The Environmental Impact of Film Festivals: Sustainable Practices for the Future
Film festivals are the lifeblood of the cinematic world – vibrant gatherings celebrating art, culture, and connection. As someone deeply immersed in the festival circuit, I’ve witnessed their incredible energy firsthand. However, like any large-scale event, festivals leave an environmental footprint. Thankfully, the industry is waking up. From major international players to niche community events, there’s a growing movement to embrace sustainability, recognizing that celebrating film shouldn’t come at the planet’s expense. This shift isn’t just about being responsible; it’s becoming essential for the long-term health and relevance of these crucial cultural hubs.
Understanding the Festival Footprint
To make festivals greener, we first need to understand where the impacts lie. Historically, as anthropologist Daniel Dayan noted studying Sundance decades ago, festivals generated a ‘Niagara of printed paper’. While digitalization has curbed this, other significant challenges remain, primarily centered around travel, energy, and waste.
Travel and Transport Emissions
Bringing filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences together often involves significant travel, frequently by air – a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. A report from the British Film Institute (BFI) on film production found that a single large production’s flights could equate to 150 one-way trips from London to New York. While festivals aren’t productions, the reliance on international travel creates a similar impact. Furthermore, local transport for guests, staff, equipment, and attendees within the host city adds to the carbon tally. A recent Film London and Creative Zero report highlighted transport and mobile power as key decarbonisation challenges for the wider screen industries.
Energy Consumption
Screenings, venue lighting, heating/cooling, digital displays, and operational hubs all consume substantial energy. The shift towards hybrid or fully virtual festivals, accelerated by the pandemic, introduced another layer: the energy required for data centers and streaming. While potentially reducing travel emissions, the digital footprint of streaming high-definition video is not insignificant, demanding careful consideration of energy sources and efficiency.
Waste Management Challenges
Beyond the historical paper trail, festivals generate waste from catering (single-use containers, food scraps), promotional materials, temporary installations, and general attendee consumption. Efficient waste sorting, reduction of single-use items, and prioritizing reusable or recyclable materials are critical. Even small events generate waste; The Bigger Screen program estimates a small 3-day festival generates around 0.707 tonnes of CO2, considering factors including waste.
Pioneering Sustainable Practices
The good news is that festivals worldwide are actively tackling these challenges, implementing innovative solutions and adopting structured approaches to minimize their environmental impact.
Frameworks and Standards Guiding the Way
Several key initiatives and standards are helping festivals measure, manage, and reduce their footprint. The Green Charter for Film Festivals provides a platform for festivals to track consumption data (energy, waste, food, transport) and strive for year-on-year improvements. International standards offer robust frameworks: ISO 14001 provides guidelines for effective environmental management systems, ISO 20121 focuses specifically on sustainable event management (which the city of Cannes is certified for), and PAS2060 (with the newer ISO 14068 emerging) outlines requirements for achieving and demonstrating carbon neutrality. Certification bodies like the GREEN FILM network also promote and verify sustainable practices in the broader film industry.
Festival Examples in Action
Many festivals are leading by example. The Festival de Cannes and its Marché du Film have made significant strides: achieving a 79% reduction in print materials between 2019 and 2021, implementing a 100% electric official vehicle fleet by 2023, eliminating plastic water bottles, achieving a 99% waste recovery rate, and recycling their iconic red carpet. They also levy a €20 environmental contribution from accredited guests, raising over €2.2 million since 2021 (including festival contributions) for verified environmental projects.
La Biennale di Venezia achieved carbon neutral certification for the Venice International Film Festival (using the PAS2060 standard) and aims for ISO 14068 certification for all activities by 2025. Their strategy includes using renewable energy sources, reusing materials, increasing vegetarian and local food options, and offsetting residual emissions by investing in certified renewable energy and biogas projects globally.
The Thessaloniki Film Festival established a dedicated green team, upgraded its headquarters’ energy efficiency (from class D to B), signed the Green Charter, and is pursuing ISO 14001 certification. They implemented a €10 ‘green fee’ for accredited guests, reinvesting funds into their sustainability plan, and saw waste reduction from 4,814 kg in 2022 to 4,098 kg in 2023.
The Red Sea International Film Festival aligns its ‘Sustainability Manifesto’ with UN Sustainable Development Goals and regional initiatives like the Saudi Green Initiative. They focus on the ‘Circular Carbon Economy’ – an approach emphasizing reduction, reuse, recycling, and removal of carbon – promoting digitalization to cut paper waste and encouraging attendees towards greener travel.
Concrete Steps for Greener Events
Across the board, effective strategies include:
- Sustainable Catering: Prioritizing local, seasonal, and plant-based food options, minimizing food waste through careful planning, avoiding single-use plastics (like cutlery and bottles), and working with suppliers committed to ‘eco-responsible’ specifications.
- Greener Transportation: Encouraging walking, cycling, and public transport (like Cannes offering free city transport passes), using electric or low-emission vehicles for official fleets, optimizing logistics (e.g., consolidating shipments), and promoting carbon offsetting options for unavoidable travel.
- Waste Reduction and Management: Maximizing digitalization (tickets, brochures, press materials), providing accessible water refill stations, implementing comprehensive sorting systems for recycling and composting, reusing materials where possible, and choosing sustainably sourced merchandise (local, recycled content).
- Energy Efficiency: Conducting energy audits, utilizing renewable energy sources where feasible, choosing energy-efficient venues and equipment, and promoting energy-saving behaviours among staff and attendees.
The Power of Collaboration
No festival is an island. Progress is accelerated through collaboration and knowledge sharing. Initiatives like the Green Charter hold potential for analyzing aggregated, anonymized data to identify industry best practices. Networks such as the Festival Network MIOB (Moving Images Open Borders) and the SMART7 Festival Network facilitate peer learning. Industry bodies and reports, like those from BFI, Film London, and platforms like GREEN FILM, drive systemic change by providing data, tools, and promoting dialogue across production, distribution, and exhibition – including festivals.
Looking Ahead
The journey towards truly sustainable film festivals is ongoing. Significant progress has been made, driven by passionate individuals, forward-thinking organizations like San Sebastian Film Festival which publicly commits to transparency, and collaborative initiatives. Challenges remain, such as accurately measuring and mitigating the impact of digital activities and ensuring sustainable practices are accessible to festivals of all sizes. However, the momentum is undeniable. As we look towards 2025 and beyond, integrating sustainability into the very fabric of festival planning and execution is not just an option, but a necessity for ensuring these vital cultural events continue to thrive responsibly for years to come.
