2017 Festival & Summit Guide by Jackson Wild

WELCOME

2017 JACKSON HOLE WILDLIFE FILM FESTIVAL & CONSERVATION SUMMIT Welcome to the 14th Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, an event like no other. Over the next few days, in the shadow of the Tetons, the natural history community will celebrate the best films of the last two years, pitch new projects, and discuss the state of the natural world. On behalf of the Jackson board, thank you for being here. This year’s Jackson is the largest ever. We are expecting a record of more than 750 people—filmmakers and conservationists, commissioning editors, scientists and storytellers of every description. Once again, we are kicking off with a Conservation Summit, this time focusing on cats. On the Sunday before the Festival, we will gather for intense discussions about the state of cat conservation worldwide, with experts, policy makers and producers all joining the conversation. The big cat focus will carry over into the festival, and we hope you’ll take the opportunity to attend some of those panel discussions or meet some of the big cat experts in attendance. Our first conference in Jackson Hole launched 26 years ago, when the loss of habitat and the scope of global climate change were barely a blip in public awareness. Today we face the reality of a changing planet, at a time when science denial seems more entrenched than ever, at least in the US. How we reckon with those realities in the stories we tell will be on our minds as we gather this week, as will the question of how we, as a community, can hope to have an impact. Of course, these discussions, serious as they are, are just part of what makes Jackson Hole special. For the next week, you will have a chance to see old friends, make new ones, see some brilliant films and enjoy some of the most exquisite wilderness in North America. We wish you a wonderful and rewarding week. Sincerely, Michael Rosenfeld Board Chair, Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival

2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Welcome 6

Board of Directors

9 Staff 10-12 Sponsors 14 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New 19 General Info 20-25

Local Info

23 In Appreciation 27 Film Competition 28

Grand Teton Award Winners

31 Final Jury 32 Preliminary Judges 34 Legacy Awards 37-38

Exhibitors

Finalist Profiles

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Some of the most respected names in media, science and conservation are on Jackson Hole WILD’s Board of Directors. Our continued growth and success is due in large part to their support and guidance. Among them are some of the finest names in broadcast media and film.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Michael Rosenfeld, Chair Head of National Production, Twin Cities PBS

Ellen Windemuth, Treasurer CEO/Founder, Off the Fence Productions

Fred Kaufman, Vice-Chair Executive Producer of Nature/WNET

Geoff Daniels, Member-at-large EVP & General Manager, Nat Geo WILD

Walter Koehler, Secretary CEO, CineMater and Terra Mater Factual Studios

Carole Tomko, Member-at-large GM & Creative Director, Vulcan Productions

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Animal Planet Patrice Andrews, General Manager BBC Studios Natural History Unit Julian Hector, Head

PBS Bill Gardner, Vice President of Programming and Development

Discovery Channel John Cavanagh, Executive Producer

Science Channel Marc Etkind, General Manager

Disneynature Paul Baribault, VP Marketing

Sony Electronics Robert Willox, Director of Marketing

FijiFilm Optical Devices - Fujinon Lenses Chuck Lee, Technology Manager, US

SVT (Swedish Television) Henrik Ekman, Acquisitions Executive, Wildlife and Science

Gorongosa Restoration Project Greg Carr, President HHMI | Tangled Bank Studios Dennis Liu, Executive Director IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare Erica Martin, Vice President Communications

National Geographic Partners Geoff Daniels, Executive VP & General Manager National Geographic Society Brooke Runnette, EVP & Chief Program Officer Nature/WNET Fred Kaufman, Executive Producer

Off the Fence Productions Ellen Windemuth, CEO/Founder

2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

The Nature Conservancy Stella Cha, Creative Director Terra Mater Factual Studios Walter Koehler, Chief Executive Officer

UNIVERSUM/ORF Andrew Solomon, Head of Natural History & Science Vulcan Productions Carole Tomko, General Manager & Creative Director WGBH John Bredar, VP National Programs World Wildlife Fund Christopher O’Leary, Executive Producer

On Digital & Blu-ray

™

495,000 Acres of forest protected to restore key corridors for wild pandas and establish a new snow leopard conservation program in China.

earth, China

oceans

earth, China

And celebrating our past conservation successes... oceans

earth, China

oceans

earth, China

oceans

african cats

bears

african cats

chimpanzee

bears

Monkey Kingdom

chimpanzee

bears

Monkey Kingdom

40,000 Acres of a new marine protected area established to conserve coral reefs in The Bahamas.

Monkey Kingdom

chimpanzee

3 Million trees planted in Brazil’s most endangered forest.

african cats

oceans

earth, China

oceans

bears

Monkey Kingdom

Conservation projects across 400,000 acres supported, park visitors educated, animal and plant species protected.

Conservation projects supported across one million acres in Indonesia, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka, benefiting hundreds of species and protecting fresh drinking water for local populations 7

Monkey Kingdom

65,000 Acres of savanna protected to create conservation corridors in Kenya.

130,000 Acres of wild chimpanzee habitat protected in the Congo, 60,000+ local youths educated, and chimpanzees cared for.

SAVE THE DATE

HERE’S WHAT YOU MISSED IF YOU DIDN’T ATTEND THE 2016 SCIENCE MEDIA AWARDS & SUMMIT— DON’T CHEAT YOUR BRAIN AGAIN!

OF THE MOST ILLUMINATING DAYS OF YOUR YEAR!

∞

REVELATORY SESSIONS ON CUTTING EDGE SCIENCE AND MEDIA

350 OF THE WORLD'S TOP PRODUCERS AND SCIENTISTS

IDEAS, BRAINY COOL CONVERSATIONS AND CONTACTS

SCIENCE MEDIA AWARDS & SUMMIT IN THE HUB

SEPTEMBER 26—28, 2018 @ the studios of WGBH in Boston, MA Support for SMASH18 is provided by: 8

Presented by:

2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

OUR TEAM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lisa Samford OPERATIONS & MARKETING DIRECTOR Christie Quinn FILM COMPETITION Dana Grant DEVELOPMENT & TOUR Melanie Judd VOLUNTEER & EVENTS Kirstie Montgomery PRODUCTION MANAGER Phoebe Cooper CAT SUMMIT COORDINATOR Denise Robertson COMMUNITY EVENTS & PARTNERSHIPS Cindy Harger NSF STRAND PRODUCER Ru Mahoney VR & DRONE PRODUCERS Chad Jackson Vanessa Boshoff MARKETING ASSOCIATE Abbey Greene

OPERATIONS & DESIGN ASSOCIATE James Fiske TRANSPO & EXCURSIONS ASSOCIATE Jack Sieber EVENTS ASSOCIATE Tara Ramsey COMMUNITY ASSOCIATE Rachel Mahrt PRODUCTION ASSOCIATES Robert Palmer Max Thrower EXHIBITORS & PARTNERSHIPS Martin Hammond FINAL JUDGING MODERATOR Sally Vaughn TECHNICAL TEAM C.R. Caillouet Adam Hagan Ben Levin Evan Hopping Jim Toten Sally Vaughn Jim Waters Kori Price

REGISTRATION & TOUR ASSOCIATE Scarlett Brown

SPONSORS PRESENTING

PREMIER

GRAND

MAJOR SPONSORS

10 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

FINAL JURY

capturing rare moments around the world

siberian tiger release wild elephant capture beached dolphin rescue

gorilla airlift koala wildďŹ re rescue orphaned rhino rehabilitation

Join us on our next filming adventure: 508-744-2254, media_assets@ifaw.org www.ifaw.org 11

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

MEDIA PARTNERS

AUCTION SUPPORT

ARRI BBC Studios Natural History Unit Canon Gorongosa Restoration Project ORF/Universum NHK Nature/WNET SVT (Swedish Television) USC School of Cinematic Arts Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital Imagine Science Film Festival Natural History Network Nature’s Best Photography Orion Magazine Realscreen Wild Dunedin Wildlife-film.com

African Environments Allison Argo Ben Griffith Ben Von Wong Bill Lange Curb Records Dan and Donna Kaufman Greg Carr / Gorongosa Restoration Project Janine Baker JHMR RAW African Wildlife Encounters Susan Moore Thomas Mangelsen Vicky Stone & Mark Deeble World Cast Anglers

CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS WILD FEST SPONSORS North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Pulse Africa

COMMUNITY Freefly Granite Cloud Jackson Hole Still Works Jackson Hole Airport Marco Polo Film Springhill Suites by Marriott Jackson Hole Yoga Today

LOCAL Blackmagic Design Master Wildlife Filmmaking Podcast Triple T Studios

4JH - Town & County Travel& Tourism Board Center of Wonder Community Foundation of Jackson Hole/Old Bill’s Fun Run Charles Engelhard Foundation Jackson Hole Airport Springhill Suites by Marriot, Jackson Hole Stockton Shirk Wyoming Arts Council Fine Dining Group - Bistro Catering

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Center for the Arts Grand Teton National Park John Mortenson Terri Roper Ann Smith

IN-KIND SPONSORS Jackson Hole Eco Tour Adventures Lost Creek Ranch National Museum of Wildlife Art

2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

SCIENCE STRAND Made possible by support from the National Science Foundation

There has never been a more important time for communicating solid science to public audiences! We are thrilled to launch a new programming strand that aims to integrate the science of effective communication alongside the effective communication of science directly into Jackson Hole programming. Running Tues-Thurs, we’ve created a robust slate of panels and workshops alongside formal and informal networking opportunities to integrate the programming priorities of Jackson Hole with our Science Media Symposium—slated for Sept 21-3, 2016 in Boston, in partnership with WGBH.

VIRTUAL REALITY STRAND Pay attention. You heard it hear first: Virtual Experience media is far more than an interesting advancement in storytelling technology and engagement. This has the potential to revolutionize media consumption across a huge range of market sectors, and you need to know more! We are at the front edge of a rapidly changing immersive personal media landscape. This is an amazing opportunity to engage with the early adaptors who are blazing into this developing frontier. Make a point to experience the various demos, and get acquainted with the nuances of 360 storytelling and workflow with the experts on the floor. VR tech innovators are actively seeking partnerships with storytellers/content creators. Consider this to be an unbelievable opportunity to dive in to the latest—most promising--emerging media market!

WILD MUSIC Site: R Park (search on app store)

SEE APP

When you find your way to town, make a point to visit R Park (Snake River at Hwy 22) and experience WILD Music. Merging new-media technology with original composition, Hays and Ryan Holladay have created a nonlinear, interactive “location-aware music installation,” inspired by and created for the landscape/ environment at R-Park, their site-specific public art installation incorporates an elaborate collection of seamlessly integrated tones, rhythms, and musical phrases. Elaborately managing the mapping of overlapping tracks in the physical environment they have created an immersive and interactive listening experience that is determined by physical exploration through the landscape. To date, the brothers have composed unique “location-aware” pieces in the National Mall in Washington, DC, in Central Park, NYC and for SXSW in Austin…and finally, in a landscape of unmatched creative inspiration: Jackson Hole! 13

WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR 2017 CAT CONSERVATION SUMMIT Wild cats are among the most beautiful, graceful and revered animals found on the planet. But, their future is uncertain. Habitat loss, human/predator conflict, the black market trafficking of cats has created an urgent need for new and innovative ideas to secure the last wild cat populations that still roam the planet. The Summit takes a hard look at how conservation, science, and media stakeholders can partner to move the needle on conserving the world’s wild cats and the habitats they range. Cat Summit Day will focus on the major issues affecting wild cat populations globally. Subsequent days offer deeper exploration into how media and cutting edge science can interject fresh ideas and concepts that have the power to change the way we think about conservation, and open the door to previously unexplored pathways to protect wild cat populations around the world. SEE PROGRAMMING

EXCURSION DAY Friday September 29, the Festival will be providing a variety of unique in-field experiences and workshops to connect you with the beauty and wildness of this valley in a more meaningful way. Excursions include wildlife safaris, scenic rafting, hands-on wildlife filmmaking workshops and a tour of the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Professional development in-field workshops include VR (Led by xRez founder Eric Hanson and Dryft Digital’s Refah Seyed Mahmoud), Drones (sponsored by Freefly), and camera trapping with NGS Photography Fellow Charlie Hamilton James and filmmaking in the Park with Blackmagic. LEARN MORE 14 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION STRAND & FELLOWS JH WILD and partners from Colorado Mesa University have been awarded a prestigious grant from the National Science Foundation to conduct ground-breaking empirical research on communicating science to public audiences, through media. The National Science Foundation is supporting a two-year study examining the role of documentary media as a tool for science communication and increased STEM literacy. The NSF funded program will support participation of eight STEM-Media Fellows from around the country. Selected from a highly-competitive pool of 350+ nominees, the Fellows represent emerging leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and Media professions. Their learning experiences through Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival 2017 and Science Media Awards & Summit 2018 will provide valuable insight about the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in science storytelling and media development. LEARN MORE

JACKSON HOLE WILD ON TOUR Jackson Hole WILD On Tour shares the best wildlife, nature & science films from our competitions to a larger audience, connecting more people to the natural world through media. We are eager to partner with universities, non-profits and organizations to bring the Best of Jackson Hole to your community! LEARN MORE

REWRITE THE SCRIPT ON CLIMATE CHANGE. Nature is a solution.

