We present the list of winners of the 9th International Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival (KLEFF) that took place from October 14th – 16th in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Best Feature Film (Full Length)
Power to Change: The Energy Rebellion by Carl-A. Fechner – Germany | 94 min.
This is a film about a great vision – and the people turning it into reality: the rebels of our day. The future of world energy lies in decentralised, clean supplies stemming 100% from renewable sources. That is the message of the film documentary POWER TO CHANGE – the energy rebellion.
Director Carl-A Fechner takes his audience on a journey through a country where hundreds of thousands of people are fighting for the energy revolution. Full of passion and hope, they accept setbacks and celebrate success. However, POWER TO CHANGE looks further afield. The film brings home to us why people in Ukraine fight with all they have left for a democratic energy system.
POWER TO CHANGE is the story of transition to a future that dispenses with fossil fuels and nuclear energy – told through portraits of the people making it happen. It is touching, moving, surprising and informative. With a great accompanying score and shot in lavish Cinemascope, the film has a clear message for its audience: Let us fight together – for a world that is sustainable and just!
Best Short Documentary
A last stand for Lelu by Farhan Umedaly & Tamo Campos – Canada | 25 min.
A great injustice is being done on Lelu Island near Prince Rupert, B.C., the sacred and traditional territory of the Lax Kw’alaams people for over 10,000 years. The B.C. provincial government is trying to green light the construction of a massive LNG terminal on the island – Pacific Northwest LNG, backed by Malaysian energy giant Petronas, without consent.
The Lax Kw’alaams are the keepers of Lelu Island and its connected Flora Bank, a massive sand bar that is part of the Skeena River estuary and known by fisheries biologists as some of the most important salmon habitat in Canada. The project would devastate the Skeena River, the natural wildlife and countless communities in the path of the LNG pipeline that will feed the terminal with fracked gas from Northeastern B.C.
The Lax Kw’alaams have voted unanimously against the project and became legendary when they rejected a $1.15 billion dollar deal from Petronas in an attempt by the company to gain consent.
Ignoring the voice of the Lax Kw’alaams, Petronas, with full backing of the Provincial Government have illegally begun drilling into Flora Bank where they now face off against warriors of the Lax Kw’alaams who have occupied the island since August 2015.
Best Short Film
Message in a Bottle by Daniel Schmidt – US | 15 min.
Photographer James Balog, made famous by the film Chasing Ice, embarks on a new journey to understand climate change from the inside. His voyage of self-discovery takes him to Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii where he comes away with something far greater than a photo.
Best Public Service Announcement
GAIA by Dhaniyah Ridzuan – Malaysia | 2 min.
In Greek mythology, Gaia was the personification of the Earth. The Mother Earth. Throughout the time, she suffers from the selfish and oblivious beings. Can you feel the pain? Can you see the torture? Don’t you love our nature?
Best Animation
Norma’s Story by Alex Hawley – Canada | 6 min.
Norma’s Story is a true tale of change. It documents the effects of climate change on the environment, culture and food security of the Vuntut Gwitchin people of the Northern Yukon as seen through the eyes of Norma Kassi.
Young Film Maker’s Award
GAIA by Dhaniyah Ridzuan – Malaysia | 2 min.
In Greek mythology, Gaia was the personification of the Earth. The Mother Earth. Throughout the time, she suffers from the selfish and oblivious beings. Can you feel the pain? Can you see the torture? Don’t you love our nature?
Special Jury Award
The Disappearing Hills by Yeo Kai Wen – Singapore | 30 min.
Stern-faced soldiers wielding M-16 rifles stood guard as excavators mowed down rows of chrysanthemums, leaving behind broken stalks and fallen petals. At a distance, farmers stood by helplessly as they watched years of their hard work destroyed under government orders.
The Cameron Highlands has in recent years been under development pressure. While this has created a secure and comfortable lifestyle for many farmers, it has also resulted in large swathes of forests being cleared to make way for farm expansion.
As a result, flooding has become an annual affair, claiming property and lives while contaminating rivers with human waste, plastics and dangerous levels of pesticides.
The Disappearing Hills documents the human stories behind these environmental issues.
UNDP x JKR Energy Efficiency in Buildings Award
Power Down to Power All by Ayu Abdulah and Teresa Krug – Malaysia | 2 min.
Realizing that the planet is in danger from climate change and greenhouse gases, a boy takes it upon himself to improve efficiency of mankind’s overall power consumption. His mission: to free up power for the planet and everyone who lives on it, one device at a time.
To know more about this festival visit the FESTIVAL PROFILE or go to the official webpage of the festival HERE.
Categories: Film Festival
Asian Film Festivals 