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Jackson Wild 2020 Media Awards Open for Entry & other news!
Media today deepens understanding of the world around us, inspires commitment to protect and restore the natural systems upon which all life depends and empowers the radical changes that will be required to do so. Nature film’s equivalent to the Oscars®, the Jackson Wild Media Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in nature, science and conservation storytelling. With a panel of 150+ judges, the Jackson Wild Media Awards competition is unique in that each entry is reviewed in its entirety by multiple judges, specifically chosen for their expertise in each category.
2020 Call for entry opens March 1, and will close May 1, with finalists announced on July 15. Any film completed since June 1, 2019 is eligible to enter.
Heads up filmmakers: entry for the 2020 Jackson Wild Media Awards is open! We have over 30 categories to enter and all projects completed since 6/1/19 are eligible. We can't wait to see your wonderful work! Visit www.jacksonwild.org/2020-media-awards to learn more.
Media Lab Application – Stay tuned - applications open March 23! The Jackson Wild Media Lab will train and mentor emerging conservation media leaders in unique programs that directly engage them influential content creators.
Learn more: jacksonwild.org/2020-media-lab.html
Seeking Preliminary Judges for Media Awards – Are you interested in helping select the best of the best nature films? Join our team of judges! Judges who can commit to longer assignments can earn 2020 Jackson Wild Media Summit discounts.
Learn more: jacksonwild.org/2020-judge-application.html
Intern in Jackson Hole – We are looking for passionate individuals to assist with organizing our 2020 programs and events!
Learn more: jacksonwild.org/internships.html
The UK's first touring wildlife film festival IS BACK! Wilderland brings the world's most breathtaking independent wildlife shorts to the public THIS SPRING... Touring theatres across the UK & Ireland ... Postponed due to Coronavirus pandemic.
Different Crises: Coronavirus & Climate Change – Climate Adam
The world jumps into action to deal with pandemics like the Coronavirus outbreak. But why don't we respond in the same way for climate change? And are there any parallels behind the pandemic?
Films have been viewed, our community judges have weighed in, and our jury has selected the 2020 films that lit up the screen. Out of a field of 270 films from 30 countries, the Official IWFF Selections are now live on our site! During the fest, our final jury will watch all semi-finalists and present one winner in each category. We're so fired up to share this year's beautiful and important films.
Footage Wanted of Panama Rainforest Wildlife for Climate Change Doc!
Producers of a film about Climate Change, which will first telecast on a Canadian broadcaster, are looking to license footage in HD or 4k footage of the following species:
Baird’s Tapir
Wandering Tapir
Jaguar (in Panama only)
Giant Anteater
White-lipped Peccary
Tapir in rainforest
The story is set in the Panama Rainforest - but they will consider any footage of the species shot in their natural environment.
Footage Wanted of Arctic Wildlife for an International Co-production!
Producers of a film about polar bears, an international co-production, are looking for footage of polar bears hunting seals and footage of seals inside an agloo (seal den).
Every Tuesday, Mongabay will bring you a new episode of Candid Animal Cam, a new show featuring animals caught on camera traps around the world and hosted by Romi Castagnino, Mongabay's writer and conservation scientist.
Camera traps bring you closer to the secretive natural world and are an important conservation tool to study wildlife. This week they’re taking you on a journey to South America to meet the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), a wild cat found across the Americas. More here: news.mongabay.com/2020/03/mongabays-new-youtube-show-candid-animal-cam
Ce Festival, dans le nord de la France, est une rencontre grand public avec les meilleurs films et documentaires animaliers professionnels et amateur en compétition le temps du festival, et un programme nature de sensibilisation au coeur de la vallée de la Somme et de la Picardie.
This festival, in northern France, is a public meeting of the best professional and amateur wildlife documentaries in competition during the festival, and a nature education program in the heart of the valley of the Somme and Picardy.
The 30th International Wildlife Film Festival will be held from 14- 22th of March 2020 in Albert, France.
The festival is an official competition in which each selected movie is presented to an international jury composed of personalities known for their competence, commitment and knowledge of wildlife and environment.
Jackson Wild World Wildlife Day Film Showcase 2020: Biodiversity Winners Announced from Jackson Wild
03 March 2020
Jackson Wild, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are excited to announce the winners of the World Wildlife Day Film Showcase: Biodiversity.
A big thanks to the preliminary jury – professional filmmakers, scientists and stakeholders from around the world – who chose the finalists from over 300 entries, as well as the final jury who selected the winners.
Winners were announced on March 3 at UN Headquarters during its World Wildlife Day Celebration, and will be showcased at screenings around the world.
A Partnership with United Nations Development Program and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) celebrating World Wildlife Day. In a world confronting unprecedented environmental threats, it is essential to empower locally-driven engagement that inspires action, with measurable impact.