Science tells us that protecting and restoring forests, wetlands and other natural systems can provide a third of the necessary reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decades. Help us tell that story. Learn more at nature.org/climate.

WOCRD1808 ÂŠ GASTON LACOMBE

16 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

JACKSON LAKE LODGE CONFERENCE MAP

EYE TO EYE WITH NATURE contentsales.orf.at/universum

GENERAL INFO

Science. Story. Inspiration.

Proud sponsor of the Jackson Hole Conservation Award.

2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

CONNECT WITH US! #JACKSONHOLE17 FESTIVAL & SUMMIT REGISTRATION Our registration/conference “help” desk is located at the activities desk in the main lobby. Saturday, Sept. 23 5 - 7:30PM Sunday, Sept. 24 7AM - 9PM Monday, Sept. 25 7AM - 5PM Tuesday, Sept. 26 7AM - 5PM Wednesday, Sept. 27 8AM - 4PM If you arrive on Thursday or Friday, please visit the Festival office (see below) to pick up your attendee credentials. FESTIVAL OFFICE The Festival Office is located on the ground floor in Wapiti 1 Hours: 8:30AM - 5:00PM Phone: (307) 200-3286 LOST AND FOUND There is a $40 replacement fee for lost badges and $50 for lost backpacks. Check in with Festival staff at the registration desk for any missing items.

STAY UP-TO-DATE Jackson Hole Festival & Summit

@JacksonHoleWILD

MOBILE APP We are thrilled to have a #JacksonHole17 Festival app this year. Please reference the app for most up-to-date scheduling and transportation SPONSORED BY Search “Jackson Hole Festival” on Apple’s App Store or Android’s Google Play Store to download.

EVENT TRANSPORTATION Round-trip bus transportation between the Jackson Lake Lodge and Coulter Bay Village, and to and from the Lodge and any social events will be provided free of charge. Please check the schedule on the mobile app and the website for more info. GTNP Photo & Film Permit From 9/24-29, delegates can shoot in groups of up to 10 people per permit/ shooting group, free of additional fees. On the days preceding and following the Festival, only 1-2 are covered by the individual film permit without charge. Groups of 3+ will incur a $150/day fee. Print the permit before you arrive and you an use it as your Park Pass. Keep it with you when shooting. Read and comply with all rules: no disturbing wildlife or Park visitors, and drones are expressly prohibited. 19

LOCAL INFO At an elevation of 6,200 feet, Jackson Hole is at its most beautiful during the autumn, and weather is unpredictable. It is likely to be sunny and warm during the day, with termperatures in the low 70’s, but the nights in late September can dip into the 30’s and snow is just as common as a warm sunny day. Jackets, sweaters and warm clothing are strongly recommended.

1. Center for the Arts Awards Gala 2. Airport 3. Dornan’s Nat Geo Wild BBQ 4. Jackson Lake Lodge Main Conference Venue & Lodging 5. Colter Bay Village Additional Lodging 20 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

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TRANSPORTATION The Driver Provider Taxi (307) 733-4629 From Airport to Lodge: 2 people - $90; 3-4 $120

Call for a rate:

JH Shuttle: (307) 200-1400 Snake River Transportation (307) 413-9009 Teton Village Transport (307) 413-1200

DINING OPTIONS AT THE LODGE The Mural Room 7AM - 9:30AM 11:30AM - 1:30PM 5:30 - 9PM

The Pioneer Grill 6:00AM - 10:00 PM

Blue Heron 11AM - 9PM (for food) Bar open until midnight

Lobby Cart 6AM - 3PM

HEALTH TIPS DRINK WATER Dehydration occurs much more frequently in Jackson Hole than sea level locations since our relative humidity is very low.

BRING BEAR SPRAY Remember to bring bear spray with you on any hikes in the area. Click here for more info on use. Bear spray rentals available at GTNP visitor center.

MEDICAL EMERGENCY If you need medical assistance, there is a summer clinic located at the Jackson Lake Lodge (307) 543-2514 | Mon-Sun, 10am-5pm Emergacare is available 24/7 for after hour emergencies (307) 733-8002

DRINK SMART The effects of alcohol are dramatically increased at altitude. At Jackson Hole’s elevation of 6,200 feet above sea level, the effect of alcohol will be approximately double for the sea level inhabitant.

RELIGIOUS SERVICES Chapel of the Sacred Heart, hosts Catholic Mass on Saturday and Sunday at 5pm. Other religious services are available in town. The Jackson Hole Jewish Community provides High Holiday services. Everyone is welcome. Childcare provided with most services. No tickets required. Events will be at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Sept. 29, 6:30 - Erev Yom Kippur Sept. 30, 10am - Yom Kippur

is essential reading for decision-makers in the business of non-fiction and unscripted entertainment. Sign up for your FREE daily newsletter. realscreen.com/subscribe

E B I R C S B U

22 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

WGBH BOSTON CONGRATULATES OUR JACKSON FINALISTS:

Is SMASH in your future? Save the Date!

SMASH

SCIENCE MEDIA AWARDS & SUMMIT IN THE HUB

September 26-28, 2018 WGBH Studios | Boston, MA Support for SMASH18 is provided by:

Presented by:

We've seenÂ the best so you can Pulse Africa tailor-makes luxury safaris througout the continent. Let us help you experience the unforgettable.

Contact Pam Goldie-Morrison 917-692-3346 www.pulseafrica.com 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

SPECIAL THANKS IN APPRECIATION VOLUNTEERS Lina Collado Drake Rabin Shelley Smith Sirjaut Dhariwal Olivia Macowski Laurie Johnson Olivia Schmidt Erin Ranney James Fulcher Stephen Matter Simon Toledo Sarah Ridgway Loren Klyne Christopher Millbern Donald Valdez Sarah Lanier NardineGroch Sara Matasick Michelle Lotker Tyler Brown David Sharits Gaurav Sharma

Dylan McAdam Tania Esteban Lynn Jeffords Alicia Russo Milia Byrtus Ana Knezevic Annette Osnos Janice Beatty Bailey de Vries Egbe Anna Etaka Kirk Cooper Micaela Samodelov Emma Barnes Christina Ward Zoe Leanza Billikee Howard Luisa Velez Monica Pastores Emma Tyrrell Robert Galin Alessandro Ponzo Matthew Sileo Gunjan Menon Kori Price

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Julian Victor Robertson Hugo Sindelar William Green Oluwadamilola MacGregor Zachary “Blake” Fajack Arun Dayanandan Jim Waters Mythili Soundararajan Ben Morris-French Xander Samaras Steven Holt Dan Solmon Tom Keenan Jill Dominick Scott Jeffords Brandon Navratil Ben Fitzcosta MIla Stender Timothy Treuer Jeff Hester Joao Pasquale Alexander Finden

Mortensen Studios. Mortensen, a self-taught artist has created over 200 bronze sculptures to date, including 30 life-size works. His work draws inspiration from a life spent on ranches and observations of wildlife and ranch life seen from the back of a horse, and the trails beneath the Tetons in Jackson Hole. From his foundation in traditional bronze, he has launched a collection of western furnishings. mortensenstudios.com

TOM MANGELSEN The incredible images you see in the Festival printed materials, website, signs and banners were created by Jackson Hole photographer Tom Mangelsen. With three decades of experience in the field, Tom’s immense curiosity and love for wild places and creatures inspire his expeditions to the earth’s most beautiful and often endangered locales. A childhood on the Platte River in Nebraska and graduate studies in wildlife biology began Tom’s journey down the path to photography. His numerous awards include honors by the BBC as “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” and by the North American Nature Photography Association as “Outstanding Nature Photographer of the Year.” Today, Tom has thirteen ‘Images of Nature’ galleries across the United States with nearly 900 images available to purchase. His stock agency contains 4,000 images of wildlife from all around the world. imagesofnature.com | mangelsen.com 25

26 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

NATIONAL PARKS GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK Rising above a scene rich with extraordinary wildlife, pristine lakes, and alpine terrain, the Teton Range stands monument to the people who fought to protect it. These are mountains of the imagination. Mountains that led to the creation of Grand Teton National Park where you can explore over two hundred miles of trails, float the Snake River or enjoy the serenity of this remarkable place.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK It’s Wonderland. Old Faithful and the majority of the world’s geysers are preserved here. They are the main reason the park was established in 1872 as America’s first national park—an idea that spread worldwide. A mountain wilderness, home to grizzly bears, wolves, and herds of bison and elk, the park is the core of one of the last, nearly intact ecosystems in the Earth’s temperate zone.

POINTS OF INTEREST National Museum of Wildlife Art The National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, WY is the premier museum of wildlife art and enriches humanity’s relationship with nature. WEBSITE Signal Mountain Lodge & Boat Dock Just north of Jackson Lake Lodge, visit SML for a great view of Jackson Lake and a change of scenery. Dining options open until 10pm. Jackson Hole Gallery Walk Within the past decade, Jackson Hole has taken a place beside Scottsdale, Santa Fe, San Francisco and New York as a major art center. The local galleries proudly present a broad range of work from “old masters” such as Charles Russell and Frederick Remington to internationally and nationally know contemporary artists, some of whom live in Teton County. WEBSITE

Schwabacher’s Landing Schwabacher’s Landing is the location that truly highlights the immense beauty of Grand Teton National Park. Schwabacher’s Landing is a spot on the Snake River, almost exactly east of Grand Teton, where the terrain flattens out and allows easy access to the river. Mormon Row, GTNP Mormon homesteaders, who settled east of Blacktail Butte near the turn of the 19-century, clustered their farms to share labor and community, a stark contrast with the isolation typical of many western homesteads. These settlers first arrived in the 1890s from Idaho establishing a community (named Grovont by the U.S. Post Office) known today as “Mormon Row.”

Presented by

JUNE 23 - NOVEMBER 25, 2017 Exit 118 off I15 Idaho Falls, ID

After the film festival, stop by the Museum of Idaho and enjoy our out-of-this-world exhibit!

IDE R P S U S R TRIBE VE www.terramater.com

28 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

1 Ă&#x2014; 50 min.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

JACKSON HOLE WILDLIFE FILM FESTIVAL This year almost 600 films from 30+ countries entered over 900 categories to compete for 23 awards, including the Best of Festival â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grand Tetonâ&#x20AC;? Award. Finalists were selected during a six-week process that involved the committed participation of around 150 international judges screening an aggregated 3500+ hours of film. The Festival board is immensely grateful to each of the preliminary jurors who committed long hours to thoroughly screen and review each program entered into competition.

23 AWARDS 950 ENTRIES 150+ JUDGES 3500+ HOURS

Final award winners will be selected by a distinguished panel of five jurors who convened in Jackson Hole immediately preceding the Festival. Their decisions will be announced at the Grand Teton Awards Gala Celebration on Thursday, September 28 at the Center for the Arts in downtown Jackson Hole.

All programs entered into the 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival are available to delegates for screening on our secure online screening room. Finalists will be showcased in special screenings throughout the week as well as in Jackson Hole WILD On Tour events around the world. Finalist Profiles and Trailers are accessed online, and in the following pages.

