Filmmaker, eco-activist to headline 11th annual Global Awareness Conference

Fulbright Scholar and TED fellow Shalini Kantayya, a filmmaker and eco-activist who maintains that sustainable energy is not just right for the environment, but has benefits for the economy as well, will make a free public keynote presentation at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, in Sheldon Hall ballroom for the 11th annual Hart Hall Global Awareness Conference.

Kantayya, whose film "Catching the Sun" was nominated for the Environmental Media Association Award for Best Documentary, has lectured at universities such as Princeton, Yale, Stanford and others. She recently directed the National Geographic series "Breakthrough."

The 2017 Hart Hall Global Awareness Conference, themed "A Drop of Life - Water Crisis, Catching the Sun - Renewable Energy & Breakthrough: How Innovations Would Change the World," will take place on Nov. 3 and 4.

The conference runs a day and a half, allowing students, faculty, staff and members of the community to learn about other cultures and global issues. This year's quote is from former president Barack Obama: "...the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century."

In her films, Kantayya tells a growing story of innovation and ingenuity -- one that's disrupting outmoded industries and putting power back into the hands of those who need it most. Kantayya has been named a New York Times Critics' Pick and featured in the Los Angeles Film Festival for her latest film, "Catching the Sun," with executive producer Leonardo DiCaprio, which premiered on Netflix on Earth Day 2016.

"Catching the Sun" was nominated for the 2016 Environmental Media Association Award for Best Documentary and has been translated in 35 languages.

Kantayya's film "A Drop of Life" was used as a tool to organize for water rights in 40 villages across Africa, making a real-world impact in the lives of thousands.

Other Global Awareness Conference presentations focus on cultures outside of the United States. Presenters are encouraged to create talks, posters, exhibits, panel discussions, multimedia, demonstrations or other activities for conference attendees.

For more information, visit https://www.oswego.edu/academics/hart-global-awareness-conference, or email gac@oswego.edu.