On World Wildlife Day 2020, we celebrated wildlife as a component of biodiversity in its many beautiful and varied forms, raised awareness of the multitude of benefits of wildlife to people, the threats it's facing, and the urgent need for everyone to take actions to help conserve wildlife before it's too late. Winners were celebrated at a high-level event celebrating the launch of World Wildlife Day at UN Headquarters in NYC, on Tuesday March 3, 2020.
Winning and Finalist Films will be showcased throughout the world through special premiere and World Wildlife Day screening events as well as at the Jackson Wild Summit and through Jackson Wild On Tour.
The judges selected the winners in eight categories:
Science, Innovation and Exploration;
Issues and Solutions;
People and Wild Species;
Stories of Hope;
Global Voices;
Web of Life; Short; and
Micro.
World Wildlife Day 2020 Film Showcase winners:
Science, Innovation and Exploration:
Nature: The Serengeti Rules
A Production of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Passion Planet in association with Sandbox Films, Thirteen Productions Llc and WNET
Issues and Solutions:
Watson
Local Hero, Participant Media, Terra Mater Factual Studios
People and Wild Species:
Grasslands - North America´s Hidden Wilderness
A River Road Films production in association with CBC and Terra Mater Factual Studios
Stories of Hope:
Silent Forests
House Tiger Productions
Global Voices:
Mundiya Kepanga, The Voice of the Forest
Muriel Barra/ LatoSensu productions
Web of Life:
The Elephant Queen
An Apple Original and A Deeble, Stone and Oliff Production
Okavango - River of Dreams - Episode 3: Inferno
A Terra Mater Factual Studios / Wildlife Films production in co-production with Thirteen Productions LLC, Doclights/NDR Naturfilm in association with PBS, CPB, Arte France / Unité Découverte et Connaissance, National Geographic Channels and SVT
The submission period for this competition is open until, 2020. You can submit as many films as you wish. Free registration is done via the electronic forms available on our website.
The 26th edition of the Namur International Nature Festival will take place from Friday 9 to Sunday 18 October 2020.
It will offer in public screenings a selection of films devoted to nature and wild life in optimal projection conditions:
Comfortable rooms with 385 seats
Large 20x8m screens
Laser projector
5.1 surround sound
As part of these public screenings, the Festival is organizing a competition dedicated to both professional and amateur films.
The professional competition is open to films devoted to the discovery, observation, protection and conservation of wilderness as well as environmental issues. This competition is reserved for professional films, of 5 minutes minimum, devoted to nature and the environment. Find all the professional conditions in our regulations.
The amateur competition is reserved for amateur filmmakers.The films entered must be devoted to nature and a maximum duration of 5 minutes.Find all the amateur conditions in our regulations.
30% off the full week pass! Save £150 on your Wildscreen Festival pass until 16 April. The industry pass gives you access to sessions, masterclasses, networking and more.
With 1 month to go until the submission deadline for both the Panda Awards & Official Selection, don't miss out on your chance to win your own prestigious Golden Panda or inaugural Laurel! ENTER HERE!
Apply to be a Pre-Selector for Wildscreen Official Selection 2020
Do you have an excellent understanding of natural history filmmaking and have some spare time on your hands?
Apply to be a Pre-Selector for Wildscreen Official Selection 2020 and be in with the chance of earning a pass to the festival! APPLY HERE!!
The 36th "International Festival of Ornithological Film" will take place from October 27th to November 1st 2020 in Ménigoute (Deux - Sèvres - FRANCE).
Directors, productors, submit us your latest wildlife productions and come to share with a large and enthusiastic public, a moment of sharing, reflection and conviviality facing the environmental challenges of tomorrow.
The Matsalu Nature Film Festival (MAFF) is an annual nature film event held in Estonia. It has been named after the nearby Matsalu National Park, which is one of the largest bird sanctuaries in Europe. MAFF is organized by the Matsalu Nature Film Festival non-profit organization in cooperation with the Lääneranna municipal government. The festival promotes nature-oriented and sustainable ways of life and respect for the nature-connected traditions of indigenous people. It showcases a variety of new international documentaries about wildlife, environment, biodiversity, conservation, sustainability - films that depict nature in its diversity and films about the relationship and balance between nature and humanity.
Traditionally, the festival features various art and nature photography exhibitions, photo presentations and meetings of both professional and amateur photographers. The program includes also screenings, activities and workshops for schoolchildren, roundtable discussions on different nature-related topics and other cultural events.
MAFF takes place in the tiny town of Lihula in Western Estonia. A selection of films are shown in Haapsalu, Pärnu, Tallinn and Noarootsi.
The 18th Matsalu Nature Film Festival will be held from the September 16-20, 2020!
Showing your film to the Dutch audience? Last year Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam welcomed more than 10,000 visitors and is growing ever since we started back in 2015.
We are open for entries until 1 May 2020.