PAST GRAND TETON AWARD WINNERS 2015

Jago: A Life Underwater Underdog Films Producer: James Reed

2013

On a River in Ireland Crossing the Line Films Producer: Cepa Giblin

2011

Broken Tail Crossing the Line Films Producer: John Murray

2009

GREEN Tawak Productions Producer: Patrick Rouxel

2007

Galapagos: Born on Fire BBC Natural History Unit, National Geographic, BBC Worldwide Producer: Patrick Morris

2005

Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action The Katahdin Foundation Producer: Roberta Grossman

2001

Mzima: Haunt of the Riverhorse Survival Anglia Ltd/National Geographic Television Producers: Mark Deeble & Victoria Stone

1999

Vision Man Aby Long Productions Producer: Lars Aby

1997

People of the Sea International Wildlife Films Producer: Patrick Morris

1995

Life in the Freezer: The Big Freeze BBC/National Geographic Television Producers: Martha Holmes, Ned Kelly, Peter Bassett, Alastair Fothergill

1993

Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas National Geographic Producers: Dereck and Beverly Joubert

1991

Here Be Dragons Survival Anglia Producer: Alan Root, Mark Deeble, Victoria Stone

2003

The Cultured Ape Scorer Associates Producer: Brian Leith

30 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

RULE THE NIGHT

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Nighttime skyline: Minimal noise and vibrant color gamut

Final Grade Scene from the film “It’s a Mess” by Director/DP Frank Prinzi, ASC Captured on VariCam 35, V-Log, AVC-Intra 4K 4:4:4 T4 at native 5000 ISO, negative gain set to 2500 ISO

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VARICAM LT

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32 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

FINAL JURY

CLARK BUNTING

With more than three decades as a senior leader in media and entertainment and championing environmental and conservation causes, Clark has successfully developed and managed comprehensive strategies for quality branded enterprises, incubating business units and cultivating talent. He is currently an entrepreneur, investor and developer of new businesses, platforms and services in a wide array of genres. Most recently, Clark was CEO and President of the National Parks Conservation Association, a nonpartisan, non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the country’s National Park System.

CAROL FLEISHER Carol L. Fleisher has spent the last forty years making

documentaries for television. Her passion for storytelling is seen most vividly in her films about nature. Each documentary has revealed a different aspect of our human connection to the natural world. One of Carol’s favorite projects, the Emmy Award-winning, “Why Dogs Smile and Chimpanzees Cry,” tells the story of how animal emotions evolved. While Carol’s work is undeniably and unapologetically emotional, it is all based in science - allowing viewers to believe the extraordinary moments her films present. Her work has earned her countless awards over the years, including a Writer’s Guild of America Award, a CableAce Award for Best Documentary Series, and more.

PHILIPPA FORRESTER As a producer/writer/presenter Philippa has worked for almost

three decades in the UK on high profile, large audience, primetime television across a number of disciplines with particular expertise in live, event television. With her husband, Charlie Hamilton James, she runs Halcyon Media. She has produced factual based television and radio series for clients including BBC, Animal Planet and National Geographic and has worked as Executive Producer on several documentaries for BBC 2‘s The Natural World strand. She was series producer of BBC 1 observational documentary series Halcyon River Diaries. Most recently Philippa has presented the popular BBC 2 mini series ‘Harvest’ and completed a masters in creative writing for children and young adults to go alongside degrees in English and Ecology. Philippa currently spends her time living, writing and working between the UK and Wyoming in the USA.

NEIL HARRAWAY A pioneer of natural history documentary making in New Zealand,

Neil was a founding member of TVNZ’s Natural History Unit in 1977. He directed and produced many Wild South documentaries which sold globally and led to a close co-pro relationship with the burgeoning Discovery channels, then other US, European and Asian broadcasters. He became an EP then an executive when Fox bought and grew NHNZ, and flew two million kilometres over 15 years seeking global co- productions. After 40 years in TV, four years ago Neil was reborn as a wildlife tourism operator, showing guests our cool southern ocean creatures.

GIANNA SAVOIE Gianna Savoie is an award-winning documentary producer, writer,

and professor with nearly two decades of experience in Natural History filmmaking and a penchant for powerful storytelling that has led her to sink her teeth into some of the most critical conservation issues on the planet. Trained as an environmental biologist, she pairs her love of science with the art of filmmaking to craft stories that not only inform, but deeply resonate. Her Emmy-nominated work has been featured on PBS, NATURE, National Geographic, Discovery, NHNZ, and the BBC, as well as in theatrical documentaries and in print and web publications. Dubbed The Mountain Mermaid, Gianna founded the Ocean Media Institute, a non-profit global media collective that serves to enrich and expand the public’s engagement in ocean science and conservation through the collaborative creation, exhibition, and distribution of innovative visual media and artistic approaches to ocean education. 33

PRELIMINARY JUDGES

he high caliber of the judges as well as the process and criteria for reviewing entries creates a competition that is thorough and unbiased. Every entry is screened in its entirety and scored by several preliminary judges from around the world who have access to entries via our secure online screening room, to ensure broad geographic and cultural representation.

Geralyn Abinader Lauren Amable Per Argentine Allison Argo Lucinda Axelsson Christian Baumeister Chiara Anna Bellati Eric Bendick Ruth Berry Owen Bissell Michael Brody Frieda Brown Arlene Burns Steve Burns Rhett Butler Roy Campell Stella Cha Andie Clare Victoria Clowater David Cornwall Luke Cresswell Maryanne Culpepper Nate Dappen Arun Dayanandan Paul Dennys Stacey Douglass Phil Duncan John Dutton Sara Edelson Laura Edwards Henrik Ekman Larry Engel Jorge Fanzini Rebecca Fix Carol Fleisher Brad Forder Maryellen Frank Janet Frawley Ireland John Ford Steve Freligh Franz Fuchs Andrea Gastreb Oliver Goetzl Stephani Gordon

Meredith Gore Amy Gotliffe Ali Gross Kimberly Guidone Martin Hammond Allison Hanes Eric Hanson Suzanne Harle Jean Hartley Lynn Hirshfield Jeff Hogan Sue Houghton Sarah Hume Daniele Joerg Susanna Jolly Alex Jones Robyn Keene-Young Susan Kelly Joe Kennedy Mary Jo Kinser Hans Kummer Tony Lee David Leon Melinda Levin Joseph Levine Boyd Lomax Ashley Lorenzo Neil Losin Josh Ludmir Virginia Lynch Dean Ru Mahoney Cathy Mcconnell Sergio Garcia Mayer Kirstie Mclure Lucy Meadows Andrew Mitchell Leila Monks Virginia Moore Richard Moos Patrick Morris Liz O’Connelle Candice Odgers Anne Olzmann Rosh Patel Katharina Pechel

34 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

Alessandro Ponzo Jakub Ralis Erin Ranney Candace Reckinger Cari Ritzenthaler Joseph Rivers Sarah Robertson Coraline Roch DJ Roller Mark Romanov Eddie Roqueta Jenna Ruddock Laura Sams Ana Luisa Santos Tiffany Schauer Klaus Scheurich Danny Schmidt Lalit Shastri Mark Shelley Paul Sher Heather Smith Liz Smith Susannah Smith Sally Snow Sean Solowiej Akanksha Sood Russell Sparkman Jonas Stenstrom Leine Stikkel Marvin Stodolsky Phil Streather Rachel Stump Kelly Sweet Wallace Ulrich Stephen Uzzo Tom Veltre Lauren Walsh Aly Wepplo Eli Weiss Delta Willis Elizabeth Wilk Andrew Wilson Jeff Wilson Diane Woods Steve Zorn

ENTER YOUR IM AGES & FILMS

NATURE’S BEST PHOTOGRAPHY WINDLAND SMITH RICE AWARDS

JOIN THE JOURNEY FROM THE WILD TO THE WALLS OF THE SMITHSONIAN © TIN MAN LEE

GO TO BIT.LY/ENTERPHOTO NATUR E ’S B EST ™ I S A PRO UD SP ON SO R O F TH E J ACK S O N H O LE W I L D LI F E FI L M FE ST I VAL

LEGACY AWARDS` GREG CARR

Gorongosa National Park Restoration Project

Located at the very southern end of the Africa’s Great Rift Valley, Gorongosa is Mozambique’s most iconic national park. It is one of the most biologically rich and most geologically diverse parks in the World. In January of 2008, the Greg C.Carr Foundation signed a 20-year agreement with the Government of Mozambique to restore and comanage the country’s flagship national park. “The vision for the restoration of Gorongosa Park and for its conversion from a Colonial era entity that excluded most Mozambicans in to a park that serves all of that nation’s people began in 1992, the year of the Rio Earth Summit. President Chissano of Mozambique and Nelson Mandela of South Africa met to create a new paradigm for their respective countries’ parks. The vision is to protect areas where Africa’s wildlife will flourish, but also, to see that these national treasures provide benefits to humans that are equitably distributed and enjoyed. I am fortunate to be among 500 Gorongosa Park employees who continue implementing that dream today.” -Greg Carr By adopting an integrated conservation and development model, balancing the needs of wildlife and people, the Gorongosa Restoration Project is protecting and saving this beautiful wilderness, returning it to its rightful place as one of Africa’s greatest parks. In 2016, a new wildlife survey was conducted, and a total of 78,627 large animals were counted. This represents an increase of approximately 70,000 large animals in a decade. For ecologists, the rewilding of Gorongosa is an unprecedented opportunity to study how a million-acre wilderness and its animal inhabitants react to the restoration process. As the landscape is preserved and the infrastructure is created to support eco-tourism, Gorongosa National Park will be a source of economic vitality and national pride for Mozambique.

KRIS TOMPKINS

Tompkins Conservation

From the fiords and grasslands of Chile to the wetlands of northern Argentina, Tompkins Conservation’s wide array of initiatives protect and rewild native landscapes while nurturing local economies. Created by Kristine and Douglas Tompkins with the underlying goal of saving biodiversity and inspiring others to do the same, Tompkins Conservation--specifically two of its main organizational vehicles Conservacion Patagonica and the Conservation Land Trust--has protected over 3.4 million acres across Chile and Argentina to date. Working in collaboration with private and public partners and four different presidents, Tompkins Conservation has created six new national parks, expanded another, and established two provincial parks. The Tompkins Conservation family of organizations continues to expand its efforts as it works to create 5 new national parks, with the goal of adding at least 10 million additional acres to the national park systems of Chile and Argentina via a combination of direct land donations and government contributions. “All of us who love the Earth can see how the threats to wild places and creatures are growing. Conservationists know there is tremendous and urgent need and have incredible opportunities to expand national park systems, to work with local communities linking ecotourism-related economic development and nature protection, and to help build a culture of conservation throughout society. This is crucial work.” - Kristine McDivitt Tompkins In addition to creating national parks, Tompkins Conservation has undertaken the most ambitious rewilding effort in the Americas by returning giant anteaters, macaws, tapirs and other species to the Iberá; these projects have helped the Tompkins Conservation rewilding team gain expertise for its latest challenge, breeding jaguars in captivity to ultimately return this keystone species to its homeland. The team employs myriad tools—from reintroducing missing species to their former home in the Iberá marshland, to replanting Alerce tree seedlings in Chilean rainforest, to ripping out hundreds of miles of former ranch fencing to rewild the grasslands—to help nature heal. 36 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

NOVEMBER 29–DECEMBER 1 SaN FRaNCiSCO, USa

WHERE SMART CONTENT MATTERS • More than 200 leading international broadcasters in attendance • Two-to-one ratio of independent producers to broadcasters • 90% of members report advancing their projects • An outstanding program of original panels, workshops, parties, and one-on-one meetings • NEW Innovation Expo featuring tech-focused displays and demos on what’s next for content creation

REGISTRATION IS OPEN. EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT ENDS OCT 12. WCSFP.COM / WCSfp 38 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

Major Partner

EXHIBITORS LOWER LEVEL, JACKSON LAKE LODGE Monday: 9AM-6PM, Tuesday & Wednesday: 9AM-5PM, Thursday: 9AM-12PM

ATLANTIC PRODUCTIONS & ALCHEMY VR VR Exhibit | Munduruku: Fight to Defend the Heart of the Amazon

Immerse yourself in the lives and struggle of the Munduruku Indigenous People deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Commissioned by Greenpeace UK, Munduruku was shot in the heart of the Amazon rainforest by Alchemy VR and highlights the world of the Munduruku Indigenous People which is currently under threat from planned government construction initiatives. The team spent two weeks living with the Munduruku people, capturing the very essence of tribe life and creating a truly empathic virtual reality experience.

