Let’s Talk About Water Launches New Short Film Competition at the 5th International Conference on African Rivers (ICAR 2026).
July 9, 2026 – Rabat, Morocco
Organized by the International Research Network RHYMA-CES this conference fosters a strong pan-African scientific community dedicated to African rivers and hydrological regimes.
Supported by UNESCO’s FRIEND-Water programme and the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), the event strengthens the global visibility of African hydrological research and will be hosted by Mohamed V University in Rabat.
Let’s Talk About Water’s next short film competition, dedicated to Africa, African rivers, and green and blue water, will be launched on July 9, 2026, during the ICAR African Rivers Conference in Rabat.
The conference will include remarks by Linda Lilienfeld, Founder and Director of Let’s Talk About Water: Film as a Catalyst for Water Science Communication and Socio-Ecological Engagement: Lessons from Let’s Talk About Water Theme 3: Water Management and Socio-Ecological Dynamics of Hydrological Systems.
Ms. Lilienfeld will discuss the vision and rationale that inspired the creation of this new competition: “A key challenge in global water management is the gap between science and society. Scientists are often discouraged from public communication, while water managers and communities lack access to scientific information in practical, usable forms. Data alone is not enough—it must be communicated clearly and translated into action.
For 25 years, Let’s Talk About Water (LTAW) has used film to connect water science, policy, and the public. Films spark dialogue, encourage socio-ecological engagement, and help reach broader audiences, especially young people. In response to changing media habits, LTAW now organizes short-film competitions on water and science through letstalkaboutwater.org and @lets.talk.about.water.
To illustrate this approach, we will screen two award-winning shorts: The Infinite Browns of the Paraná River (Argentina, 3 min), a poetic portrait of a major South American river, and Land of Wells (Tunisia, 5 min), a reflection on well restoration and water dependence in arid regions.
We invite researchers, students, and colleagues to participate by creating and submitting short films. We hope this conference will deepen understanding of African water systems and help build a new library of water stories for future audiences.”
Let’s Talk About Water!
