23/06/2014 - The third Deauville Green Awards presented productions with ecological topics

(l-r) Festival directors François Morgant, Georges Pessis and Jean-Charles Pentecouteau

Renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, innovative technologies, climate-neutral mobility and green business models played a part in 250 documentary films, television productions and other projects at the third Deauville Green Awards. For three days, filmmakers, producers, representatives of green initiatives, companies and financiers met in the French coastal resort in order to discuss sustainable approaches and concepts.

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“Discussions are very important because they open up doors,” stated festival director Georges Pessis, who is responsible for the selection of the films and the jury, as well as the roundtables. In three movie theatres at the Le Morny Multiplex, films on ecology and sustainability were presented in 14 different categories. The green festival founded by Pessis, Jean-Charles Pentecouteau and François Morgant in association with the organisation Un Ecran pour la Planète has received very positive feedback. Compared to last year, the number of the contributions rose by 30%.

Ecology and sustainability are also important subjects when it comes to film production, as Christiane Scholz, head of the Film Commission at the Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, pointed out. Meanwhile, the Green Shooting Card for sustainable production was issued to 25 film and TV productions from all over Germany. Boasting a best-practice guide, spots and seminars on sustainability, Joanna Gallardo from French organisation Ecoprod tries to inspire film productions to lower their carbon footprintby taking measures such as using local catering, recycling and taking advantage of solar energy.

According to the assessment of Michael Geidel from Green Film Initiative in Potsdam, it is only a matter of time until sustainability requirements will be part of film law. “It is better to be prepared,” said Geidel, who showed the 3D live-action film Call Her Lotte by Annekathrin Wetzel, based on the life of Charlotte Knobloch, which was produced as sustainably as possible. “Every change is something you have to invest in; the only way is to adopt. In the long run, you will adopt these initiatives and save money, and that is what you want to do.”