The festival will be held from 27 October - 1 November 2020.
The competition is free of fees and selected filmmakers receive hotel lodging during the festival days (for two people) and free admission to all festival related events and films.
In 2020 Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam will recognise outstanding achievements in 10 Flamingo Award categories. Your entry will automatically compete for either Best Film/Best Short Film and the Audience Award.
Filmmaking story tellers of the natural world are invited to take advantage of this unique opportunity to pitch their planned project to a board of commissioners, producers and distributors at the PITCHING SESSION of the International Wildlife Filmfestival GREEN SCREEN 2020.
To participate, the following must be submitted:
An Exposé, describing the project should be described, including approximate shooting time, locations and the people involved.
A short CV.
An approximate budget idea.
If available, a trailer or other footage.
The Pitching Session itself is open to the public and follows international rules:
The presentation of your project may take up to seven minutes.
After that the attending experts and decision makers are invited to evaluate the project and, if applicable, to express their interest.
If you are interested, please contact Pitching directors Annette Scheurich and Udo Zimmermann via pitching@greenscreen-festival.de.
The sooner we know who plans to pitch, the better, even if not all documents are ready.
A pre-selection panel will select 6 to 8 participants for the pitching session from the submitted projects by 1st August 2020.
Some of the projects that have been presented in recent years are now in production! Participation is in any case an enriching experience!
As the promotion of emerging talent in naturefilm has always been a concern of GREEN SCREEN, submissions by newcomers and ambitious young filmmakers are encouraged. Please feel free to spread the word!
See you at GREEN SCREEN in Eckernförde!
September 09th-13th 2020
Morten is a Danish music composer, orchestrator, pianist and music copyist, specialising in production music and bespoke music for film, stage and spoken word.
With public interest in environmental issues higher than it has been for years, it is important to maintain the momentum and build on people’s understanding and motivation to protect our natural world. Nina Seale explores how environmental films have been used to engage people to make a difference for the environment.
On the deck of a beautiful French ship, sailors are sitting completely still, watching a swallow resting on the planks.
This is the memorable closing shot from a short film called Le tombeau des épuisés (Tomb of the exhausted), surprise winner of the Audience Favourite at the Good Natured Film Festival. With its slow pace, hushed French narration and subtle music, it didn’t feel like a typical conservation film. However, its power lay in its ability to remind the audience of their own experiences; the connections we create with nature, no matter where we are.
When was the last time you were moved by a film or documentary? Can you think of any which have made you reconsider your beliefs, or change your behaviour? What about environment films- when you think of an impactful environment film, what do you think of? Why do you think it made an impact? What is impact?
So… what is impact?
One answer would be change- a beautiful, moving film is distributed to a wide and diverse audience who will duly be inspired and care enough about the cause to take action.
But impact is complicated to plan, predict and measure. A film’s purpose could be to bring an unknown issue to the global spotlight, in which case reach and public sympathy would count as effective impact (e.g. Virunga shedding light on the threats of war, poaching and oil exploration on the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park). But if a film is re-addressing a well-known issue, the impact would be further along the chain: looking at creating systems change (e.g. Blue Planet II inspiring viewers to move away from single-use plastics).
So, when creating their story and impact plan, filmmakers need to truly understand what what change would look like, who would implement it, and how, in order to make a film that will really make a difference.
The right audience
An important part of this is audience. Is the film aiming for widespread behaviour change (a larger, more diverse audience) or specific actions such as policy change or changing the practices of an industry? Will the film reach the right people, or is the film asking the audience to put pressure on decision-makers?
Chris Scarffe is an environmental filmmaker who has been lucky enough to work in some of Earth’s most unique and diverse locations, both on land and underwater. In 2019, Synchronicity Earth worked with Chris to produce a film to celebrate our tenth anniversary and showcase the brilliant work being done by some of the partners we support through our conservation Programmes. Chris visited four of our partners, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Vietnam and the Philippines.
We spoke to Chris about what he found most challenging and most rewarding when making this film. And we asked him about conservation, particularly in his adopted home country of Madagascar, a hotspot for biodiversity, but also one of the poorest countries on Earth where species and ecosystems face extraordinary threats.
What were some of the challenges when shooting this film?
Wilderness areas are disappearing globally, which typically means that you now have to travel further and further to reach these remote areas.
One of my trips for Synchronicity Earth included filming and photographing in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This involved a lot of travel across this vast country: two days in a small wooden boat up the Congo River; hiking through thick forest with heavy camera gear to film bonobos; and flying in a cramped 8-seater plane where my fellow passengers included 6 juvenile crocodiles unfortunately destined for the pot in Kinshasa. For the last leg of the journey, we careered along sodden mud tracks on the back of antiquated and heavily laden motorbikes. Our destination was a remote Pygmy community, but the torrential rain storm made what was already a difficult journey especially tricky. Despite several falls from our bikes in the rain, I will never forget the genuine heartfelt gratitude and warm welcome we received on arrival as the entire village serenaded us with songs and welcomed us to their remote home.
