Brigitte Uttar Kornetzky is an animal right activist who currently resides in Switzerland.  She has produced and directed human rights films in Africa and subsequently moved her focus towards animal rights, specifically elephants in India. Since 2011, Brigitte has made various films depicting the plight of elephants in India. Brigitte has been working for the elephants in India since 2011. In this short period of time, she has succeeded in making numerous films depicting the plight of elephants in India. It was during the shooting of one of the films namely ‘Where The Elephants Sleeps’, that she initiated the process of first euthanasia of a suffering captive elephant in the Elephant Village in Jaipur, in collaboration with Help in Suffering and Human Society International.

     Brigitte is the founder of an NGO -Elefanten in Not(Elephants in Distress) for elephants in India. Amongst other projects, the foot treatment project started by this NGO has helped alleviate problems of numerous elephants. Observation documents from the treatment of elephant feet have helped the animal rights petitioners strengthen their cases for elephant welfare with the Supreme Court of India. The foot treatment practices done by specialised elephant behaviour consultants of Elefanten in Not(Elephants in Distress) are being applied to several elephants of the Smiling Tusker Elephant Camp (STEC) and the forest department  in Assam . While working in collaboration with Smiling Tusker Elephant Camp (STEC) in Assam, and understanding the importance of water for elephants, Brigitte has initiated the process of providing a bathing pool for captive elephants. Moreover, she is engaged in establishing a training school for the mahouts of elephants. This training is aimed at developing a non violent approach towards training elephants, where pain and suffering are replaced by treats and love. Mahouts will be awarded a certificate after completion of the training programme.

     TIFF feels glad to felicitate Brigitte with the Tigerland India Biodiversity Conservation Award 2019.