MY forest at KLEFF2019 ~ Special Film Award

By MNS Conservation Division
as appeared in Malaysian Naturalist, Dec 2019

The Malaysian Nature Society has supported KLEFF for the second year running as part of its MY forest project, “Strengthening non-state actor involvement in forest governance in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea”, funded by the European Union and run at the regional level by BirdLife International.
     MY forest focuses on capacity building non-state actors towards better forest governance, and does so by supporting its National Stakeholder Committee members, who include MNS Branches, civil society organisations, NGOs, Orang Asli and local community action groups.

     As part of this capacity building, MY forest not only supported EcoKnights, organiser of KLEFF 2019, but also offered other NSC members the opportunity to spread their message within the “MY forest Pavilion” exhibition space, which comprised four booths over the seven-day exhibition at the Publika Shopping Gallery. The slots were taken up by the MNS Selangor Branch Flora Group, Pulau Banding Foundation, The Habitat Foundation, Ecocentric Transitions and Yayasan Anak Warisan Alam (YAWA).
     Highlights include YAWA featuring their “My Food Forest” programme, where participants can dedicate a fruit or flower tree to grow a community food forest and edible landscape, and Ecocentric drawing in children and adults alike with their RIMBA card game. The Habitat also took the opportunity to engage with the public during the week, with Justine Vaz conducting a public forum on community forests, and Dr Ahmad Zafir chatting about wildlife conservation.
     On the film front, MNS for the first time sponsored the MY forest Special Award category for films with a forest governance message, believing that visual storytelling is an effective way of raising awareness about conservation. In her remarks at the launch of KLEFF 2019, MNS Vice-President Stephanie Bacon said MY forest was focused on improving the management of our rainforests for future generations, and one way to achieve this was through engagement with the public via films. 
     A total of 15 films were nominated for the award, and three sessions were conducted to choose the three winners. These winning films were chosen for their message, story and visuals, and their potential to touch hearts and possibly change minds towards protecting the planet’s forests.

MY forest Special Award
 
First Prize Winner: “Hunting the Helmeted Hornbill”
This 13-minute film explores the helmeted hornbill landscape, both where they are found and how they are being hunted for their casques, which, similar to elephant ivory, are carved into luxury objects. Delving into efforts to protect these treasures of avian biology, and the devastating effect of poaching, conservationist Yoki Hadiprakarsa and photographer Tim Laman are on a mission to tell the story of this ancient bird before it is too late. This short documentary manages to tell quite a tale, starting from the filmmakers’ trip into the wild rainforests of West Kalimantan, and how the dearth of tall, mature trees for nests is contributing to the bird’s dwindling numbers. Then there’s the ever-growing poaching threat. Yoki says in the film, “In my estimation, 6,000 helmeted hornbills have been killed, in West Kalimantan alone, in 2013 alone.” The future of the helmeted hornbill, which has become “critically endangered almost overnight”, seems to dim by the day. 
 
Second Place Winner: “To Find a Harpy”
There is a bird deep in the forests of South America with legs as wide as a human arm, talons longer than a grizzly bear’s, and a grip strong enough to crush bone. The harpy is the largest eagle in the Americas and the most powerful bird of prey in the world. But this ghost of the canopy is rare – so rare that many adventurers, scientists and avid birders have spent their entire lives searching, to barely catch a single glimpse. This film takes the viewer into Guyana, home to vast expanses of tangled rainforest, wide plains of natural savannah and winding river systems. Here in this global biodiversity hotspot, one woman from Sheffield, England, is living her dream of seeing this mystical bird she has loved for so long. Where indigenous tribes have stories about ancestors climbing trees that break into the heavens and of giant grey birds that carry souls to the underworld, Natasha Ellison’s quest takes her, and the viewer, into unexplored lands.
 
Third Prize Winner: “Cloud Kingdom”
This journey into the Cloud Forest of Mount Brinchang is breathtaking from its opening. Taking in the mist, the trees, the sounds of nature and the delicate treasures of these mountains, the film captures the very essence of this beloved highland retreat. The story then flows into the ecosystem services provided by these forests: fresh, clean water, sparkling in the sunlight as they flow in rivulets downstream. Yet, three minutes in, the stream gets muddy, as the true cost of Cameron Highlands is laid bare: Excessive use of pesticides by farmers pollute its microclimate and water reserves, while expansion into the forest for commercial purposes damages its ecological structure. The Cloud Forest is facing attacks from within its environment by the very people living under its shelter, these Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, students document. If this destruction continues, the 200-million-year-old Cloud Forest will soon see its end – and with it, its protection of Cameron Highlands as a whole.