Drone videography is one way I eased some of the challenges associated with travelling through dense forest. It really is a game-changer, as it removes the need to travel on foot to film large areas and aerial imagery offers such a different perspective. It provides breathtaking views of the natural beauty of an area, but also of the threats facing it and the difficulties in implementing the solutions to protect it.
What were some of the key things you took away from shooting this film? Go here!
David Attenborough's next BBC series Green Planet will be less 'pious' about climate change after viewers slammed past shows for being too 'holier-than-thou', confirms creative director
Veteran broadcaster used Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II to highlight pollution
As some viewers praised effort, others said felt that the tone was too hectoring
Green Planet will focus on positive ways that people can change the planet
Sir David Attenborough’s next BBC series Green Planet will be less 'pious' about climate change.
The move comes after viewers slammed past shows for being too 'holier-than-thou' according to the broadcaster's creative director.
Instead, Green Planet will aim to focus on positive solutions that can help preserve the environment.
The programme - which is set to hit TV screens next year - will explore the lives of plants, The Times reports.
Mike Gunton, who is the creative director of the BBC's Natural History Unit, says that the show will highlight how people can help save the world by taking simple steps such as planting a tree.
He told the Media Masters podcast that natural history shows shouldn't preach to their audiences. The danger is that you can become pious, and self-righteous, and kind of holier-than-thou,' he said.
'Audiences . . . quite rightly say, "I want to know, but I don’t want to be told off". So I think we’re trying to avoid this "we must, we should, you mustn’t" type approach.'
Mr Gunton added: 'This series will take viewers into a world beyond their imagination - see things no eye has ever seen.
'The world of plants is a mind-blowing parallel universe; one that we can now bring to life using a whole range of exciting new camera technology. This is Planet Earth for plants!'
It comes after mixed responses to Sir David's shows Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II, both of which raised awareness on plastic pollution and climate change. Though some viewers praised the efforts, others felt that they were too hectoring.
Good Natured: A Conservation Optimism Short Film Festival ... Call For Entries!
The second edition of Good Natured: A Conservation Optimism Short Film Festival is here!
Have you been inspired by someone taking action for nature in your community? Have you witnessed some conservation successes? Have you learned from conservation failures?
This festival wants to hear from you!
Call for short films are open but will close on March the 15th
The second film festival will take place at the amazing Oxford University Natural History Museum on May 29 as part of the Oxford Festival of Nature.
From Richard Brock's blog: Don’t blame it on a virus…
Typical, commercial wildlife TV programmes relentlessly tell us about “Deadly Killers of the Amazon” or “shark fury, ruthless predators” (Nat Geo, etc).
Yes, they may be born to hunt and feed. But in the meantime in a wildlife “sea market” in Wuhan, China, wild creatures, for so long reviled and mispresented are getting their “revenge”.
From that place, with its dead, tortured and desperate inmates comes a tiny microscopic “something” that brings the (important to us) world, as we think it, to its knees.
Travel, health, finance, politics and ordinary people are completely devastated. And whose fault is it?
Don’t blame it on a virus, that “deadly killer” or “ruthless predator”.
It turns out to be more successful on its own terms, than we will ever be.
As of February 18th, the Coronavirus has over 73,000 reported cases in 25 countries, with most cases stemming from mainland China. Now named COVID-19, the virus originated in Wuhan at a seafood market that also sold wild game - including bats, civets, snakes, and foxes. Scientists have identified a 96.2% genetic similarity between COVID-19 and a bat virus, and a 79.5% genetic similarity to SARS.
Viruses can mutate and jump from species to species. Due to the outbreak's ties to the Wuhan seafood market, it has been shut down temporarily. Environmental activists have called for a permanent ban on such markets, due to the cramped and unsanitary conditions the animals are forced to stay in - a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses.
Other major disease outbreaks have had ties to animal product consumption. Mad Cow disease, also known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s disease, originated in - you guessed it - cows. They were fed diseased sheep, infected by a prion called Scrapie, which also caused neurological damage. Banned from selling the sheep meat, farmers fed these diseased "waste products" to its cow herds, which mutated and infected humans.
Salmonella and e. Coli are among some of the other risks of consuming animal products. In April 2019, an e. Coli outbreak linked to ground beef sickened 209 people in 10 states. In 2019, the CDC linked minor outbreaks of salmonella to ground beef, frozen tuna, and ground turkey .
As disease crises and health issues continue to surface, the need to address the treatment of animals is paramount. A global shift away from animal meat could save countless lives.
Suitable for those with little to no experience our one day technical course will get you up to speed with all of your cameras manual functions.
