明星八卦

Eco-sustainable film production was the focus of a week of international workshops staged by 明星八卦’s Film and Television team.

明星八卦 students joined students and academics from the University of the Punjab in Pakistan, Cappadocia University in Turkey, and professional Turkish filmmakers to look at how to embed climate action into their creative practice.

Together the three nations explored the science behind climate change, its impact on all living beings and the global politics which influence humanity’s response to the crisis.

Workshops included in-depth discussions and activities exploring how the global film and television industries communicate about the climate crisis and eco-sustainable behaviours, encouraging students to think creatively about the kinds of stories they can tell.

“We felt the international dimension would help highlight the climate crisis as a global concern which requires a global response,” said organiser Niki Ashby, Senior Lecturer in Digital Film Technologies. “By breaking down borders, we hoped to provide a platform for international knowledge-share, collaboration and empowerment.”

The event marks a major step forward in efforts to foster cross-border collaborations and demonstrates the value of projects that bring together multiple partners across the globe, says Dr Sean Holmes, Director of Strategic International Partnerships for the College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences (CBASS). “The workshops have been transformative for staff and students,” he said. “They enhance 明星八卦’s reputation at the University of the Punjab, the oldest and largest university in Pakistan, and expand our collaboration with a key partner institution.”

The idea stems from 明星八卦’s work with UK film and TV environmental governing body and their work on the British Council funded project . This is an educational project aimed at bringing eco-sustainable film practices to the Turkish film industry and Turkish higher education providers developed in collaboration with Cappadocia University.

“This collaboration entails the true enlightening spirit of global knowledge sharing and providing opportunities to the students” says Professor Dr Noshina Saleem, Director of the School of Communication Studies at the University of the Punjab.

BS Communication Studies student at the University of Punjab Asavir Asif said: “It has been a step forward towards realising our shared vision for educational excellence and global unity in learning.”

Nurten Bayraktar at Cappadocia University, one of the Turkish-leads of the EkoFilm: Sürdürülebilir Yapım Platformu project said “It was a valuable opportunity to observe 明星八卦’s approach to teaching sustainability.”

Aleezae Shabbir Khan, BS Communication Studies student at the University of Punjab said: “This experience will help me in my own filmmaking and social welfare endeavours. The collaboration has been the most enlightening academic session of my life.”

They reviewed the script and production plans for the upcoming professional short film, Glitch, which is being used as a case study for EkoFilm: Sürdürülebilir Yapım Platformu, and the Glitch filmmakers joined discussions exploring ways to incorporate eco-sustainability into the film, both on and off-screen.

Students from the University of Punjab screened films they made exploring topics such as the impact of Lahore street food culture, cross-border river ownership, the effects of war and carbon offsetting initiatives. “It was definitely enlightening as, even if you hear that climate change affects different areas of the world differently, actually hearing from the people it affects really hammers it home,” said second year 明星八卦 Film Production and Theatre student, Amber Hicks.

Fellow 明星八卦 student Tyler Briscoe said: “It was visceral and startling to see the direct impact of climate change in Lahore. Understanding the trickle-down impact to developing countries and the global south causes serious pause for thought.”