It is one of the most historical event of the Principality being founded by H.S.H. Prince Rainier III in 1961 as a result of a pioneering and cutting-edge idea. The Festival de la Télévision de Monte-Carlo - Monte-Carlo TV Film Festival, under the patronage of the Sovereign Prince, held from the 17th until the 21st June 2022 at the Grimaldi Forum, has become a must for those who love television series and their paladins, and much more. Fans, international journalists, bloggers, amateurs, special guests, VIPs, show-business entrepreneurs flock to the red carpet which is increasingly painted in ‘green’ to confirm the attention to the ecological footprint of the whole organization and also discuss sustainable issues. In recent years, TV productions has evolved a lot and new streaming platforms are having a paramount success worldwide. Nevertheless, the Monte-Carlo TV Film Festival is still there as one of the oldest and most prestigious kermesse in the field. And everyone operating in television production, documentaries and journalistic information, would like to be awarded the famous Nymphes (local Oscars) at least once in their life.
The Prix Spécial du Prince Rainier III (Prince Rainier III Special Award) reaffirms the environmental attention reinforced by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco who wanted to introduce this acknowledgment to praise the best TV documentaries covering green topics and sustainability.
The Prix Spécial du Prince Rainier III (Prince Rainier III Special Award) reaffirms the environmental attention reinforced by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco who wanted to introduce this acknowledgment to praise the best TV documentaries covering green topics and sustainability. The official selection and the winner are then carried out by the Sovereign Prince Himself who plays as the Honorary President of the Festival and President of His Foundation aimed at protecting and preserving Earth’s ecosystems.
On Tuesday the 21st June 2022, a special Green Day Festival, in partnership with Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, gave the chance to watch the TV productions in competition only few hours before the final Gala where the prizes have been given. This year the show included three projections on various environmental issues. The TV series Les Éclaireurs de l’Eau – The Water Guardians: make every drop count (Canal + Docs, produced by J2F PROD and LSD.FILMS), winner of the Prix Spécial du Prince Rainier III, highlights the preciousness of the water resource whose clever management is crucial to guarantee a fairer access on a global scale. An intercontinental journey, from the French Polynesia to the Rift Valley, crossing Himalaya region and Honduras, brings the audience to discover the real life of ‘ordinary’ people who strive to preserve or find sources of fresh water. A doctor, a diver, a mayor, a few entrepreneurs or NGO members are some of the protagonists who convey a positive message to the world. Sur le Front: Quand le Désert Approche – When the Desert Approaches (Winter Productions – France Télévision) is a particularly successful documentary led by Hugo Clément, French journalist and animal welfare activist, who meet some relevant figures committed to protect us against desertification. A journey through dunes, sunken villages or futuristic cities emerging from the sand, while inhabitants having to adapt to an increasingly dry climate.
🗣️🎞 Live Comment: "The desert comes down to us and we would like to know which consequences it may have in France and worldwide..." this extraordinary journalistic style reportage begins from these premises. The French journalist leads us on a passionate and out of the ordinary journey to the roots of some of the world’s most significant arid areas of the Planet, notably the Sahara desert, Namibia and Arab Emirates. Through a captivating storytelling fuelled by a varied narration voice we discover several stories of human beings who act to coexist peacefully with Nature, protect it, preserve it for the future and fight against climate change via clever solutions and well established remedies. As a matter of fact, global warming is causing the increase of dry areas which could affect vast areas in Southern Europe in a few time. The outcome is a mosaic of significant human actions out of ordinary where humans ally with nature to keep the world a place livable. A titatic task force to fight against the advance of the desert sand, a clever harvesting system in the heart of a high-tech urban district, a bold example of cloud seeding, an ambitious project to reintroduce an species extinced in nature, the tenacious action of a group of people committed to reforesting an area on the edge of the desert. This is just a taste of it. Great balance between scientific dissemination and journalistic reporting, plus innovative shooting techniques makes it a great example of edutainment where the audience feels enriched in the knowledge and hopeful for a better future.