Whether you are looking at a career in filmmaking, going travelling or are just a keen amateur looking to up your game this single day one on one course will educate, inspire and give you the skills you need to get the best from your equipment.
This course is run in the beautiful Norfolk countryside and is taught exclusively by our technical tutor Simon Beer. Working with video cameras for 27 years Simon will share his experience, knowledge, offer tips and will explain and demonstrate the core concepts of filmmaking leaving you confident to use a video camera.
Hands-on and field based
Our day begins at Wildeye HQ (with a cup of tea and homemade cake). We start by explaining how cameras work, we will discuss functions including focus, iris, shutter, white balance, gain, ND filters, peaking, scopes, zebras and more to ensure you are familiar with these fundamentals.
Travelling some 20 minutes away we will continue the day at stunning Pensthorpe, previously home to BBC Springwatch. Here we will set-up a number of shots giving you the opportunity to shoot some footage and also demonstrate how by using the cameras on screen tools you can ensure your video is in focus and properly exposed.
We pride ourselves on taking whatever time is necessary with you to ensure you leave us feeling confident and empowered to use a professional video camera whilst understanding the important basics of its operation.
By working together you will gain hands-on experience of how camera operators work and get the amazing shots you see on wildlife, travel and adventure documentaries.
Let's talk tech...
Throughout this fun and knowledge packed day you will get the opportunity to ask any technical questions you want about all sorts of filmmaking kit including cameras, tripods, lighting, audio, gimbals, sliders and more, we’ll also let you have the keys to the Wildeye kit room so you can chose what equipment you want to use throughout the day!
This is Trailer 1 for Mousehole Films' latest documentary feature 'The Bough Breaks', at its heart is the work of visionary conservationist, Alan Watson Featherstone. The documenatry also examines Rewilding as a viable solution to many of our present global conservation and climate crises. It is a call for a more personal sense of responsibility towards the stewardship of this planet and it explores the enormous legacy one person can leave by staying true to their vision.
Featuring an original soundtrack by composer Alan Fowler and contributions by George Monbiot, Dr David Hetherington, Shaila Rao and Dr Louise Ross and other major voices from the world of conservation. Directed, produced, filmed, edited and written by the Mousehole team, Gabriel Bean, Danny Strong and Caroline Strong.
This is Trailer 1 for our latest documentary feature 'The Bough Breaks', at its heart is the work of visionary conservationist, Alan Watson Featherstone. The documenatry also examines Rewilding as a viable solution to many of our present global conservation and climate crises. It is a call for a more personal sense of responsibility towards the stewardship of this planet and it explores the enormous legacy one person can leave by staying true to their vision.
Featuring an original soundtrack by composer Alan Fowler and contributions by George Monbiot, Dr David Hetherington, Shaila Rao and Dr Louise Ross and other major voices from the world of conservation. Directed, produced, filmed, edited and written by the Mousehole team, Gabriel Bean, Danny Strong and Caroline Strong.
Earth Hour 2020 Official Video - ft. "Rock the World" by The Script
Nature is one of our greatest allies against climate change and is vital for our survival, but it is under threat. This #EarthHour, join millions around the world for the biggest environmental movement of 2020, and switch off on 28 March at 8:30pm your local time. Let’s come together this Earth Hour 2020 to #Connect2Earth and raise our voice for a healthy natural world we can all rely on.
'Searching for Dinosaurs' is filmed in the Kei islands, one of the last untouched paradises of Indonesia.
The only known place in the world where regular sightings and underwater encounters with Pacific Leatherback turtles are guaranteed, Kei is slowly opening up to tourists.
These majestic creatures are rapidly disappearing. Over the last three years Scubazoo have been organising trips to Kei and even though they are long, hot and tiring days searching in small boats, the encounters were well worth it.
Being a remote location, hardly any tourists have visited Kei, liveaboards don’t even visit much and yet the marine life is stunning. The bay is full of jellyfish, spinner dolphins, melon-headed whales, bait balls, sailfish, schools of barracuda, needlefish and plenty of sea snakes on the secret seamount. And of course, several leatherback turtles providing unforgettable experiences.
Channel 5 to spend “A Year in the Forest” with ITN Productions – DOP Richard Hughes
British free-to-air network Channel 5 has partnered with ITN Productions, the content creation division of ITN, to provide an in-depth look at the Kielder Forest in Northumberland, England.
A Year in the Forest (4 x 60 minutes) will work in tandem with Forestry England to take audiences deep into the country’s most vast and varied forest. Cameras will capture the wildlife that resides within Kielder – including red squirrels, roe deer, pipistrelle bats, otters and ospreys – as the woodland changes through the seasons.
The series will utilize innovative filming methods, from macro and time-lapse natural history techniques, to capture the forest’s wildlife from the canopy to the forest floor.
Welcome to Ocean Witness, Greenpeace’s new five-part documentary series all about the ocean.
