The photographs on display will take visitors to the realms of birds, furry creatures, and all kinds of friendly little animals.Continue reading
The Planet Lens International Nature Photography and Film Festival began on Thursday, and is being hosted for the first time in Veszprém (western Hungary). Organized by the Blue Planet Climate Protection Foundation, the National Film Institute and Veszprém-Balaton 2023 Zrt, the free event is open until May 18.
The event, held in Gödöllő (near Budapest) in recent years, has been revamped and now comes to the city near Lake Balaton to create something special from the meeting of culture, nature conservation, sustainability, and community experience over four days, writes veol.hu. Planet Lens started on Thursday evening with a ceremonial opening and a screening of the film My Sweden – A Changing Wilderness at the ActiCity Dance and Movement Arts Center.
Over four days, visitors can explore nature photography exhibitions, film screenings, discussions, and workshops, reads the festival’s website.
The festival provides a platform for the finest Hungarian and international photographers and filmmakers to engage audiences and spark conversations through their work on nature.
The organizers’ goal is to inspire environmental awareness and a more sustainable lifestyle through artistic photography and moving images.
Open-air photo exhibition in front of the building of ActiCity. Photo: MTI/Vasvári Tamás
The opening ceremony was also attended by the patron of the festival, former President of Hungary János Áder, who stressed in his speech: “Everything on our planet is interconnected and only coexistence can create harmony – this is what the festival is about.” He said that
the festival had received entries from 45 countries, with 176 films and 1,331 photographs selected by the jury.
Áder recalled that David Attenborough, perhaps the world’s best-known nature filmmaker, celebrated his 99th birthday a week ago. Quoting Attenborough, Áder said that the nature filmmaker always began his remarks with the same exhortation over and over again: “Look!”. “No matter how many times he said it, the call had an almost magical power; David Attenborough showed what was there,” said Áder.
Photo: MTI/Vasvári Tamás
We live in an age when it is not easy to believe even our own eyes, because digital interfaces are full of fake images and we are slowly becoming accustomed to paying attention. The Planet Lens festival now gives us all the help we need to look and see in the ‘Attenborough way,'”
he added.
Gyula Porga, Mayor of Veszprém, said that the 2023 Veszprém-Balaton European Capital of Culture (EKF) program had three phases: the preparation, the program year, and now the “heritage.” As he said, the EKF has created conditions in Veszprém that provide opportunities for events such as Planet Lens.
Gyula Porga. Photo: MTI/Vasvári Tamás
The events of the festival are open to the public free of charge at several institutions and external venues in the city. The programs are available here.
Via veol.hu, MTI, Planet Lens; Featured image: MTI/Vasvári Tamás