There are 17 UN SDGs or Global Goals that should be met for the UN 2030 Agenda to ensure a thriving and peaceful future for us and generations to come. Learn about the significance of the UN SGDs for the world, and how YOU can transform the future by 2030.

Big Syn Institute, the creative and cultural arm of the Centre for Big Synergy, hosts the Big Syn International Film Festival and Awards.

BSIFF reaches over 50M in over 120+ countries to create public awareness about sustainability and the United Nations Global Goals or Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using the power of meaningful cinema.

The festival is promoted by the Mayor of London, United Nations, British Council, BBC, Directors UK and You Tube Kids amongst others. Reaching millions with an outstanding social media presence of over 100K loyal followers and excellent UK and global PR coverage.

The festival and awards celebrates charity films, brand films, documentaries, experimental films, animations, feature films, shorts, music videos, and public service videos. Apart from the other categories, the festival hosts an exclusive showcase for UK’s underrepresented filmmakers (Marginalised UK) to celebrate the work of UK’s women, disabled, ethnic minorities and LGBTQIA+ filmmakers. Anyone 13 and over can participate, including organisations such as charities and not profits (promos or case studies), businesses (corporate videos), schools, universities, etc.

Since inception, the festival has been led by OSCAR-, BAFTA- and EMMY-winners, as well as leaders from sustainability, business, media and policy. The festival’s Grand Jury alumni include Deborah Meaden (BBC Dragons’ Den green investor), George Webster (BBC presenter), Baroness Prashar (House of Lords), Gabrielle Giner (BT Group’s Head of environmental sustainability), Cat Fletcher (Founder Freegle), Professor Ioannis Ioannou (global leader in ESG, Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility, London Business School), Chris Tashima (OSCAR award winning director), Waad Alkateab (BAFTA and Cannes award winning filmmaker), Amma Asante, MBE (BAFTA winner, Director, Belle), Gurinder Chadha, OBE (Director, Bend It Like Beckham), Kevin Willmott (OSCAR, BAFTA for Blackkklansman), Anna Smith (Presenter BBC and SKY), Jemima Khan (award winning Director and Producer), Prof. Mark Maslin (Global Sustainability thought leader and influencer, UCL), Baroness Lola Young (House of Lords), Tom Szaky (CEO Terracycle), and President Obama’s US Ambassador (Rtd) Howard Gutman, to name a few. 

Films with all types of sustainability themes are welcome, including but not limited to climate action, climate change, human rights, mental health children’s rights, pollution, climate action, peace & justice, migration, inequality, inclusion & diversity, discrimination, marine life, life on land, biodiversity, gender equality, mental health, poverty, hunger, health and well-being, education, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy and sustainable innovations.

BSIFF receives entries from over 300 charities, brands films, major studios incl. SKY, BBC, WARNER, and thousands of filmmakers from across the world, every year. The festival has featured films starring legends such as OSCAR winners Sir Ian McKellen (X Men, Lord of the Rings) and Sir David Mark Rylance (Spielberg’s The BFG) and films from notable charities such as Safer London, WWF, RSPB, MIND, Scouts, MCC Foundation, Water Aid, Magpie Dance, Afghan aid and CORAM amongst others.

Brand films from NHS, UNILEVER, JACOBS, TATA, RECKITT, and PUMA, amongst others have achieved outstanding global media coverage through the festival and awards

The film festival has been featured at London’s BT tower and will screen films of change and hope on Europe’s biggest screen, London’s iconic Piccadilly Lights in November this year, concluding with the awards ceremony in London.

Good stories with worthwhile messages always leave a lasting impression on the audience. When such stories are told via moving images, it can inform and influence millions. Meaningful stories, told through film and media have been catalysts for social, economic and political changes since the birth of the art form. The inspiration for the Big Syn International Film Festival is drawn from this unparallel power of effective storytelling via films. When important messages are passed in the context of a visual story rather than just a generic message itself, the impact is far greater than otherwise.

The Big Syn International Film Festival is celebrating exemplary films and videos that are informing the core objectives of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to the civic society, and encouraging them to actively participate in meeting the core objectives of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.