In this series, we’ll share moments of magic and heartbreak from our voyage from Pole to Pole, investigating threats to our oceans, and sharing their solutions for what we can do to protect them.
This first episode takes you to the breathtaking Arctic Ocean.
Documentary about the 'Big Four' animals of Sri Lanka (the Blue Whale, Asian Elephant, Sri Lankan Leopard, Sri Lankan Sloth Bear) and the plight they face due to habitat loss and poaching. Narrated by Michael Richard and produced by Aegle Creations.
Sir David Attenborough to Present A PERFECT PLANET on BBC One
BBC One announces that Sir David Attenborough is to present A Perfect Planet, a brand new five-part natural history super-landmark from Silverback Films.
David Attenborough said: "Oceans, sunlight, weather and volcanoes - together these powerful yet fragile forces allow life to flourish in astonishing diversity. They make Earth truly unique - a perfect planet. Our planet is one in a billion, a world teeming with life. But now, a new dominant force is changing the face of Earth: humans. To preserve our perfect planet we must ensure we become a force for good."
Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, says: "BBC One continues to lead the way in natural history programming, and I'm thrilled that Sir David Attenborough will be our trusted guide to A Perfect Planet. It will be a breathtaking series celebrating the intricate systems that allow our planet to thrive, bringing together a unique perspective with groundbreaking camera technology."
BBC & Discovery Team On Latest Landmark David Attenborough Series ‘A Perfect Planet’
Sir David Attenborough will fuse science and nature in A Perfect Planet, a new landmark series for the BBC and Discovery exploring the unique systems that allow planet Earth to thrive.
The five-part series, made by Our Planet producer Silverback Films, predated the BBC and Discovery’s 10-year, £300M ($390M) natural history deal signed last year, but will fall under the arrangement after Discovery boarded the show as a co-production partner. Other partners include Germany’s ZDF, China’s CCTV9 and France Televisions.
Attenborough will use A Perfect Planet to explain how weather, ocean currents, the sun and volcanoes foster and shape the natural world. The show will examine these systems from space and zoom in to illuminate individual animal stories, such as that of the snub-nosed monkeys of China. In the final episode, Attenborough will reveal how humans are disrupting Earth’s world order.
Is the Amazon rainforest beyond saving? - BBC Newsnight
For decades, scientists have warned of an ‘Amazon tipping-point’: the point at which the forest loses its ability to renew itself and begins to emit more carbon than it absorbs.
A ten year study suggests that the rainforest - a vital carbon sink that slows the pace of global warming - may be turning into a carbon source faster than previously thought.
One of the main causes is deforestation and millions of trees have been lost to logging and fires in recent years.
International editor Gabriel Gatehouse reports.
In his 93 years, David Attenborough has visited every continent on the globe, exploring the wild places of our planet and documenting the living world in all its variety and wonder. Now, for the first time he reflects upon both the defining moments of his lifetime as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has seen.
Produced by WWF and award-winning wildlife film-makers Silverback Films, David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet is a first-hand account of humanity’s impact on nature and a message of hope for future generations.
Coming to cinemas across the UK, Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Australia and New Zealand on 16 April 2020. Tickets available now at: www.attenborough.film
The Owl | observations from ISFRYN from Bevis Bowden
There have always been Tawny Owls here. Heard but rarely seen, it nonetheless has been a reassuring presence. I have counted up to six individual owls on a single night calling during the winter months.
Learn how to build a hibernaculum to provide a safe place for reptiles and amphibians to shelter over the winter. The ideal time to build a hibernaculum is late summer or autumn, but you can build one any time of the year.
Billion Pound Fish - Full Documentary from Lizzie Daly
Lizzie says: "In this documentary, I explore the environmental impacts of Scotland’s salmon farms alongside wildlife filmmakers, conservationists, an ex-salmon farmer and wildlife tour operators living and working alongside this Billion pound industry. I explore some of the biggest issues including the shooting of seals, who predate the salmon in salmon farms, Acoustic Deterrent Devices that pose a threat to marine mammals like dolphins and porpoises, damage to the sea bed underneath salmon pens and disease outbreaks including sea lice, parasites that attach to the skin of salmon causing lesions and compromising fish welfare.
This is an industry that is worth so much - but we need to see investment in better practice. After all, what’s the price of an ecosystem?"
La Jolla shores is popular not only among tourists, but among sharks, specifically leopard sharks. In this new documentary, Francisco journeys to San Diego, CA, to find out why do so many sharks gather in that beach annually. This adventure will take him from an interactive experience in Birch Aquarium; to meet an important shark scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography; and into a snorkeling tour with adventurer Chad Zuber, in search of the sharks in their natural habitat!
Snow Leopard Found Injured – India's Wild Leopards
By some estimates, there could be as few as 4000 snow leopards left in the wild. They live only in cold, high altitude regions, but as our climate changes, their mountain homes are changing faster than most places on earth.
