oberto - United States

● JURY AWARD:

○ Messages from the Marsh - parts 1-3, mixed with A Rumble Inside - Amy Kaczur United States ○ CAMPING ARMOR - Nicolas de Lumbée - France

OFFICIAL SELECTION (PICKED BY STAFF):

● Unheard - Jessica Gomula-Kruzic - United States

● The Most Urgent Town Hall That Has Ever Happened - Bethany Hall, Esteban Gast, Caty Borum - USA

● Ode to Invisible - Linn Obrestad - Norway

● Your Style, Your Impact - Luciana Brafman, Ricardo Carioba - Brazil

● SH’HILI - Habib Ayeb - Tunisia

● Women Shape a Sustainable Future - Khushali Samriya - India

● A Biogas Revolution for Healthier Lives - Khushali Samriya - India

● The Residents of 49 - Ceara Carney - Ireland

BEST FEATURE FILM FROM UNITED KINGDOM

● BEST FILM AWARD: Tapped - Teoman Sayin - United Kingdom

● BEST DIRECTOR: Tim Stead Magician With Wood - Beatrix A. Wood - United Kingdom

● BEST ACTOR AWARD: Tapped - Elijah Baker - United Kingdom

BEST SHORT FILM FROM UNITED KINGDOM

● BEST FILM AWARD: Heal The Land - Tom Francome, Hayley Smith - United Kingdom

● AUDIENCE AWARD: The Dark Side of Dove - Alice Russell - United Kingdom

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

● BEST FILM AWARD: Sargassum - Claude Barnes - Canada

● BEST FEMALE DIRECTOR: The Forgotten Pacific - Elizabeth Koroivulaono - New Zealand

● BEST WRITER: REQUIEM IN WHITE - Harry Putz - Austria

● JURY AWARD: Sintrópica - Miguel García Orive - Spain

● BEST DIRECTOR AWARD: Clock Without A Dial - Fatma Karakuş Kaçmaz - Turkey

A Founder's Plea: Healing Our Planet, One Human Being

Lalit Bhusal, the founder of "My Name is Climate," delivered a powerful statement during a discussion panel, articulating the festival's core philosophy and the urgent need for global action:

"As the founder of My Name is Climate, I see our entire planet as one interconnected human being. Right now, we're witnessing a tragic scenario where efforts are made to heal one part of this 'human' while leaving gaping wounds on others. These untreated wounds, specifically the human cost of climate change, are becoming a global cancer that will inevitably spread.

We are eyewitnesses to this unfolding crisis. In Nepal, the rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers, once majestic and life-giving, is turning them into black rock. This isn't just a loss of beauty; it's a catastrophic threat. The resulting heavy floods are endangering lives and livelihoods in Nepal, with repercussions extending into India.

I recently visited schools in Pang, Kushma, within Nepal's Himalayan range. The stories there are heartbreakingly consistent: overheated weather and severe dryness are making it nearly impossible for farmers to grow crops, drying up natural water supplies. This daily struggle forces a resilient, hardworking generation to abandon their mountain villages, their homes for centuries, in search of basic survival.

Beyond agriculture, these regions face escalating landslides and forest fires intensified by heat. A lack of awareness, coupled with the exploitative actions of illegal timber mafias, further exacerbates the burning of precious forests for charcoal. The ecosystem is collapsing, forcing wildlife like tigers onto village streets, leading to tragic attacks and further displacement. For this very reason, birds now fly miles away from their natural habitats.

These aren't isolated incidents; these stories are echoing globally. Similar issues plague the entire Himalayan range, and we now see the devastating effects of global warming in the Swiss Alps, Antarctica's melting ice, rampant forest fires in Australia and the USA, and constant flood news from around the world.

In Western countries, we often shout about 'illegal immigrants,' but do we ever pause to consider the root causes of this mass human movement? It's not just war; it's climate change forcing people from their homes. Their countries, their lives, their very futures are in jeopardy, compelling them to seek basic human needs – food, water, and shelter – in places like Europe.

To stem this tide, we must urgently recognise that climate change in any part of the world is our issue. If one part of this planetary 'human' is wounded and we look away, that wound will fester and inevitably spread, becoming a cancer that consumes us all.

Let's not look away. Let's pool our resources, our empathy, and our collective will to heal every part of our shared world. And at the same time, let's work with the children of our future to equip them as climate scientists, climate engineers, geologists, and more specialists in this vital field. We need them, now more than ever, to work together to heal our Earth before we lose it."

Looking Ahead: 2026 Submissions and Almere International Film Festival 2025

Submissions are now open for the "My Name Is Climate Film Festival 2026." In exciting news, the My Name Is Climate Foundation will also be conducting the Almere International Film Festival 2025 in November in Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands. For those who like to take part this year in November, they can come to the Netherlands. This festival will feature categories on climate change alongside other regular categories such as drama, thriller, horror, comedy, and more, open to both international and Dutch filmmakers. For more information, please visit their website. https://www.aiff-nl.com

Support the Mission to Humanise Climate

The "My Name is Climate" Foundation is dedicated to its goal of humanising climate. Beyond the film festival, they are actively running mindfulness projects to connect humans with climate and nature by providing newly invented mindfulness sessions called Aham. They also showcase films on climate change and other relevant topics to schools, colleges, and institutions to create awareness and foster dialogue. If you are interested in holding an activity at your premises, please contact the My Name is Climate Foundation at hi@mynameisclimate.com.

Stay updated on the impactful work of MY NAME IS CLIMATE FOUNDATION, a registered Netherlands foundation.

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