Sun Child - First Regional Environmental Festival

[Sun Child]

From April 1 to 12 and October 6 to 10 in Armenia, the First Regional Environmental Festival Sun Child will take place. The festival is organized by the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets in the Republic of Armenia (FPWC) and Sun Child NGO.

The aim of the festival is to raise public awareness of the environmental problems existing in the region and to establish a neutral field for cooperation, thus promoting the search of new, efficient solutions.

In the framework of the festival in April a number of environmental activities: tree planting, greening, scavenging (garbage collecting) in 7 regions of Armenia, an environmental march from regions to Yerevan and an open-air concert with the participation of the best bands of Armenia are planned.

The major part of the festival will take place in Dilijan, from October 6 to 10. Film screenings in competitive and non–competitive sections, photo exhibitions, workshops, environmental tours are some of the numerous activities that will be organized. Environmental film competition includes two main sections: Regional Environmental Film Program and Children Film Program. In the first section films from 6 countries of the region will be included: Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. There will also be an international informational program with a wider geography of participants.

Great importance is attached to environmental workshops since they are an excellent opportunity for the exchange of the international experience. Experts, ecologists and eco-journalists from the region and abroad will take part in them. In the framework of the workshops such acute issues as advocacy coalition building, networking and eco-tourism will be discussed and an exhibition of advocacy campaigns and tools will be held.

Sun Child enjoys the slogan For Children with Children’s Active Participation. The festival puts a special emphasis on the youth and children participation as the new generation of the region constitutes a strong whole able to overstep boundaries. To bring children closer to nature, to make them appreciate the treasures of their motherland and finally to arise interest towards environmental issues FPWC implements environmental-educational program for schools since autumn 2006. In the framework of this program eco-clubs are established, environmental film screenings, discussions on environmental issues, courses on environmental study, camera work and photography are organized. As a result, children are given opportunity to feature their own environmental films, the best of which will be included in the Children Film Program of the festival.

Sun Child appeals for collaboration to people and organizations who realize that only thanks to joint efforts and conscious struggle it is possible to preserve nature and secure welfare of the coming generations.

Call for Entries

The Deadline for application for all three film programs: Regional Environmental Film Program, Children Film Program and International Informational Program is August 15, 2007.

The prize fund of the festival contemplates awards in three categories in Regional Environmental Film Program.

The best regional film-1000 euro

The best environmental film -500 euro

The best wildlife film – 500 euro

The entry forms and regulation of the festival. can be downloaded on our web-site www.fpwc.org

Feel free to contact us for any further information (eva@fpwc.org).

We are looking forward to your films. JOIN SUN CHILD!!!

Call for Experts

The organizers of SUN CHILD first regional environmental festival are happy to invite you to cooperation within the framework of Festival Workshop Program.

The Workshop Program will be conducted in the following format:

Workshop on Advocacy Coalition building and Networking

Panel discussions, invited speakers, presentation of practical tools and success stories, preparation of action plans for future activities in the region.

“Exhibition of advocacy tools”

The exhibition aims at encouraging public participation in environmental decision-making. The exhibition will be held in several rooms, showing the advocacy campaigns, successful tools, stories etc.

“Deconstructing the concrete”

Artists, film-makers, writers, architects and public activists are coming together to learn how we can change the environment: European experience, contemporary approaches to public issues.

“Eco- tourism exhibition”

The exhibition aims at promoting local communities projects on Ecotourism, presentation of tour-agencies’ products, presentation of international projects on eco- tourism implemented in the region.

We appeal to all interested parties to confirm their interest in participation till August 15, 2007.