BAFTA award winning David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive is a fully immersive virtual reality experience produced by Alchemy VR where you dive deep beneath the waves on the Great Barrier Reef, sitting next to your guide, David Attenborough. In a state-of-the-art Triton submersible you dive through a wonderland with over 3000 reef systems forming one of the most important natural resources on Earth. It is an extraordinary opportunity to come face to face with the incredible diversity and abundance of the Great Barrier Reef, and learn how researchers are using certain species of corals to predicting how the reef will react to environmental changes.

ARRI

Arnold & Richter Cine Technik (ARRI) is a global company within the motion picture industry, employing around 1,300 staff worldwide. In 2017 ARRI is celebrating its centenary, having been founded in 1917 in Munich, Germany, where the headquarters is still located today. Other subsidiaries exist in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. The ARRI Group consists of five business units: Camera Systems, Lighting, Media, Rental and Medical. ARRI is a leading designer and manufacturer of camera and lighting systems for the film industry, with a worldwide distribution and service network. It is also an integrated media service provider in the fields of postproduction and equipment rental, supplying camera, lighting and grip packages to professional productions. ARRI Medical focuses on the use of core imaging technologies for surgical applications. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has recognized ARRI’s engineers and their contributions to the industry with 19 Scientific and Technical Awards. For locations and more information please visit www.arri.com.

CANON

Canon manufactures consumer imaging products including printers, scanners, binoculars, compact digital cameras, film SLR and digital SLR cameras, lenses and video camcorders.

FUJIFILM/FUJINON LENSES

ujifilm/FUJINON is a leading manufacturer of lenses and other high-quality products for F Broadcast Television, Documentary, Commercial and Cinematography production markets.

Workshop: Wednesday 3:30-4:30 - Fujinon Lenses; Learning and Loving Lenses with a SLICE of Pie

BLACKMAGIC DESIGN creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital

film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.

PANASONIC MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY specializes in creating

technology solutions for the entertainment, integrated resorts, sports, and professional AV markets including house of worship, education, broadcast and cinema. The company’s customized systems and technologies incorporate high-performance projectors and professional displays; large screen LED video displays; broadcast, cinema and pro video equipment; professional audio systems, and energy-saving lighting equipment. A division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, Panasonic Media Entertainment Company is based in Newark, NJ, with offices in Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; Orlando, FL; and Coppell, TX. Workshops: Tuesday 2:30-3:30 - Shooting the Natural World with the EVA1 Camera Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Acquisition Choices: The VariCam family, HD, 2k, UHD, 4k, HDR, HFR and?

RED is a leading manufacturer of professional digital cameras and accessories. RED’s

DSMC2 line of cameras - RED RAVEN, SCARLET-W, RED EPIC-W, and WEAPON - combine compact and lightweight design, modularity, superior image quality, and cutting edge performance - including up to 8K resolution.

Workshops: Wednesday 1:00-2:00 - The Convergence of Stills and Motion (birds of paradise): Thursday 2:00-3:00 - RED DSMC2 Camera Workshop

WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION

The Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory, AIVL, at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WHOI, specializes in the development of imaging systems for the acquisition of scientific imagery and documentary footage from the world’s most hostile environments, including those found in the deepest parts of the world’s ocean. For over 30 years AIVL has been a leader in the development of cinematography quality 2D, 3D, HD and hyper-definition camera systems for both terrestrial and underwater applications. The lab has developed a suite of small, easy to operate underwater stereoscopic camera systems, cinematography remotely operated vehicles as well as many UHDTV, 3D and VR rig designs for use in terrestrial filmmaking and underwater imaging projects. Workshop: Tuesday 1:00-2:00 - New Tools for Underwater Exploration & Seafloor Visualization

SONY

At Sony, our mission is to be a company that inspires and fulfills your curiosity. Our unlimited passion for technology, content and services, and relentless pursuit of innovation, drives us to deliver ground-breaking new excitement and entertainment in ways that only Sony can. Creating unique new cultures and experiences. Everything we do, is to move you emotionally. Workshop: Tuesday 4:00-5:00 - High Dynamic Range: End-to-end Workflow

FRONTLINE NOVA EMBLEMATIC VR EXHIBIT

Walk-around VR Sneak Preview (out-of-competition exhibition) In this cutting-edge walk-around VR experience, travel to a place where the glaciers are melting faster and faster and NASA went to find out why. FRONTLINE and NOVA — two of PBS’s flagship series— teamed up with Emblematic Group founded by the ‘godmother of VR’ Nonny de la Peña to bring this important story about climate change to life as never before. Produced in association with X-Rez Studio and Realtra.

xRez Studio is a creative VR production house which explores and applies highend graphics

and production techniques toward natural history content. Years of experience in LA high-end feature film visual effects allows xRez Studio to provide high-level results toward a wide variety of projects and clientele. Partners Eric Hanson and Greg Downing share an enthusiasm for applying immersive media to meaningful projects in entertainment, natural history, cultural heritage, and museums. Whether recreating historic events in film, revealing complex processes in scientific visualization, or illustrating environmental change in VR, xRez Studio can offer powerful media solutions for filmmakers, organizations, researchers, or activists. At FHFF 2017, we will be debuting xRez Traverse, a unique and powerful VR experience enabling transport to some of the world’s most remarkable locations. 40 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

Recovering lions, Restoring landscapes

wildnet.org lionrecoveryfund.org 41 ÂŠ Susan McConnell

CONTENT CATEGORIES - FINALIST PROFILES

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR SPONSORED BY WORLD WILDLIFE FUND Awarded to the program that most effectively explores animal behavior in a new, fresh, imaginative or authoritative way.

Planet Earth II: Islands

BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions.

Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? Only a handful of people have visited Zavodovski Island and walked or camped ashore. It felt a real and rare privilege to be there and a chance to bring once of these truly extreme, wild places to an audience who would otherwise never know they even existed. Here’s a story that epitomises that for me… We filmed the Island episode over 2 years and visited some incredible Islands. My favourite was Zavodovski, the worlds largest penguins colony, and a real island heaven and hell place – both for humans and penguins! We spent 14 days camping on the island with our support boat anchored offshore. One night, we awoke to an almighty rabble of penguin squawks and I thought the volcano was erupting! But no – the clouds had cleared and all above us were stars. With no light pollution, it was an incredible sight and the penguins clearly thought so too! After 20 minutes or so, the clouds came back, darkness returned and everything went quiet again.

Planet Earth II: Mountains

BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions.

Anything else you would like people to know? I am very proud of the range of new behavior we captured for this film. We got some remarkable ‘firsts’ including the flamingos breaking out of the ice, the bobcat hunting for ducks, and using boulders as silent stepping-stones to creep up on mice under the snow. The ibex kids encountered by a fox and the bears rubbing were others behavioural highlights. Of course the snow leopard sequence is one that makes all of our team rightly proud. It was the first time that anyone had filmed a character story with these cats, getting so close to revealing their incredible scent marking behaviour and their incredible singing. The dramatic encounter between the four cats is the first time such an event was ever recorded on film (in fact we have made enquiries and we think there are only three other occasions on record where anyone has even witnessed more that two snow leopards together and it may be the only time that two males have been seen together) The footage is changing the ways we all understand the social lives of these mysterious cats.

Rise of the Warrior Apes

KEO Films for Discovery Network International

Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. Condensing an extraordinary 25 year true story into 90 minute film was one of the biggest challenges. Simply going through decades worth of video recordings taken by the Ngogo scientists was a huge undertaking. They came out of a dusty box at Yale University about a year before the edit and I spent months trawling through hundreds of hours of footage, searching for story threads with specific chimpanzee characters. Often the challenge is finding enough story to fill a film, but with the Ngogo chimps, and the scientists who study them, deciding what to leave out was the biggest challenge.

The Hunt: The Hardest Challenge What impact do you hope this film will have? Predators generally get a bad rap and this is certainly not helped by the many wildlife films that show them as ‘red in tooth and claw’. The reality is very different since most predators fail most of the time (this is fairly obvious if you think about it – if predators were always successful there would be no prey, and then no predators!). So, if people feel more empathy for predators as a result of this series then we will have done our bit for these crucially important, and much maligned, group of animals. Predators are also some of the most threated species on the planet. Many have seen they populations A Silverback Films production, made in plummet as a result of habitat loss, poaching and now climate change. Even partnership with The Open University, for our most iconic predators, like tigers and polar bears face a very uncertain BBC, co-produced with BBC Worldwide, future. Our final episode looks at the conservation challenges surrounding BBC America, CCTV9 and NDR Naturfilm. these magnificent animals. We can marvel at their power and ingenuity but we also need to be aware of their plight. 42 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

CONTENT CATEGORIES - FINALIST PROFILES

ECOSYSTEM SPONSORED BY ANIMAL PLANET Awarded to the program that most effectively explores a unique habitat or ecosystem.

Antarctica in the Footsteps of of the Emperor

PAPRIKA Films, Wild-Touch Production, ARTE France, Andromède Océanologie, CNRS Images

What impact do you hope this film will have? I hope my film will cause surprise, wonder and empathy so that spectators will have a sustainable interest to this continent, how it works and its protection. So that Antarctica will stay a land of peace and science ... And a long time after 2042, year during which the Antarctic Treaty will be discussed. I want my spectators taking conscience that everything is linked on our planet. One action here can have aftereffect other there, far away from here. And also, the complexity of the working of our planet is fascinating and deserve better attention.

Paris: A Wild Story What inspired this story? The return of nature into big cities. Watching wild animals venturing into Paris as never before. Cities and nature used to be ennemies. It seems the war is over. I wanted to portray this happy turning point.

Doclights GmbH/NDR Naturfilm; Blue Planet Film, NDR, ARTE, ORF, WDR and National Geographic WILD

Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. Our shooting schedule sadly happened during the numerous deadly terror attempts in Paris. Super high security was everywhere and everybody was pretty nervous. Authorizations and shooting became a real challenge in those times.

Sea of Hope: America’s Underwater Treasures “Sea of Hope” follows ocean legend Sylvia Earle, renowned underwater National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry, writer Max Kennedy and their crew of teenage aquanauts on a year-long quest to deploy science and photography to inspire President Obama to establish new Blue Parks to protect essential habitats across an unseen American Wilderness.

True Blue Films for National Geographic Channels

Jake Willers interviews wildlife filmmakers and industry professionals to hear their personal career stories, get advice and inspire others to achieve their wildlife filmmaking goals. iTunes | Stitcher | MasterWildlifeFilmmaking.com

CONTENT CATEGORIES - FINALIST PROFILES

CONSERVATION SPONSORED BY HHMI TANGLED BANK STUDIOS Awarded to the program that most effectively contributes to an awareness of timely and relevant conservation issues and/or solutions.

Jaguars: Brazil’s Super Cats Jaguars are South America’s supreme predator, but they are also one of the most elusive animals on the planet. This film follows a pioneering team in Brazil as they track and follow individual wild jaguars to gain amazing new insights into their lives. With jaguars increasingly under threat, every cat counts. So when two young jaguar cubs are tragically orphaned, the team needs to use all their newfound knowledge to help the cubs return to the wild.

BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Nat Geo Wild

The Hunt: Living With Predators

A Silverback Films production, made in partnership with The Open University, for BBC, co-produced with BBC Worldwide, BBC America, CCTV9 and NDR Naturfilm.

