- “Drops of Hope” spotlights how communities are adopting water harvesting, soil restoration and climate-smart agriculture.
- The short documentary is being screened today at the New Vision for Earth Film Festival during the Forests, People, Planet hybrid event at the International Model Forest Network (IMFN) Global Forum 2025.
- “Drops of Hope” will be also available online at the film festival website from 26 May to 9 June, with subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
Ottawa, Canada (27 May 2025) – Drops of Hope, the first short documentary produced by the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) in Africa, premieres today in Canada at the New Vision for Earth Film Festival.
The screening takes place during the hybrid event Forests, People, Planet, at the International Model Forest Network (IMFN) Global Forum 2025, which brings together hundreds of forestry leaders in person and online.
Under the creative direction of Anthony Njuguna, Drops of Hope follows the leadership of Mama Chiputu and farmers in Lilongwe, Malawi, as they respond to land degradation and increasingly erratic rainfall driven by the climate crisis.
The 10-minute film portrays how, through peer learning and demonstration farms, communities are adopting water harvesting, soil restoration and climate-smart agriculture to protect their land and secure food and livelihoods.
“I’m proud to be part of Drops of Hope, which follows our journey in Lilongwe,” said Leonard Chibwana, GLFx Lilongwe representative and Stakeholder Engagement Officer at CASA. “Together, with local farmers like mama Chiputu and local restoration champions such as Gracious, we are healing our soils, capturing water and restoring the land so families and communities can thrive.”
Now in its fifth year, the New Vision for Earth Film Festival returns with the Forests POP-UP! This special edition showcasing forest stories from around the world. Available in English, French and Spanish, the lineup highlights the voices of forest stewards and promotes intergenerational knowledge exchange.
Drops of Hope will be available for online viewing at the New Vision for Earth Film Festival from 26 May to 9 June.
The Forests POP-UP! is presented by the GLF and the IMFN in partnership with the Government of Canada, and supported by the Ontario Woodlot Association, the Eastern Ontario Model Forest and CIFOR-ICRAF.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
For more information or arrange interviews contact Kelly Quintero (k.quintero@cifor-icraf.org)
ABOUT GLFx
GLFx is a network of independently organized, community-oriented and grassroots initiatives transforming their landscapes from the ground up and advocating for policy change. GLFx is designed to accelerate local action toward global landscape restoration by connecting members with the knowledge, tools and networks necessary to achieve lasting and holistic change. GLFx is supported by the German entities Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as the Robert Bosch Stiftung and International Model Forest Network (IMFN) with support from the Government of Canada. Learn more at globallandscapesforum.org/about-glfx/.
ABOUT THE GLF
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, connecting people with a shared vision to create productive, profitable, equitable and resilient landscapes. It is led by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank, and its charter members. Learn more at www.globallandscapesforum.org.
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