Written by Intern Rency Gomes, Team Allycaral
Goan short film The Awakening, directed by young filmmaker Rameez Shaikh, has been officially selected for screening at the 5th Mitee Environment Short Film and Documentary Festival. The film will be screened on January 11, 2026, at the Lady Ramabai Auditorium, S.P. College, Pune. Scheduled from January 9 to 11, the festival will present over 40 environment-focused short films and documentaries from across the world, with The Awakening standing out as the sole Goan film featured this year.
Organised by the Mitee Film Society, the festival has grown into an important platform for young and emerging filmmakers, particularly those addressing social and environmental issues. Now in its fifth edition, the festival continues its mission of nurturing youth voices and showcasing cinema that informs, inspires, and provokes meaningful dialogue among audiences.
The Awakening stars Rameez Shaikh, Siya Chodankar, and Cyrus Fernandes in lead roles. The screenplay and cinematography were handled by Numair Khan, who also co-wrote the story along with Rameez Shaikh and Sharvi Dhond. Editing was done by Varun Kashyap, with technical support from Boskon Studio. The film’s background score was composed by Cyrus Fernandes, while production was managed by Sharvi Dhond and Ebenezer Rajamanickam.
Director Rameez Shaikh, a 21-year-old Gen Z filmmaker from Goa, is a Mass Communication graduate from Don Bosco College, Panjim. In addition to filmmaking, he is a digital creator who has won several local and national-level reel competitions alongside his brothers Ismail Shaikh and Aarif Shaikh.
The film centres on a conversation between two friends contemplating a dying planet, gradually realising that meaningful change begins with shifting mindsets and embracing environmental responsibility. Set against the backdrop of a decaying city, the narrative highlights how apathy has become one of the greatest contributors to environmental degradation, while stressing the power of collective action by ordinary people.
Through its reflective storytelling, The Awakening urges viewers to confront indifference and recognise their individual and collective responsibility towards the planet. The film envisions a future shaped by conscious choices, empathy for the environment, and a shared commitment to safeguarding the world for generations to come.
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