How do you approach storytelling? One of our mottos is ‘every shot needs to be a Rembrandt’, but when it comes to storytelling a good wildlife programme obviously needs to do much more than that. An audience should be able to identify with the characters in the film and in doing that the best natural history shows cover a range of emotions, from surprise and suspense to humour. The current fashion is to err a little on the side of anthropomorphism and even for a blue-chip series like The Hunt this works really well – as long as all the information is scientifically credible. Natural history programmes can become slaves to camera techniques – like gratuitous slow motion – but, in telling our stories, it was very important that this wasn’t the case. Technology was crucial to the series but in The Hunt it allowed us to tell better and fresher stories, as described above. Finally, natural history sequences have a tendency to be too cryptic so that you don’t really know what’s going on until half way through them. Our storytelling aim in each sequence was always to ‘set it up and let it run’!

Tribe Versus Pride

Terra Mater Factual Studios and Wildlife Films

What do you see as the impact of the individual, group or movement featured in the film? What real tangible impact do you hope to achieve? The Maasai as seen and see themselves as custodians of the world’s cattle. Cattle will soon become the central conversation in the future of big cats around the world. There are only a million or so Maasai and already I am seeing some of them talking about themselves as custodians of the wild. This iconic culture is inextricably linked to nature already and if they can step out as protectors of it, instead of in conflict with it, we could find in them a force that could change the world.

Yasuni Man

Pollywog Productions

What inspired this story? In 2005/2006, I moved to the Ecuadorian Amazon in search of frogs and spent 14 months working as a naturalist guide. At the end of my stay, I went into the Yasuni biosphere for the first time on a herpetological research project where we studied the impact of oil roads on herpetofauna. During this visit, I learned about Yasuni’s record setting biodiversity and about a violent conflict the rages deep inside the forest that has pitted biodiversity and human rights against natural resource exploitation. In 2009, I was invited by a Waorani community to travel deep inside Yasuni biosphere to visit their home in the hopes that I could help tell their story. After a two-week visit developing my film, I decided to invest in the production and began filming in 2011.

44 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

CONTENT CATEGORIES - FINALIST PROFILES

PEOPLE & NATURE SPONSORED BY THE NATURE CONSERVANCY Awarded to the program that most effectively explores the interdependent relationship between humans and animals or the environment.

Ghost of the Mountains

Brian Leith Productions with Disneynature Productions and Chuan Films

Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. The challenges were many! Just getting to the location involved many days travelling, mostly to get used to the extreme altitude but also because we were the first international crew to reach the location. Everything we needed to survive had to be taken in with us â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there were no short trips to the shops! The team had to deal with extreme altitude and isolation, were only connected to the outside world via satphone and had to organise each day with military precision and radio comms to keep everyone safe. Getting through daily outbreaks of extreme weather, long hikes and driving through remote landscapes in search of a predator rarely filmed, became a daily ritual.

Great Human Odyssey How do you approach storytelling? I knew that to film the epic journey of our human ancestors, from our African origins to every corner of the planet, our crew would have to undertake its own epic journey. We filmed in 17 countries across 5 continents over almost 2 years, spending as long as 5 months at a time away from home. Our task: to follow in the footsteps of early humans, beginning on the coasts of South Africa, crossing the Middle East, Europe and Asia, and finally reaching the limits of our journey in the High Arctic, the South Pacific and the Americas.

Ammonite Ltd., Kosmik Global Pvt. Ltd., Earth Touch and Discovery Communications India

Into the Amazon

An Ark Media and John Maggio Productions Film for American Experience, WGBH-Boston

Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? We had a dozen extras, Brazilians (all native to the region, many of them descendants of indigenous people) who acted not only as extras in the film, but also our trusty guides through the rainforest and navigating the river, animal wranglers, and they hand-carved a dozen sixteen foot canoes from local trees. They provided us with traditional remedies for stomach problems, insect bites, cuts and skin infections. They could call caimans and howler monkeys, wrangle spiders and sloths and at night steered us clear of anaconda. The production itself was not unlike the Rooseveltâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fateful River of Doubt expedition as we were at the mercy of our indigenous hosts who lead us in and out of the jungle. They were incredible people and truly made this film possible.

Ranger and Leopard Halvani, a hard-working ranger, hears about the presence of a Persian Leopard in an area under his protection in Isfahan, a city in central Iran. Nobody has spotted any Persian Leopard there for about forty years, but Halvani suspects that they may still be there. On his mission to discover the leopard, he faces many problems.

Wildlife Pictures Institute for Jam-e Jam TV Network 45

CONTENT CATEGORIES - FINALIST PROFILES

SCIENCE & NATURE SPONSORED BY MARCO POLO FILMS Awarded to the program that most effectively incorporates science, the scientific method and scientific discovery into an understanding of some aspect of the natural world.

David Attenborough’s Light on Earth What inspired this story? As a filmmaker who has spent a significant amount of my filmmaking time in the dark, the worldwide prevalence of utterly entrancing bioluminescence was always apparent. I realised that bioluminescence was a significant part of nature rather than a minor scientific curiosity, and that there were enough spectacular examples to tell the story of living things that glow, in a way that had never been achieved before. Terra Mater Factual Studios, Ammonite Film Productions, Curiosity Stream, BBC, UKTV, ABC Australia

Rise of the Warrior Apes

KEO Films for Discovery Network International

What inspired this story? I first got interested in this story while studying footage of a chimp called Pincer years previously. There was something very strange about him I thought and after a while I realised what it was. He had human eyes – white sclera around the outside of the eye which allowed you to follow gaze, see where he was looking. I did a bit of research and discovered that according to the scientific record, officially chimps don’t have this. It is a uniquely human trait, which evolved with our own advanced cooperation. Then I discovered that Pincer was a member of the largest and most violent chimpanzee community ever known and that they had been studied and filmed by scientists for the last 25 years. That inspired me to look into what happened across that 25 year period and that’s when I came across a story that is as epic and dramatic as any feature film.

Sonic Sea

Discovery Channel presents a film by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Imaginary Forces in association with the International Fund for Animal Welfare and Diamond Docs

What impact do you hope this film will have? We are deeply gratified to see that Sonic Sea already is making a difference. The film helped spur the release of NOAA’s long-delayed ocean noise strategy; helped convince the Canadian government to commit to reduce shipping noise in key habitats; was instrumental in General Electric collaborating on an industry consortium to reduce shipping noise; led to a partnership with Maersk, the world’s second largest shipping company, to launch a pilot project on vessel retrofits and noise reduction; and was widely used by grassroots advocates in last year’s successful fight—now renewed during the Trump administration—against seismic blasting off the mid-Atlantic and southeast coasts.

Spy in the Wild: Love

John Downer Productions for BBC, PBS and THIRTEEN Productions LLC

Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. Spy in the Wild used animatronic animals, complete with cameras in their eyes, to enter the world of animals. This required one of the most ambitious periods of development imaginable. 36 different Spy Creatures had to be built from scratch before each of the different sequences could be shot. This involved bringing together experts on robotics, animatronics, cameras and radio-control. Some of the Spy Creatures were required to walk, some needed detailed expression and all had to mimic the actions of the animals. Some took over 3 months to build with details, such as fur, applied one hair at a time. The intention was to communicate through either body posture or facial expressions. Much of this programming involved scientists who understood the behavioural traits of the animals that were to be filmed. This all had to be achieved before filming could begin but the process of introducing the Spy Creatures to the animals in a way that they didn’t associate them with people and allowed them to integrate was equally challenging. Many were covered by the animals’ scent to help them become accepted but it was operating them so that they displayed the right body language which provided the biggest challenge.

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Changing Planet SPONSORED BY NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCES Awarded for the best examination of our changing planet, including human impact, the environment, sustainability and climate change.

BEARTREK

Wildlife Media

What inspired this story? Ecologist Chris Morgan (48) is on a life-long quest to bring the wonder of bears to the world. And it all started in a garbage dump! While working on a summer camp as an 18 year old in New Hampshire, he joined a local bear biologist capturing black bears one night and it altered his life path. Positively overwhelmed by the wild adventures and the heartmelting experiences he experienced during his work as an emerging conservationist to several international locations over the following years, Chris was determined to share them with the world. Chris believed that if he could transport audiences to the world he was experiencing he could win over people of all backgrounds to support bear conservation, and to understand the basic truth he had discovered: What’s good for bears is good for people and the planet.

Before the Flood Before the Flood captures a three-year personal journey alongside Academy Awardwinning actor and U.N. Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio as he interviews individuals from every facet of society in both developing and developed nations who provide unique, impassioned and pragmatic views on what must be done today and in the future to prevent catastrophic disruption of life on our planet.

National Geographic, RatPac Documentary Films, Insurgent Docs, Diamond Docs

Death By a Thousand Cuts Eligio Eloy Vargas, alias Melaneo, a Dominican Park Ranger in the Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, was found brutally murdered by machete. At the time, he was believed to have been on patrol investigating an illegal charcoal production site often run by Haitians coming across the border into protected Dominican forests. This murder becomes the metaphor for the larger story of increasing tension between Haiti and the Dominican Republic over illicit charcoal exploitation and mass deforestation: the alleged murder weapon itself being the same tool used to chop down Dominican trees by the thousands.

Participant and Documentales Univision present a Tarasios Production in association with Human Pictures

Mosquito

Yap Films for Discovery Channel

Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film  There were several challenges we faced while making the documentary – from protecting the crew from viruses like Zika, Malaria and Dengue to shooting tiny mosquito larvae and pupa in the field to finding subjects willing to participate in the documentary while they personally were going through some of the most agonizing times of their lives. The crew had to go through several courses of intense medication to protect them against a wide range of viruses. However, because Zika has morphed into a deadly and largely un-understood virus the crew had to be screened every time they returned from a hot zone – waiting for the results were very stressful times form everyone on the production.

IMPACT SPONSORED BY INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE Awarded to the film that most effectively celebrates the impact of individuals, groups, organizations or movements committed to the protection, awareness or understanding of a species, ecosystem or some other aspect of the natural world.

Chasing Coral

A Netflix Documentary, Exposure Labs

What do you see as the impact of the individual, group or movement featured in the film? We owe a lot to Richard, Zack and the scientists in this film. They are really the ones who have devoted their lives to giving a voice to the corals. Through his photography, Richard has given this issue a face and without him, we would still be ignorant to this massive problem. Zack has given a heart to the issue and through his love and obsession for corals, we feel his pain for their devastation and demise. Obviously, the mind and brains of the operation come from the scientists but they also are so much more than facts and numbers. These people have dedicated years of their lives to studying something that is rapidly disappearing, and yet they get up and go to work every single day. Their strength is comparable to the resilience that reefs can have if we only give them a chance.

Huntwatch

Produced by IFAW for Discovery

What inspired this story? Thirteen years ago I saw my first seal hunt video - young seals, clubs and blood. It was too much for my soft heart. I avoided ever looking at this graphic footage again. Five years later, I was reintroduced while taking inventory of the film and video archives of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in London and discovered a treasure trove. One film stood out called Sealsong. It featured IFAW founder Brian Davies sporting his aviator glasses flying helicopters, diving under the frozen ice and fighting the political system – all to save the baby harp seals from slaughter in Canada. Looking deeper there was even more - death threats, spy tactics, knife attacks and destroyed helicopters.A crusader for the seals, Davies devoted his life to end the hunt and I truly admire his courage and tenacity. The story captivated me and I needed to find a way to make a movie about it. This would be much more in depth than the simple documentary shorts I had made in the past – a feature. It would be a huge undertaking.

The Ivory Game

A Netflix Documentary, Terra Mater Film Studios and Vulcan Productions in association with Malaika Pictures in association with Appian Way

Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. The biggest challenge on this film was to keep up with our characters without interfering in their work. This was one of the mandatory requirements they gave us, to never hold them back. There could never be any repeats, everything needed to be captured as it happened with no second chances. It took an immense effort to stick to those rules but this type of approach also had a very positive impact on the look’n feel of the film. With a camera always hovering around, we were able to capture very special moments of emotion, danger and success that ultimately contributed to the success of the film and its impact around the world.

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EDUCATIONAL/INSTITUTIONAL SPONSORED BY TERRA MATER FACTAL STUDIOS Awarded to the non-broadcast or commercially distributed program that most successfully educates its audience on some aspect of the natural world. This includes projects created by government agencies, NGOs, universities and other institutions.

