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Past 20 Years
2007
3rd Edition – Water, the Angst of Our Times (2008)
Floods in Bihar and Punjab, water scarcity forcing farmers out of cultivation, and rivers poisoned by neglect — the festival captured the angst of our times. Yet it also held hope, showing how communities across the world were reviving dying waters, and asking: what is the true quality of our rivers today?
2009
Videos
Blogs
5th Edition – Water: Once Upon a Time (2010)
This chapter turned lyrical — remembering water as goddess, nurturer, and witness to human joy and sorrow. Through film, art, and song, the festival became an offering of gratitude and a call to renew her sacred presence.
2011
Videos
7th Edition – A City of Rivers and Streams (2012)
Bangalore emerged as the only city in the world to host a festival dedicated to the rivers and streams of the universe. At a time of growing scarcity across households, farms, and industries, the festival reaffirmed its mission: to protect freshwater before it is lost.
2013
Videos
9th Edition – Water and the Human Condition (2014)
With 95 films from 38 countries, the festival became global in scale. Rising seas, melting ice, desertification, and climate extremes were all on screen, but so too were stories of resilience and hope — reminding us of humanity’s deep longing to belong once more with nature.
2015
Videos
2005
2008
4th Edition – The Quality of a Civilisation is Reflected in Its Waters (2009)
With glaciers melting and freshwater fast depleting, the festival grew into a wider movement. Students, filmmakers, artists, activists, and policymakers came together through rallies, exhibitions, and conferences — linking climate change to food, water, and livelihoods.
2010
Blogs
6th Edition – If There is Magic on This Planet, It is Contained in Water (2011)
Reaching out to young people, schools, and colleges, this edition invited citizens and experts alike to debate water’s future. With films from across the world and Bangalore’s own deepening water crisis, it called urgently for collective conservation - to save ourselves and the planet.
2012
Blogs
8th Edition – Save Our Freshwaters (2013)
Dammed, polluted, and degraded rivers were now at the brink of extinction. Across three venues, the festival became a public forum — with films, walkathons, exhibitions, and cultural events — to celebrate, mourn, and defend our waters.
2014
Blogs
2016
Videos
Blogs
2017
10th Edition – The Right to Water (2017)
The narrative reached its sharpest focus: water as a right, not a commodity. From scarcity to floods, conflicts to revivals, the films wove together the struggles of our times. In the same year, Bangalore reclaimed its lakes and resisted ecological destruction — a spirit the festival celebrated and honoured.
Blogs
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