🗣️🎞 Live Comment: What if a drop of water is enough to change the course of history? Being able to cultivate your own land... not having to leave your birthplace for lack of water or extreme climate considtions are increasingly difficult to achieve in many areas of the world. Some people are committed to make it possible fighting for present and next generations. Philippe, a French agronomist-philanthropist, fights against desertification by preserving crops from extinction in Morocco's dry area thanks to a revolutionary harvesting tecnique. This is just one of the stories narrated in this docufilm resulting from a TV series. Katerina Audley, Sonam Wangchuk, Troy Bodden are some other water-friendly actors. The lack of water is a long-lasting problem but it has worsened in recent decades due to climate change. Today then we must act and the key is definitely to push people change their habits. Movie document playing an important role in raising awareness on a vital issue.
Méditerranée: L’Odyssée pour la Vie – Mediterranean Basin: The Odissey for Life (Boréales, Federation Entertainment, Terra Mater Factual Studios, Fabula Pictures, Anemon Productions), reveals the wonders of a living world, surprisingly rich in life but also very vulnerable. The series depicts a fascinating path between sea, air and land to discover flora and fauna that has adapted to the Mediterranean ecosystem, although the human impact is imposing more and more.
🗣️🎞 Live Comment: A compelling storytelling creates empathy with the protagonists of this journey in the blue heart of the Mediterranean. If you think of seeing the usual documentary about the Mediterranean basin forget it. Extraordinary images in close up and the sounds of nature in the foreground make you put in animals shoes while facing their extraordinary migratory journey. The point of view is their without filters or attempts at humanisation and We, humans, are therefore another species that has a very strong impact on marine habitat. Plastic pollution, ghost nets, noise pollution, merchant shipping heavy traffic and overfishing are lurking. But times are changing and more and more humans are involved in nature protection, regardless of whether they are employers or volunteers or just amateurs. The Caretta turtles, emblem of the Mediterranean Sea, are therefore increasing again in population. The bluefin tuna that from the Atlantic Ocean gathers in the Balearic Islands to reproduce is less in danger thanks to mass fishing containment laws and storks can still freely migrate to the boundless territories of Spain and other Southern territories. This represents a drop in the ocean of environmental matters but it can do a lot to make the Mediterranean Sea more resilient to external attacks which are constantly menacing its biodiversity. Clever film direction and significant commentary which allow the audience to be involved in the cause, to protect an amazing corner of Planet Earth.
"We are aware of the growing ecological challenges we all face in preserving the Planet. That is why we have implemented new practices in the organization of the Festival to reduce our environmental impact", Laurent Puons, Vice-President of Monaco Mediax
The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is converting also in a communication tool to raise eco-awareness through images, sounds and words. A festival that wants to make a difference also in its management. Laurent Puons, Vice-President of Monaco Mediax, and organizer of the Festival, has recently stated: “We are aware of the growing ecological challenges we all face in preserving the Planet. That is why we have implemented new practices in the organization of the Festival to reduce our environmental impact. This Festival, a time of celebration, offers us a unique opportunity to pay tribute to the world in which we live in, by becoming collectively involved in the protection of the Planet”.
The event is now totally plastic-bottle and plastic-straw free, while pushing sustainable products and a limited use of paper except for recycled one. Moreover, short-distance transportations are made by electric or hybrid vehicles and the Fan Zone (area open to the public for autographs and selfies) is equipped by containers for the separate collection. The Festival has been cooperating closely with the Grimaldi Forum Congress Centre, certified ISO 14001:2015, and the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, certified ‘Green Globe’ for sustainable tourism and supporter of the National Energy Transition Pact, recently joined by Monaco Mediax itself. Also on the air transport front, the official partnership with British Airways is not by chance. The most popular British airline has been engaged to reducing its environmental impacts for a long time.
Last but not least, the TV-series, documentaries and kermesse news has recently signed an agreement with Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation to fight against deforestation, one of its priority. In fact, we should not forget that forests are sources of life for many local communities, being the treasure chest of some relevant habitats. An endless source of biodiversity.
The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is then at the forefront of promoting sustainability at various levels showing that television still play an important educational role and is being setting more productions that care about sustainability. A positive trend that hopefully will become normal in a not too- distant future. ***
To know more about the Monte-Carlo Television Festival please visit: https://www.tvfestival.com/en
By Maurice Abbati
Just amazing point of view and very interesting highlights of this Festival thanks to this article!!!