Pavel: I Protect Tigers

WWF-UK

What inspired this story? At the beginning of the 20th Century there were estimated to be around 100,000 wild tigers. Today, that number is now estimated at 3900 - a shocking reduction. Poaching and habitat loss are key drivers for this drastic decline. Pavel’s story was inspired by a desire to engage people with the plight of wild tigers and to shine a spotlight on the incredible people risking their lives to protect this endangered species. With the Russian Far East being one of the last remaining frontiers for wild tigers, combined with it’s stark cinematic beauty and hardy individuals, our quest to find an individual who was not only passionate and engaging, but also reflected a deeper side to our conservation ethos, led us to Pavel. Pavel is a true tiger protector. We wanted to bring his story to life.

Sixteen Legs

Bookend Enterprises Pty. Ltd.

Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. When we started this project, we didn’t know if it would be technically possible to film it. The spiders don’t like light, noise or vibration, and so they stop doing all the things you want to film when you’re there. Cameras, batteries and other equipment don’t like the cold, moist and dusty conditions of caves, and the longer it takes to get the footage the greater the risk of malfunctions – let alone the physical and mental impact of months underground for small film crews! These spiders also don’t do anything quickly, and so battery and media management is a big issue deep underground, especially as 5K resolution eats storage space on hard drives. And then there were the epic large scale cave shots, with caverns so large it was difficult to light them at all. Some of these places allow less than 100 visitors a year due to conservation requirements and the physical danger posed by these unique environments. For a first feature, we didn’t pick an easy one!

The Last Pig What impact do you hope this film will have? I hope that The Last Pig will inspire people to think about the impact of their actions. To take stock of who they are – in the deepest sense – and to take ownership of how they live their lives. I hope the viewer will be inspired to live more compassionately and to respect all those around them, whether two legged, four legged, with feathers or fins. However – and this is important – The Last Pig is careful not to tell viewers what they should think or feel or even eat… The film simply invites people to think.

Piggy Films, LLC

Toad People

Wilderness Committee

Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? When we started this project, a lot of people were skeptical and surprised that we chose toads as our film star, compared to more charismatic species. However in the course of making this film, we learnt a lot from toads. Toads taught us something very profound about connections. First there are the connections that toads themselves make across the landscape, moving between the wetland and the forest. Then there are the connections between the people and the toads: toads bring people together. Lastly, toads make us realize that everything in nature is connected, and how saving small things such as toads also help save bigger animals such as grizzly bears. Toads reminds us that healthy ecosystems are connected ecosystems.

CONTENT CATEGORIES - FINALIST PROFILES

LIMITED SERIES - LONG FORM SPONSORED BY ORF UNIVERSUM Awarded to the mini-series with episodes longer than 20 minutes in length, that most effectively advances a natural history theme.

Ocean Warriors

A co-production between Animal Planet, Sundance Productions, Brick City TV and Vulcan Productions

What inspired the story? The idea of an over exploited ‘wild fish-less’ ocean was incomprehensible. That the ocean could die in our children’s lifetime is too much to fathom. That is why the filmmakers made OCEAN WARRIORS. We wanted to do a crime series with action on the high seas - we wanted it to bean adventure, a thrilling ride that involved and stimulated the audience instead of preaching to them. We wanted people to see how daring and exciting it can be to try and save the ocean. We wanted them to see young activists with boots on the deck, not lecturing about it, but doing it. And we wanted to show that you can win!

Planet Earth II

BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions

How do you approach storytelling? The technological advances used throughout the production of the series allowed a new approach to storytelling. Where Planet Earth (the first season) looks at ecosystems with an almost Godly view, Planet Earth II is about intimacy and proximity – putting the viewer into the animals’ world. Stylistically, everything is shot from the animals eye level, intimate details and the rawness of their daily lives are not glossed over (flies buzz into the spit of the komodo dragon as it tries to woo its mate) and the animals are treated as protagonists on an epic journey so that the viewer can see their daily struggles in a way that feels relatable, but not overly-anthropomorphic. One of the challenges of natural history programming is to reach a young audience, but Planet Earth II proved particularly popular with 16-34 year olds (43% of the population) - despite the fact that many were too young to remember the first series. This can be credited largely to the storytelling approach taken throughout the series.

Savage Kingdom Two thousand square miles of remote African savanna, an ancient land governed by competing clans of ruthlessly proficient predators - Lions, Leopards, Hyenas and Wild Dogs. Their survival depends on the giant herds of powerful prey Buffalo, Elephant and Zebra - who have roamed Savute in search of sustenance, season after season, millennium after millennium. Each day is a life and death struggle - animal against animal, animal against nature. This season in Savute, who will survive?

Icon Films, Natural History Film Unit Botswana for Nat Geo Wild

The Hunt

A Silverback Films production, made in partnership with The Open University, for BBC, co-produced with BBC Worldwide, BBC America, CCTV9 and NDR Naturfilm

Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. Stylistically our main aim was to put the audience in the feet of our predator stars – to really feel what it is like to be, for example, a stalking tiger or leopard, or pursuit predators like African wild dogs. To do this required re-thinking traditional camera techniques. The solution was to repurpose the tried and tested gyro stabilised Cineflex system – taking it off helicopters (its traditional use) and putting it on a wide range of ground transport, from four-wheel drive trucks, to boats, ATVs and even, on one occasion, an elephant! By using the Cineflex in this way meant that we could follow a hunt for far longer than had ever been possible before. Perhaps the best example of this can be seen in the wild dog sequence, which, for the first time, shows a complete hunt from the ground.

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LIMITED SERIES - SHORT FORM SPONSORED BY ARRI Awarded to the mini-series with episodes shorter than 20 minutes in length, that most effectively advances a natural history theme. Individual episodes may be entered into other categories.

Animated Life How do you approach storytelling? We’re hoping to stoke your curiosity about how the world works by re-imagine important discoveries. We’re not trying to be literal in our interpretations — this is a melding of art and science. We’re playing with paper, light and shadow, focus and blur, to evoke scenes that don’t necessarily exist in nature, but they might remind you of something you’ve really seen. Sweet Fern Productions in association with Howard Hughes Medical Institute Biointeractive, and The New York Times Op-Docs

Deep Look Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. We brought specimens into our studio and tried to replicate natural conditions to induce the behavior. The biggest challenge was keeping those conditions up…especially the clean, cold, turbulent water. Without these conditions the caddisflies weren’t likely to build their little houses at all. It was a nail-biter for a good 24 hours as we watched them doing very little!

KQED, PBS Digital Studios

Lens of Time

Spine Films, California Academy of Sciences, bioGraphic

What inspired this story? As science and nature filmmakers, we’re always searching for ‘veiled wonder’ - basically the marvels that are hidden in plain sight in the mundane everyday world. In discussing ideas for a new short-subject science series, we realized that scientists who work in ‘time dilation’ – using high speed or time lapse cameras – have opened some amazing trap doors into those portions of the natural world that are typically unavailable to us. These scientists are searching for the secrets of life’s inner workings that are obscured in the folds of time. And every day they’re inventing new techniques (and technologies) that can take us to places we’ve never been and reveal some of life’s deepest and most profound principles. We believed these stories would inspire viewers to look at the world with a fresh eye, and would remind them that there is so much wonder hidden right in front of them, and all that’s required is an awareness to see what was previously unseen.

Shelf Life Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? We’ve been pleasantly surprised to hear that Shelf Life has actually inspired some scientific inquiry and collaboration. It’s exciting to have the general public watch our series, but there’s an extra thrill knowing that researchers also have an eye on the videos. In one instance, a cell biologist saw our video on salamander-algae symbiosis and contacted our curator with information about what may be a related type of relationship in other organisms.

American Museum of Natural History

PROGRAM CATEGORIES - FINALIST PROFILES

ENGAGING YOUTH SPONSORED BY PBS

Awarded to the program that most effectively inspires an appreciation of the natural world, or issues associated with animals and the environment to young people 6-12 years of age.

Meet the Real Wolf

Grizzly Creek Films, Rocky Mountain Wolf Project

Sisbro Studios, Open Boat Films

Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? This film was made in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project. In addition to producing films, the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project commissioned in-depth polling by both Democrat and Republican pollsters to assess the public knowledge and opinions about wolves. The most surprising outcome of these polls is that most Coloradans think that wolves still roam free in their state. When they were told that wolves DO NOT live in Colorado, they overwhelming felt they should, regardless of political affiliation. We used these polling results to shape the approach to the films.

My Haggan Dream What do you feel is most important to remember when telling nature related stories to younger audiences? We need to remember that younger audiences need the time and opportunity to fall in love with nature before we ask them to save it. It’s easy in nature films to focus on the negative, and even adults attending a wildlife film festival can walk away feeling hopeless and overwhelmed. Hitting kids over the head too early with these heavy messages does them a disservice. We want to build a generation of children who grow up with love and empathy for the natural world, and then give them the tools to know how to save it.

Water From the Mountain (Agua de el Yunque) Follow the path of water from the rainforests of Puerto Rico’s El Yunque National Forest to the coastal communities that rely on fresh water... and discover one of the world’s most amazing water treatment (eco)systems.

Freshwaters Illustrated

Wild Kratts: Spirit Bear

Kratt Brothers Company Ltd., 9 Story Media Group Inc.

What do you feel is most important to remember when telling nature related stories to your audiences? It’s important to keep a simple narrative line, but also not to be afraid to challenge our audience with concepts and vocabulary. Although, we always keep mind our audience’s age. What impact do you hope this film will have? The Kratt Brothers created Wild Kratts with the goal to show kids that animals can take you anywhere in science. Something we feel we are accomplishing by introducing our audience to the wonders of the natural world, one species at a time.

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HOSTED/PRESENTER-LED SPONSORED BY NATURE/WNET Awarded to the program that makes the most effective use of a host or presenter in communicating an appreciation and understanding of the natural world.

David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef: Builders

Atlantic Productions, BBC, Smithsonian Channel, ABC Australia, eOne

What inspired this story? In 1957, Sir David Attenborough first visited, and scuba-dived on one of our planet’s most extraordinary creations, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Shrouded in mystery, and mostly inaccessible at the time, he had always wanted to return to further explore the ecosystem he describes as “like no other in the natural world”. Sixty years on, using brand-new technology and the latest scientific research, David had the opportunity to unlock the secrets of the Reef and embark on a personal journey to reveal the true extent of its diversity, characters and complexity along the way. Since David’s first visit the Great Barrier Reef has lost almost half its coral, so he felt compelled to go and see the problems for himself and investigate the way scientists are trying to understand and reverse some of the threats it faces.

David Attenborough’s Light on Earth

Terra Mater Factual Studios, Ammonite Film Productions, Curiosity Stream, BBC, UKTV, ABC Australia

Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. Bioluminescence is a huge subject, touching on almost every realm where life can be found, and so finding a clear thread through hundreds of papers, eyewitness accounts and subjects that were actually possible to film, took years of investigation. For a subject so little known, it was hard to raise funding, but after many years of persuasion and arm twisting, Terra Mater Factual Studios came on board and supported us. The images themselves also needed cameras and previously untried filming techniques, to record pictures in light levels where the human eye can barely see.

Tales by Light: Sacred Nature Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? We really loved capturing a little window into the world of the local Masai culture. As the original custodians of the Mara, we would have been remiss to have filmed here without including them. Among the numerous East African tribes, the Masai stand out in their connection to their traditional ways – both in dress, dance and language. However they are still a culture in transition, and exploring this aspect of the Mara was fascinating.

Untitled Film Works

Wild Ireland, Edge of the World

A Crossing the Line Film in association with ORF, PBS, BBC, France TV, NDR and Media.

Why did you pick Colin Stafford-Johnson to be the on camera host telling this story? There was really no choice to be made. We had worked with Colin for a number of years on a number of productions and he was the natural fit for the series. Having travelled the world making natural history films for many years, Colin finally settled on the West of Ireland as his home. While we wanted to make a film that captured our beloved West Coast, Colin wanted to discover this place that he had been drawn to, so we felt combining the two was the logical thing to do. Colin has a unique style of presenting that brings the viewer on a very personal and passionate journey and we felt his style of presenting would be key in bringing the charm of the location to life.

PROGRAM CATEGORIES - FINALIST PROFILES

SHORT SPONSORED BY DISCOVERY Awarded to the program, between five and 20 minutes in length (including PSAs, music videos, and campaigns), that best advances an appreciation or understanding of the natural world.