Wildlife cameraman & National Geographic fellow Sandesh Kadur is on a mission to uncover the secretive lives of wild leopards. Journey to Ladakh in the Himalayas, where Sandesh's first encounter with a snow leopard is more intimate than expected as a snow leopard is found critically injured.
India's Wild Leopards on National Geographic Wild UK
Extinction Rebellion History 2018-2019 ... Join Us!
We are facing an unprecedented global emergency. Life on Earth is in crisis: scientists agree we have entered a period of abrupt climate breakdown, and we are in the midst of a mass extinction of our own making. scientistsforxr.earth/planetary-emergency
On 31st October 2018, we assembled on Parliament Square in London to announce a Declaration of Rebellion against the UK Government. We were expecting a couple of hundred people. Instead, 1500 came to participate in peaceful civil disobedience. The energy was contagious! The next few weeks were a whirlwind. Six thousand of us converged on London to peacefully block five major bridges across the Thames. We planted trees in the middle of Parliament Square, and dug a hole there to bury a coffin representing our future. We super-glued ourselves to the gates of Buckingham Palace as we read a letter to the Queen. Our actions generated huge national and international publicity and, as news spread, our ideas connected with tens of thousands of people around the world. The XR project was resonating with a deeply felt need for community and solidarity. “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” we chanted! Dozens of countries now have groups springing up, from the Solomon Islands to Australia, from Spain to South Africa, the US to India..
We need you – whoever you are, however much time you have – to help build a powerful movement. Our vision of change involves mass participation. Together we’re unstoppable.
The Sequel: What Will Follow Our Troubled Civilisation? officially launches March 16th
- tickets on sale now!
As film-makers we’ve been set a fascinating challenge – can we bring to life a set of ideas that could prove crucial to the future of our society? How can we do justice to the legacy of the unique writer, economist and ecologist, David Fleming?
David Fleming’s life’s work, published posthumously as 'Lean Logic: A Dictionary for the Future and How to Survive It', is proving a source of fascination to the ever-growing numbers of people recognising that society needs to reinvent itself, in the face of threats to our climate and the biosphere that could spell the end of life as we've known it..
Read: Surviving the Future: Culture, Carnival and Capital in the Aftermath of the Market Economy & Lean Logic: A Dictionary for the Future and How to Survive It by David Fleming, Shaun Chamberlin
Surviving the Future Culture, Carnival and Capital in the Aftermath of the Market Economy by
David Fleming, Shaun Chamberlin
Surviving the Future is a story drawn from the fertile ground of the late David Fleming’s extraordinary Lean Logic: A Dictionary for the Future and How to Survive It. That hardback consists of four hundred and four interlinked dictionary entries, inviting readers to choose their own path through its radical vision. More here...
Lean Logic A Dictionary for the Future and How to Survive It by
David Fleming
Edited by Shaun Chamberlin
Lean Logic is David Fleming’s masterpiece, the product of more than thirty years’ work and a testament to the creative brilliance of one of Britain’s most important intellectuals.
A dictionary unlike any other, it leads readers through Fleming’s stimulating exploration of fields as diverse as culture, history, science, art, logic, ethics, myth, economics, and anthropology, being made up of four hundred and four engaging essay-entries covering topics such as Boredom, Community, Debt, Growth, Harmless Lunatics, Land, Lean Thinking, Nanotechnology, Play, Religion, Spirit, Trust, and Utopia. More here...
Wild Earth Showreel: African Wildlife Filmmaking from Elliot Connor
Following 5 weeks spent in South Africa filming for the WildEarth TV crew as an intern, I have put together a brief showreel of some memorable moments caught on film.
This Sydney teenager is working for a conservation revolution
The world of conservation can be an insular place. To outsiders it can look like a gaggle of wizened binocular-toting retirees in khaki crawling through the bush, taking notes on clipboards with fountain pens. A newcomer who doesn’t know a sparrow from a sparrowhawk – much less a honeyeater from a wren – might understandably feel uneasy alongside such seasoned binocular-toters. This feeling can make conservation inaccessible and niche at a time when we desperately need it to be mainstream.
Having experienced this feeling first-hand, Elliot Connor is on a mission to improve things in conservation and remove barriers to involvement. When Elliot, a teenager from Sydney, was looking for a community project a few years ago for his Duke of Edinburgh, he landed on a volunteer position with Birdlife Australia. He estimates he was the only volunteer this side of 70. But that position turned out to be the first step into the world of environmental conservation which has become Elliot’s passion and purpose.
Seventeen-year-old Elliot is in his final year of high school; he attends class and studies for exams along with his peers. But outside the classroom he moonlights as founder and CEO of Human Nature Projects (HNP), a global not-for-profit organisation aimed at supporting community-driven conservation projects and working to make conservation more accessible, particularly for young people. ‘It was quite hard for me, initially, to get into the nature conservation field,’ says Elliot, ‘so I wanted to make it easier for members of the public to get involved and help out in whatever ways they can.’
The broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough has said "now is the moment" for action on climate change.
His comments came at a launch event for the COP26 climate summit which is to be held in Glasgow later this year.
Contaminated sewage used as fertiliser on English farms – secret report from Greenpeace – Unearthed
When Penny Napierski suspected something wasn't right with the foul-smelling fertiliser spread on the field near her home last year, she reported it to the Environment Agency. Now we've found an unpublished report from 2017 which shows the EA knew that sewage sludge spread on farms in England contained a long list of contaminants that could be harmful to human health or the environment – from salmonella to microplastics.
Jungle sounds - fascinating birdsong in the Congo rainforest by George Vlad
This is a field recording I made in a village in Central Gabon on my expedition to the Congo basin rainforest. We stopped to buy fruit from a village and it sounded so good that we decided to spend the night with a very welcoming local family. After a 5 minute walk away from the main road we found this gorgeous wild banana grove where a myriad birds were singing. This soundscape was captured there the next morning with a field recording rig that I set up at 3 am and left recording until midday.
BBC 'set to open new HQ' for Natural History Unit in Bristol Temple Meads area
The "probable" new home of the BBC's Natural History Unit is reportedly the Bristol Temple Meads area.
Last month we revealed the broadcaster was considering the future of BBC Studios' presence at Grade-II listed Broadcasting House on Whiteladies Road, Clifton.
BBC Studios' Bristol output includes programmes such as Countryfile and David Attenborough's famous nature documentaries.
Now a source close to the BBC has told Bristol Live: "Regional TV and radio are expected to be left on Tyndalls Park Road.
"The probable destination [of BBC Studios' Bristol HQ] is around Temple Meads. They're thinking of moving into an existing or very nearly finished office block around there.
Every day, forests are destroyed to make way for the food we eat. Now we know, we can fix it together and get deforestation off our plates. We already have more than enough land to feed our growing population. We don’t need to cut down a single tree more. Fight for our forests. Fight for your world.
Joaquin Phoenix Calls Out Injustice in Passionate Oscar Speech
At the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood, activist Joaquin Phoenix delivered an impassioned plea during his Best Actor acceptance speech, imploring the audience to consider the role humanity has had in the world’s injustices, including the ongoing suffering of animals on factory farms.
Said Phoenix, “I think we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world. Many of us are guilty of an egocentric worldview and we believe that we’re the center of the universe. We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.” More here.
Is it possible to be a meat-eating environmentalist? As the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned us, we have less than 10 years to mitigate climate catastrophe. The report called for “unprecedented changes” to all aspects of society to prevent warming beyond this level. Should ditching meat be part of this?
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the global livestock industries account for 7.1 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent per year, representing 14.5% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. It also notes that 26% of the world's arable land is used for livestock, not to mention that 33% of all cropland is dedicated to growing animal feed. Deforestation is a huge issue, as 1.5 soccer fields are cleared in the Amazon Rainforest every hour to make room for grazing cattle.
There is also the issue of water availability - raising animals for food uses 1/3 of our potable water supply. Yet, 700 million people across the globe suffer from water scarcity.
Ocean dead zones have been linked to livestock manure and agricultural run-off. As ocean temperatures rise, coral reefs are dying and the water is becoming more acidic as a result. Ocean acidification makes it harder for marine ecosystems to thrive.
Conservation Optimism – We are very excited to announce that we will be running our second edition of Good Natured: film festival on the 29th of May at 8 pm in the amazing Oxford University Natural History Museum as part of the Oxford Festival of Nature! Visit: conservationoptimism.org/film-festival-2020
The evening will kick off with a panel discussion between our judges around the importance of film making to raise awareness of conservation issues. We will then screen a diversity of short movies belonging to the following categories:
People & Nature: Communities, Heroes & Wellbeing
Conservation Works: Learning from Success & Failure
Gina Cali – Award winning Documentary Visual Researcher with over 30 years of experience providing imagery and clearances for science, natural history and environmental documentaries.
In search of new sources for stock footage. See current searches below!
Constantinos Christou – A filmmaker based in
Nicosia ,Cyprus. He can undertake projects as a 1st or 2nd Camera Operator or an assistant/runner for bigger productions. After his graduation from Plymouth College of Art he spent 3 months in Abruzzo, Italy producing films for a wildlife organisation which is working to save the marsican brown bear from extinction. He travelled to more than 20 countries for various projects and has 8 years of experience. He has received awards from many film festivals all over the world.
He’s a proficient user of all kinds of professional 4K equipment, such as RED, ARRI, Canon and Panasonic cameras, as well as DJI drones.
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