WaterAid film wins Best Charity Film in the Health and Wellbeing category at the Big Syn Film Festival

WaterAid’s film ‘Before the Dawn’ was declared the Best Charity Film (Health and Wellbeing)  category at the 2024 Big Syn International Film Festival Award this month in a gala awards ceremony at Curzon Soho in London. 

The Big Syn International Film Festival is the world’s biggest sustainability film festival, reaching over 50 million people in 120 countries, inspiring them to act on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and make positive changes for the environment, society and economy. 

‘Before the Dawn’, co-directed and produced by WaterAid’s David Jobanputra, WaterAid Nepal colleague Ram Saran Tamang and Nepalese freelance filmmaker Nishant Gurang, follows the inspiring journey of 21-year-old Ajit from Lahan, Nepal, whose life was transformed when his school gained access to clean water.  

In Lahan, only 35% of residents have access to treated water, and local schols and healthcare centres often operate without clean water or proper sanitation. Poor hygiene and contaminated water lead to preventable illnesses, such as cholera and typhoid, impacting students’ health and education.  

Ajit, a partially sighted student from the Dalit community — one of Nepal’s most marginalised groups — faced daily struggles due to a lack of clean water and decent sanitation. In 2023, his school was transformed. New facilities, including clean drinking water taps, accessible bathrooms, and tactile paving, were installed to aid visually impaired students. These changes were made possible by The Beacon Project – a partnership between Anglian Water, WaterAid Nepal, the Nepal Water Supply Corporation and the city of Lahan.  

Co-Director and Producer David Jobanputra said:  

I’m delighted ‘Before the Dawn’ has received this accolade and that through the Big Syn Festival, we are able to highlight the life-changing impact clean water, hygiene and sanitation makes on people’s lives.  

“’Before the Dawn’ is the result of a pioneering partnership approach to ethical storytelling, involving long-term collaboration between UK and Nepalese filmmakers and Ajit’s community. This award testifies to the importance of telling people’s stories in the most authentic and respectful way possible, and I’m really happy Ajit, his community, and the life-changing power of water have been recognised in this way.” 

‘Before the Dawn’ was selected from over 500 films and over 300 charity films received from over 120 countries by a Grand Jury comprised of OSCAR, BAFTA and EMMY award-winners and leaders from the sustainability, business, media and policy such as Roberta Boscolo (WMO, Climate and Energy Lead, United Nations), Baroness Bennett (House of Lords), Prof. Ioannis Ioannou (London Business School’s Sustainability Guru), Christine Choi (Professor, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University), Peggy Rajski (Oscar-winning filmmaker), Elena Andreicheva (OSCAR and BAFTA award-winning filmmaker), Martina Amati (BAFTA award-winning filmmaker), Steve Smith (BAFTA award-winning Director), and Alex Lockwood (BAFTA award-winning filmmaker) 

The founders of the festival, Dr Ragini G Roy and Dr Sourav Roy said: 

“It is humbling to see how the festival has evolved to become a global movement and we as advocates of sustainability, call upon global citizens to be inspired from these films of change and hope, to combat major issues such climate change, inequality, discrimination, poverty and many more, to secure their very own future and those of their loved ones.”  

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