Big World in a Small Garden How do you approach storytelling? Films about insects and small invertebrates are few and far between, so it was no problem to find fresh material. The basic premise was that if you look closely at the world of small creatures, a small 10x30 metre garden can become a huge nature reserve full of lurking predators and spectacular unstudied life forms. Linking the different subjects relating to scale and specific lenses or cameras was a simple process.

Ammonite Films for CuriosityStream

Pangolin

Coral & Oak Studios

Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. Because we did almost everything out of pocket, we couldn’t hire actors so we cast several different people to play each major role. We were very worried about continuity issues. Despite this, we were able to record about 90 percent of the poaching process. We were missing the very beginning, the crucial moment where a live pangolin being taken from the wild. After three failed expeditions to remote areas of the island, we were in jeopardy of not being able to finish what we started. I sent a desperate email to the Bali Zoo, one of the only places in the world at that time that had an Asian Pangolin species in captivity. Amazingly, they allowed me to use Toby, their Sunda Pangolin, to capture the remaining scenes.

Shark - A 4D Experience What inspired this story? Shark—A 4D Experience was inspired by the need to create a short form version of a BBC program on sharks that could play at zoos, aquariums, and museums. For the 12 minute film, we focused on more unusual sharks that are not regularly presented in the media, hoping to widen understanding of the species beyond the standard shark clichés.

BBC Earth, BBC Natural History Unit and SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment

Why the Lion Calls

Panthera, Nick Hall Productions, Lion Guardians

What impact do you hope this film will have? I hope this film helps Lion Guardians with telling their story, of their impact, and how they are changing people’s lives and saving lions – whether that’s through getting additional donor support to shining a light on the Guardians themselves, to helping inspire local communities that there are solutions to living with lions and other big cats. The film will be translated into Ma and Swahili and I hope the Lion Guardians can use it as one of their tools to engage their local audiences, and help protect more lions.

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MICRO MOVIE SPONSORED BY NAT GEO WILD Awarded to the most effective and compelling project under five minutes in length (including PSAs, music videos, and campaigns), that best advances an appreciation or understanding of the natural world.

Explore Your Backyard Wilderness

Archipelago Films, Arise Media

What inspired this story? Our micro-movie grew out of our experiences and observations in the woods around our backyard in Westchester, NY. We’ve lived in the same place for two decades, and we’ve spent a lot of time with our kids making gardens and exploring the ponds, wetlands, and forest. The spring migration of the spotted salamander and all the other miracles of nature became the subject matter that we wove into this story. As filmmakers, the need to reconnect to our environment is something we felt an urgency to communicate because it’s critical for children to get off their screens and get outside more. Our micro-movie is an introduction to a Giant Screen/IMAX film project and educational outreach called Backyard Wilderness.

I Am a Ranger

Black Bean Productions, United for Wildlife, Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. One of the biggest challenges was dealing with very sensitive animals such as rhino’s coupled with the fact that they were the last three northern white rhino’s on the planet. This meant at all times we had to be within a safe distance from the rhino as to not disturb there daily routine as any form of stress can have dire consequences. It also meant that the amount of time we had with the rhino’s was very limited so we had to maiximise the few hours we had on a daily basis, to tell the whole story, which is never easy. You are also dealing with an animal that can be very unpredictabale on its day so one would always have to listen to the rhino caretakers and follow their lead.

The Chorus of Colorado

Grizzly Creek Films, Rocky Mountain Wolf Project

PROGRAM CATEGORIES - FINALIST PROFILES

THEATRICAL SPONSORED BY SONY Awarded to the program created for commercial distribution that best advances an appreciation or understanding of the natural world. This category includes programs distributed in theaters, BluRay/DVD or streamed via the internet.

From the Ashes From the Ashes captures Americans in communities across the country as they wrestle with the legacy of the coal industry and what its future should be in the current political climate. From Appalachia to the West’s Powder River Basin, the film goes beyond the rhetoric of the “war on coal” to present compelling and often heartbreaking stories about what’s at stake for our economy, health, and climate.

Radical Media, Bloomberg Philanthropies for National Geographic

The Ivory Game

A Netflix Documentary, Terra Mater Film Studios and Vulcan Productions in association with Malaika Pictures in association with Appian Way

What do you see as the impact of the individual, group or movement featured in the film? What real tangible impact do you hope to achieve? We wanted to create a film for the widest possible audience, which was one of the reasons we chose a very thriller like approach when making the film. Our audiences should feel embedded with our characters and experience first hand, what it must be like to try to save a species from possible extinction. With over 100 million subscribers, Netflix was also part of the impact strategy as we wanted to reach a vast global audience upon release of the film. When China declared to ban the ivory trade only two months after our global launch date, we really felt empowered, especially as we were invited to open the film at the Beijing Int. Film Festival only two days after the announcement was made and later won the top award for best documentary feature. Even if our film only had a fraction of an influence for this ban to be put into place, it shows that films can make a difference and that it is worth fighting for what you believe in.

Wild Africa 3D

BBC Earth Productions, Reliance Entertainment, IM Global, Evergreen Studios

How do you approach storytelling? As our aim was to immerse audiences in the wild, we needed a simple storytelling structure that gently guided audiences and did not get in the way of the emotional and visual experience. A journey from frozen mountain tops to sea, following water, was a very natural one, and one that also enabled us to educate audiences about how critical water is in all its forms to life on earth. The journey following water also allowed us to give the audience some thrilling moments of travel too, that play to the strength of the giant screen in 3D eg. tumbling over Victoria Falls.

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PROGRAM CATEGORIES - FINALIST PROFILES

STUDENT & EMERGING SPONSORED BY DISNEYNATURE Presented in recognition of the best program produced by either a first-time filmmaker in the field of natural history production, or a student currently enrolled or no more than 2 years out of an academic program.

Between Two Lichens

Andy Johnson, Talia Yuki Moore, Chris A. Johns and Kate Furby

Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? At one point, we wanted to make an analogy of a lichen, by showing all the different components on a pizza: basidiomycetes represented by chanterelles, ascomycetes represented by morels, and algae represented by nori. Tim, whose cabin we shot at, ended up having all of these components, and they made mushroom-related food for us whenever they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t on camera. Mushroom omelettes for breakfast, mushroom pizza for lunch, etc. Even though we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t end up using the analogy, we felt like we were becoming one with the fungi.

The Healing Lizard

Fernanda Prudencio, University of the West of England

What inspired this story? At the very start of my research, finding that there were lizards living high up in the Andes at an altitude of 5000m immediately sparked my interest and a desire to make a film about them. I always associated lizards with tropical environments and warm weather but never imagined lizards living amidst snow, at very low temperatures, and such high altitudes. I definitely wanted to tell that story. A small beautiful creature that was under threat due to social, cultural and environmental factors; that was the perfect way of showing my country Bolivia, its beauty and its complex cultural reality. During the creative process many things changed from the original idea to the final result, however the lizard was always the main inspiration.

Wild Expectations

Equilibrio films LLC, Nedo Producciones Ltda.

Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. The biggest challenge was actually finding the puma with no tail again. We saw it when it was a cub, and then we heard about sightings for some time. The risk is always high for this animals. Cubs face a lot of dangers while growing up, including the surrounding farmlands, were they do poach Pumas from time to time. If this puma was a male, it could perfectly move away to those areas, looking for territory. The cub was a female, and she grew up safe, still being seen at the park. We went back to Torres del Paine 18 months after finding her for the first time, convinced that she was alive, as a young adult. It took us almost 2 weeks to find her. But that is part of the story.

INTERACTIVE SPONSORED BY MICROSOFT PRODUCTION STUDIOS Awarded to the project that best integrates the interactive potential of digital media to engage awareness and understanding of the natural world, including apps, games, web-based, mobile, and downloadable personal media.

David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef: An Interactive Journey

Atlantic Productions

David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef: An Interactive Journey, allows the viewer to experience the Reef as-live on an immersive journey and return to it as it continually changes. Enter “Reef Sense” to see and hear the reef as some of its most iconic inhabitants do and follow the incredible migrations that animals take to reach the reef. An Interactive globe overlaid with weather data including sea temperatures, ocean and wind currents allows the user to learn how the world’s climate effects this natural wonder throughout the year, speeding up time to see gigantic cyclones emerging and discovering the reef’s past and uncertain future.

Deforestation in the Amazon An interactive infoguide published by the Council on Foreign Relations takes users on an immersive journey through Brazil’s Amazon rain forest to explore the country’s challenges in controlling and trying to contain deforestation. This interactive experience offers stunning still and video images, rich sound design, archival footage, and satellite maps to trace the country’s evolving — and increasingly vital — policies regarding the vast Amazon.

Council on Foreign Relations, Shapeshifter, Inc.

Oculus Cat Fight

BBC Earth Productions

How do you approach storytelling?  Interactive and virtual reality content allows the viewer to discover their own version of the experience, creating their own narrative structure. So when considering the narrative or storytelling for Cat Flight, we had to take into consideration the multiple journeys which the viewer may chose and how these could be both standalone and completmentary to the main theme. We had the main ‘spine’, a young caracal learning how to hunt, watching its mother as she leaps to catch birds, and running alongside, the dropdown boxes which give the viewer further information as the caracal jumps, suspended in 3d space in. The idea of the young cat learing clearly mirrors the experience of the viewer, pulling them closer into the experience.

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360 STORYTELLING SPONSORED BY USC CINEMATIC ARTS Awarded to the best natural history program created for the immersive platform of Virtual Reality.

360 Climbing Giants Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. What virtual reality does best is take audiences where they cannot go. And the tops of 300-foot giant sequoias are only accessible to a handful of research scientists. Because drones are not permitted in national parks, capturing the experience required creative engineering using only the ropes and pulleys already in place as a part of the ongoing scientific study. The film would not have been possible without the intimate collaboration of the scientists who are also the subjects of the film. Black Dot Films VR for National Geographic

Carnivorous Glow Worms Any tips for those interested in exploring VR/AR production? VR production inherently involves overcoming technical challenges. It requires innovation not only on the technological level, but also the way in which we tell a story. In VR, the audience is not passively watching an edited film playing on a screen in their living room. They are there on location with you, looking around at the world for themselves. Their demands are fundamentally different as they participate in the narrative. Black Dot Films VR for National Geographic in association with Dryft Digital

David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive VR

Alchemy VR, Atlantic Productions

Were there any surprising or meaningful moments/experiences you want to share? There were wonderful moments of wildlife behaviour, shoals of dazzling reef fish surrounding the entire submersible that, as a film-maker you just know is going to look incredible in 360 degrees. But, it being one of the first 360 videos that most people in the UK had ever seen, it was incredibly rewarding to see their reactions, young and old. The degree of immersion, especially in underwater environments, is profound and it has really gotten people talking and excited about the Reef. If people form a connection with this remarkable ecosystem they’re far more likely to help try to protect it.

Shelf Life: Fossil Hunting in the Gobi What inspired this story? For the last 100 years, the Gobi Desert has revealed a rich history of ancient life on Earth. Paleontologists at the American Museum of Natural History make an annual trek to the region on joint expeditions with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, uncovering dinosaur eggs and the fossils of mammalian ancestors, amongst other important finds. But these modern expeditions have deep roots in the past—legendary explorer Roy Chapman Andrews’s historic Central Asiatic Expeditions of the 1920s.

American Museum of Natural History

Valen’s Reef

Here Be Dragons and Finch for Conservation International

Anything else you would like people to know? The Bird’s Head Seascape Initiative was launched in 2004 and is among the world’s most ambitious community-based conservation programs ever. Conservation International (CI), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), local community members, the regional government and partner NGOs created a network of twelve Marine Protected Areas that provide monitoring and management of the coasts, reefs and fish. Critically, communities are empowered to protect and sustainably manage their waters, while experiencing a boost in their livelihoods and quality of life.

PROGRAM CATEGORIES - FINALIST PROFILES

AUDIOSCAPE SPONSORED BY DOLBY Awarded for the combined contribution of production mixing, sound editing, and post production mixing that most enhances the natural history program of which it is a part.

