Mario Pimenta’s short film ‘Act to Achieve’ has been selected for the Frome International Climate Film Festival 2025 from 1,148 entries from across more than 100 countries
RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT KURIOCITY
A submission that began at the Don Bosco Global Youth Film Festival 2024 has now earned international acclaim for Loutolim-based Mario Pimenta. His short film ‘Act to Achieve’ has been selected for screening at the Frome International Climate Film Festival 2025 in the U.K.
The theme for the Don Bosco festival was ‘Youth & Climate Change – Making Mother Earth Cleaner & Greener’, but his film wasn’t selected there. “The inspiration for the film came from Don Bosco’s dream, and how he acted upon it to change the lives of many young people,” says Pimenta, a mass communication student of Don Bosco College, Panaji.
Now in its fourth edition, the Frome International Climate Film Festival focuses on raising awareness about climate change and sustainability. This year, the festival received 1,148 entries from over 100 countries, and ‘Act to Achieve’ is among the 356 films selected. It will be showcased on May 18 at Cheese and Grain in Frome, Somerset, U.K.
Pimenta came across the Frome Festival through the FilmFreeway platform, after facing rejections from several others—including Cannes. “I didn’t give up. I submitted again, and I feel like God blessed me. Getting selected at Frome gave me the recognition I had been seeking. It felt like achieving a dream just before graduating.”
The film tells the story of a boy who dreamt of the devastating impact of climate change but felt powerless to act. And inspired by the legacy of Don Bosco, he realised the importance of taking responsibility rather than waiting for change to happen.
The heart of the film, adds Pimenta, is about taking initiative. “No matter how small your actions are, they contribute to greater change. You can’t just lament about the state of the planet—you have to act. And that applies beyond climate change too: if you have a dream, you need to work towards it.”
While most of the scenes were shot by Pimenta himself, he credits his classmates Sharvi Dhond and Craig Rodrigues for their help when he was in front of the camera. “Sharvi filmed a scene involving an inner monologue, and Craig helped shoot footage of the Don Bosco statue,” he shares.
Making the film wasn’t easy. “I had financial limitations, and it was tough to recruit cast and crew. The final version turned out very different from my original vision, but I stayed committed to completing it.”
However, due to his final semester exams and financial constraints, he won’t be able to attend the screening in the UK.
Pimenta has previously made films such as ‘The Life of Social Work Students’—which looked at the declining demand for social work courses in Goa—and ‘Loutolim: The Village of Bigfoot’, a short documentary. “These films followed a structured narrative,” he says. “In ‘Act to Achieve’, I chose a more experimental approach to express the concept freely, without being tied down by traditional storytelling.”
Being selected for an international festival has been a turning point for him. “It gave me the confidence to continue pursuing filmmaking after so many rejections. I now strive to make better films and dream of participating in prestigious festivals like the International Film Festival of India and WAVES,” he says. Although he hopes to eventually buy better equipment like a professional camera, it remains a goal for the future.
When asked about the role of young filmmakers in discussing important issues, Pimenta stresses the power of youth in shaping societal narratives. “Young people are the future, and through films, they can use their creativity to inform and inspire action.”
His advice to aspiring filmmakers is simple: “Be mindful of what you want to do or say, and don’t doubt yourself. Practice makes perfect, and every opportunity is worth seizing. You never know which chance could change your life, so act to achieve your dream.”
Pimenta is currently assisting artist and director Prachi Shirodkar on a documentary project and is also making a reel for a competition. Beyond filmmaking, he aims to improve media education in Goa by securing grant-in-aid status for the bachelor’s programme in mass communication. He says, “This would increase demand and help talented filmmakers pursue their passion.”
He also plans to establish master’s and PhD programmes, as he and his seniors faced the tough choice of studying outside Goa or switching fields due to financial constraints.
