HÀ NỘI — A documentary film about Asian openbill storks eating snails won the Green Việt Nam Award at the sixth National Environmental Festival Film, the organisers said on Tuesday morning in Hà Nội.

The film Openbill Storks Return, directed by Phạm Hiếu Thảo from Đồng Tháp Provincial Television, reflected the joy of local farmers when the storks return after the emigration. The storks eat snails which harm the wet rice.

“However, due to uncontrolled and illegal hunting, the storks may vanish forever,” said Thảo.

“Through the film, I want to plead for people to stop hunting and protect the endangered birds.”

“Thanks to the storks, farmers need less crop-protection chemicals, which are harmful to human health.”

Thảo said he wanted to raise awareness about protecting the ecological balance from negative impacts by people.

He said journalists should present urgent issues to society in a truthful and timely way.

Under threat: Asian openbill storks eating snails that damage rice crops. — From a video by Phạm Hiếu Thảo.

Beside highest prize for the most outstanding work, the organising board also presented prizes to directors Hồng Anh and Nguyễn Hồ Trí from VTV24 Information Centre (VTV), Nguyễn Xuân Giang from An Giang Provincial Television, Bảo Quang from the Việt Nam Animated Cartoon Film Studio, Huỳnh Nguyên from Bình Phước Provincial Television, and Nguyễn Hồng Quảng from Science and Technology Section (VTV).

The film festival is organised every three years by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in collaboration with the Việt Nam Television and Việt Nam Cinema Association.

It is aimed at honouring film and television organisations and individuals who have positively contributed to the education of the community about protecting environment. 

There are five categories: short feature, documentary, science, newsreel and cartoons - all with environmental themes. This season, the organising board received more than 100 entries from directors nationwide, according to Nguyễn Văn Phấn, secretariat of the film festival.

“Most of the films highlight problems that have affect society, such as forest protection, climate change, pollution, technology used in protecting the environment and biological diversity,” he said. — VNS