The Roundglass Samsara Festival 2017  a global heralding of conscious, action through art, appreciation and dialogue commenced the first festival at National Institute of Advanced Studies in IISc on Monday.

This is an international festival that consist of 90 films picked by eminent panel of film makers from 4000 entries from 105 countries – chosen on the theme of environment with interesting concepts that entertain and educate the viewers.

The International Environmental Film Festival, which will continue till 5th October, will be held across three different venues in Bengaluru, namely National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS at IISc campus); Suchitra Cinema & Cultural Academy, Banashankari 2ndStage; and at National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Palace Road. These venues were chosen carefully on the basis of each being a place of Science, Film & Culture and Art respectively. All three put together is what RoundGlass Samsara stands for as a festival – An amalgamation of Art, Science and Culture – A Global heralding of conscious action.

The Festival, launched by Grammy® Winner Ricky Kej, was attended by numerous dignitaries, including reputed Swedish filmmaker Mr. Frederic Ollerstam, also a jury member for the festival; and Grammy-Nominee, Lonnie Park from USA.

The film festival began with the Indian premiere of the Ben Bowie & Geoffrey Luck movie – “Naledi – A Baby Elephant’s Tale”. The movie is an incredible, true-life story of a baby elephant born into a rescue camp in the wilderness of Botswana.

NIAS will be screening environmental films through the dates 2nd, 3rd and 4th October from 11 AM to 6 PM, Suchitra Cinema & Cultural Academy will screen films through 2nd, 3rd, and 4th October from 10 AM to 8 PM, while NGMA will screen films through 3rd, 4th and 5thOctober from 10:30 AM to 5 PM.

Citizens can walk in, watch and enjoy the films completely free of cost.  The films have been carefully chosen so as to be interesting and entertaining and that which will enter the consciousness of its viewers. Section-wise films being screened is as be 14 Feature films including Documentaries, 15 Short Animations, 14 Short Fictions including Documentaries , 16 Indian Panorama non-competition and 31 World Cinema non-competition are in the list of films.