Addressing the audience which consisted mainly of school children, Mayor Rajlakshmi Bhosale observed that the organisers were performing an important service by bringing forth pressing issues on films. "Climate change and global warming are two of the biggest challenges before us all. And unless citizens make a concerted effort to bring about changes in their lifestyles, there's little we can do about it. I'm particularly hopeful that since this is basically an audience of youngsters, these films will make an impact on their minds, and motivate them to preserve the environment better."

Chief guest for the occasion, B G Deshmukh, former Union cabinet secretary, voiced similar concerns, and asked the organisers to make the festival an annual feature in the city.

Also present at the inauguration was municipal commissioner Pravinsinh Pardeshi, educationist E Bharucha, P A Vasanti, director, Centre for Media Studies (CMS), and Claes Leijon, counsellor for development cooperation, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).