During the 7th edition of the Guadalajara Film Festival in Los Angeles (FICG in L.A.), Human Rights Defender Bianca Jagger was announced as a Film4Climate Ambassador. 

“When I was a film school student in New York, concern over the state of our climate was not much of an issue. We were talking about damage to our environment, the destruction of our tropical forests or the pollution of our waters, but little did we realize the overarching dangers of climate change," Bianca Jagger noted.

Film4Climate is a global initiative of the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate program dedicated to advancing environmental sustainability and inclusion of social messages in film and creative visual storytelling. Film4Climate counts on a global network of knowledge partners who are committed to advocacy and action on climate change and social issues, including the Guadalajara International Film Festival.

The Guadalajara International Film Festival is the premier film festival in Latin America, providing a rich forum for creative exchange between professional filmmakers, critics, industry professionals, and students. Each fall, FICG in L.A. brings the best of the festival to the City of Angels, offering Hollywood with a window into the world of contemporary Ibero-American cinema.

“We have seen the amount of talent that comes out of Latin America, and we strongly feel it is important to present it to the rest of the world on a regular basis. What is more, the range of subject matter covered and the strong commitment to exploring universal social concerns makes cinema from South America a real force to be reckoned with” pointed out Festival Director Ivan Trujillo.

Ivan Trujillo, Festival Director, Bianca Jagger, Human Rights Defender and Giulia Braga, Connect4Climate. Photo Credits: FICG

The festival presented Bianca Jagger with the “Tree of Life” Award, honoring her many achievements as defender of human rights and a proponent of environmental justice.

"Climate change and human rights are inextricably linked.  The challenges to achieving human dignity for all have been increased exponentially by climate change. This global issue is of particular concern to me because it directly affects human rights. If we don’t tackle climate change now, our efforts to improve people’s everyday lives will be to no avail" she added.

Bianca Jagger has been committed to human rights causes since 1979 when she returned to her native Nicaragua with the International Red Cross while the country was under Somoza’s rule. She is the Founder and President of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation (BJHRF), and over the years has been presented with many awards acknowledging her work and dedication. She became a Council of Europe Goodwill Ambassador in 2003 and sits on Amnesty International’s Leadership Council.

As a former actress and model, she welcomes the objectives of Film4Climate to use the power of film to reach a global audience in a direct and emotional way.

“This initiative incorporates many of my interests, and it is leading the discussion about climate change and sustainability within the creative industries, encouraging positive action and change in behavior. That is what we need right now – and as fast as possible,” Ms. Jagger reminded the captivated audience.