Fancy yourself as a filmmaker or a climate change activist? The short-film competition, Changing Climate, Changing Lives Film Festival 2020 (CCCL2020), is calling for both general and professional applicants to submit a two-to-10-minute film that tells an inspiring story about how individuals, groups, or local communities in Thailand deal with the challenges of climate change.

Applicants can be an individual, a group or community, or a local organization, and the film can be in any genre and format, including animation. The winners from the general and professional categories will each receive a B150,000 cash prize. The aim is to uncover stories that inspire hope, action, and a sense of belonging in order to support and empower local communities. 

Thailand has been selected for the competition as it is one of 16 countries facing “extreme risks” of climate change in the coming 30 years, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Rising temperatures coupled with less frequent yet more intense rainfall have resulted in the worst droughts and floods in decades in recent years. The film festival seeks to make issues like natural disasters, water shortages, and food security less abstract, while presenting inspiring stories to viewers in order to incite change.

Depending on the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival will either be hosted at BACC or online on Nov 21-22 this year, when they will announce and stream the winning films. Following that, the films will be toured around Thailand, while selected outstanding films will be submitted to international film festivals. The deadline for submissions is Oct 15. For more information on the rules and how to enter, visit the website or send queries via Line (@cccl2020).

Read more: Meet the preteen activists fighting for a greener Bangkok