Amazon Adventure What impact do you hope this film will have? Amazon Adventure strives to increase the public’s understanding of Charles Darwin’s concept of natural selection – the heart of evolutionary, molecular and genetic biology, with relevant implications to many aspects of modern day science and our overall understanding of how the natural world works. The filmmakers wanted to accomplish this in the most entertaining and powerful way so that it would become an important part of lifelong learning for children and general audiences. SK Films, Picture Projects, Aventuras Produções

Born in China Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. We faced a huge array of challenges – from working with a Chinese director with little personal experience or knowledge of wildlife… to getting permits to film rare animals in an array of impenetrable habitats… to producing our first feature film in a foreign language! A long list of unprecedented challenges for us.

Disneynature, Brian Leith Productions, Chuan Films

Highlands - Scotland’s Wild Heart: Summer - The Greatest Race

Maramedia LTD for BBC Scotland and ITV studios global entertainment

What inspired this story? We’d wanted to make a series about the Highlands for years, but it took our small production company Maramedia about four years to develop the local expertise and field people to do it well enough to match our ambitions. We wanted to make the series authentic. We used no stunt animals, spent years working out the best way to film each story and put an exceptional level of work into the music and sound – more than I’ve ever spent on any project before.

Planet Earth II: Jungles For the jungles programme we recorded sounds on location as much as possible, at different levels of the forest, day and night to capture this changing, rich soundscape. As well as spot sounds of key animal characters like the Indri singing, spider monkey chattering as they play and bird of paradise calling for a mate, we also recorded the ‘wide’ atmospheric sounds to reflect the different forests. Night time in the Brazilian undergrowth sounds quite different from the echoing songs of the flooded jungle where the dolphins live. BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions.

60 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

VISUALIZATION SPONSORED BY FUJINON Awarded for the cinematography or computer generated visual storytelling that most enhances the natural history program of which it is a part. If sufficient entries are submitted, organizers/judges may create separate categories.

Brothers of the Wind

Terra Mater Film Studios Oscar Duran and Otmar Penker, Cinematography

Did the film team use any unusual techniques or imaging technology? Most of our work was done with 2K technologies, but we did use a new technique with the so-called “eagle-cam“. This camera was developed by the “Fraunhofer Institutes“ in Erlangen who worked on it together with falconer Paul Klima and the falconry Lenggries and Fritz Sammer. The golden eagles were equipped with eagle cams that were attached to adjusted backpacks, almost invisible between their feathers. The resulting aerial shots allowed us to experience an entirely new, different and, most of all, stunning perspective. We had some remote-controlled cameras at the eyrie. We used a self-developed remote head, which was operated with a 2,5 MHz system from a distance of two kilometres. A fuel cell provided the rig with energy whereby electricity for almost fourteen days was provided. This is how me managed to film many of the birds’ landings and take offs without disturbing them in the privacy of their nest. A 9-meter high Pixy camera crane helped us capture many scenes of our birds. Getting this 400-kilo crane from A to B was a huge challenge on the rough Alpine terrain. The majority of aerial shots was achieved by using a Cineflex system. For shorter distances we worked with a drone that carried a Red Epic.

Planet Earth II: Cities

BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions

What inspired this story? It’s a relatively new concept to think of the urban environment as a habitat that can be suitable for wildlife. When I first took on the project I was hopeful that there would be lots of new and surprising stories from this environment. I was also aware that this episode would help to give a snapshot of the state of our planet. Wildernesses are in decline, one study has recently showed that global wilderness areas have decreased by 10% in just the last 20 years. In contrast, the urban environment is expanding and evolving very fast. So it is a fascinating growing area of research to look at how animals at overcoming the challenges of living in our cities. And it is an interesting question to ask as to whether we will choose to maintain a connection to nature here. That’s an important question because more than half of us now live in the urban environment, and we of course are the architects of this world. So both the connection we maintain to nature and the fate of wildlife in our cities is in large down to us.

Wild Tales from the Village Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. Wild tales from the Village follows 1 year in the village and filming took place over the 12 months. Many of the stories are seasonal so we had one window to get the majority of the sequences. We used ‘Hollywood style’ techniques and technology to reveal the miniature world, but this doesn’t mean the animals ever stuck to the script. Editing and Filming at the same time allowed us to adapt as the seasons progressed.

BBC Studios Natural History Unit, France Télévisions and BBC worldwide Jonathan Jones, Cinematography

EDITING SPONSORED BY OFF THE FENCE PRODUCTIONS Awarded to forthe theproject editingthat thatbest most enhancesthe theinteractive natural history program of which it is part. Awarded integrates potential of digital media toaadvance understanding of science and scientific principles (including apps, games, video podcasts and websites).

The Hunt: Hide and Seek

A Silverback Films production, made in partnership with The Open University, for BBC, co-produced with BBC Worldwide, BBC America, CCTV9 and NDR Naturfilm

What tone did you try to capture through the editing this program? Each episode of The Hunt explored the way in which predators and their prey have adapted their hunting and anti-predator behaviours to the demands of a particular habitat. For the episode “Hide and Seek” we wanted to immerse the audience in the dark, chaotic, smothering atmosphere of the forest. Editor Nigel Buck, used the parallaxing in our tracking shots, together with wipes created by the foliage, the blinding flashes of light that you get in this dappled world, and confusing glimpses and changes in direction to tap into our own instinctive fears and claustrophobia - perhaps stemming from a time when we too had to hide from predators in the undergrowth. Nigel relished the challenge to create a video world in which you felt genuine panic and suspense. He constantly played with pace, shot and, crucially, sound, to place us all deep in the woods, alive with insect calls, shadows, and the stolen breaths of hunter and hunted engaged in their eternal game of ambush. After a series of high drama stories in forests from the far north to the jungle, the audience was left excited, relieved to be free of the trees, and more than a little itchy.

The Ivory Game

A Netflix Documentary, Terra Mater Film Studios and Vulcan Productions in association with Malaika Pictures in association with Appian Way Verena Schoenauer, Editor

What inspired this story? The idea came from an article in the New York Times, that Richard Ladkani read in early 2013, about the possible extinction of elephants within ten years. It was unbelievable to him that neither he nor anybody he consecutively asked about it, had ever heard about this problem. Something had to be done to raise awareness and what filmmakers can do is make a film with the hopes of having an impact. He teamed up with his good friend and colleague Kief Davidson as co-director and they pitched the film to Terra Mater Factual Studios, as well as Vulcan Productions, who both agreed to produce it. The goal from the beginning was to make a film for the widest possible audience, have a global reach and try to pressure China to ban the trade in ivory. All of us were very focused on those goals and gave our everything to achieve what we set out to do.

Wild Tales from the Village How do you approach storytelling? It was important to tell the story from the animal’s perspective and really get into their world and challenges they face. By telling these wild tales from the small creature’s perspective, we see that for them every day is a challenge. But when our world and theirs collide, we humans don’t always have it our way.

BBC Studios Natural History Unit, France Télévisions and BBC worldwide James Taggart, Editor

62 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

ORIGINAL MUSICAL SCORE SPONSORED BY VULCAN PRODUCTIONS Awarded for the original musical score that most enhances the natural history program of which it is a part.

Amazon Adventure How do you approach storytelling? The approach to storytelling in Amazon Adventure began with Henry Bates’ travel journal, The Naturalist on the River Amazons; a book full of action, encounters with exotic wildlife, discovery and a genuine passion for the natural world. The writing team took Bates’ tale and, after years of research, produced a script that not only highlighted his importance to the world in the 1800’s, but also the impact his discoveries still have today. SK Films, Picture Projects, Aventuras Produções | Antonio Pinto, Composer

Planet Earth II: Grasslands What inspired this story? While researching this film we began to wonder if grasslands were an ecosystem taken for granted. They are home to the most impressive gatherings of wildlife on the planet and yet receive less airtime than ‘sexier’ habitats such as mountains, deserts or jungles. The challenge that excited me was to take viewers into a habitat they thought familiar, perhaps even bland, and surprise them with enchanting, rarely filmed creatures whose lives are inextricably linked to a fascinating plant. BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions | Jacob Shea and Jasha Klebe, Composers | Main Title: Hans Zimmer Original Music: Jacob Shea and Jasha Klebe (for Bleeding Fingers Music)

Planet Earth II: Mountains Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film.  Mountain animals are notoriously hard to see, let alone even film and the terrain is a very daunting challenge to overcome. I remember flying over the Himalaya on my way to shoot snow leopards and seeing this huge endless vista of peaks through the plane window. I thought to myself ‘how could we ever find a cat in all this wilderness?’ I honestly thought I had taken on too big a challenge. BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions | Main Title: Hans Zimmer Original Music: Jacob Shea and Jasha Klebe (for Bleeding Fingers Music)

Highlands - Scotland’s Wild Heart: Spring - Season of Extremes

Maramedia ltd for BBC Scotland and ITV Studios Global Entertainment. Simon Ashdown and Donald Shaw, Composers

How do you approach storytelling? I’ve been playing around with story for years and have always loved the idea that you can break a seasonal wildlife tale into 5 acts rather like a Shakespeare play and concentrate on the different bits to bring out your innate comedy, tragedy, heroes, villains and countless other themes. We didn’t have to work too hard in the Spring show to achieve a satisfying result.

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WRITING SPONSORED BY NHK Awarded for the writing that most enhances the natural history program of which it is a part through the union of imagery, storyline, dialog and narration.

Paris: A Wild Story

Boréales, Winds, Terra Mater Factual Studios | Frédéric Fougea and Guillaume Poyet, Writers

What were the biggest influences on how you approached writing this project? It all started with the observation of those individual animals who came and adapted their behavior to an environment full of noise, artificial lights, humans, machines and movements. And how they coped with it. Then, a wide research approach was needed to write about the complex phenomemnon that is nature and the city. We had to investigate and be influenced by studies that generally are not involved in traditional natural history. Urban history, architecture, the relationship between people and nature through time, fashion and design : all these topics had a great influence on my writing.

Rats

Discovery presents RATS produced by Warrior Poets, Dakota Films Ltd., Submarine Entertainment Morgan Spurlock and Jeremy Chilnick, Writers

How do you approach storytelling? We really approached the storytelling as if we were making narrative horror. We wanted this to be as far away from a “talking head” documentary as possible. The goal from the beginning was a horror standpoint (both in that it’s scary and it’s also fun), but we wanted this to stand up next to anything in the narrative world as well. That made us have to really map out our shot selection and sequences as best we could, still knowing the main stars of our film... the rats... were not the most producible. Once we were in post, we really tried to maximize the “dread” that was lurking around the corner.

Soul of the Elephant

Wildlife Films, Thirteen Productions LLC,Terra Mater Factual Studios Dereck Joubert, Writer

What were the biggest influences on how you approached writing this project? This time it became necessary for us to tell it as a personal story because audiences pretty much know every fact there is about elephants, and we wanted to talk about souls and hint at an almost spiritual connection between us, and no researcher would find that reference, but it’s there. If you float up to a herd of wild elephants and from virtually underneath them look into their eyes, and they look back, and you will know, we are connected. So my approach was a lot softer than in my other films, more comfortable internally with writing (and speaking) about that ‘something’ and be damned with the triple annotated script.

The Ivory Game

A Netflix Documentary, Terra Mater Film Studios and Vulcan Productions in association with Malaika Pictures in association with Appian Way Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson, Writers

What were the biggest influences on how you approached writing this project? Our characters really believed to fight for a higher cause and we wanted our audiences to share that feeling with them. We chose to write a Jason Born type eco-thriller that evokes a feeling of immediacy, of being in the middle of the action at all times. We wanted to create some sort of reality you rarely see on the big screen. Nothing in our film was scripted and yet when we wrote it, we envisioned our film to play out exactly as it ultimately did. With some exceptions of course: Nobody could have anticipated that the largest poacher in East Africa aka “the Devil” would ultimately be caught on camera or that Kenya’s stockpiles would ultimately be burned. This was wishful thinking but quite a pleasant surprise when it became true.

64 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival & Conservation Summit

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SPECIAL JURY Bird of Prey

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

What impact do you hope this film will have? Our goal is to ultimately shift the way people in the Philippines relate to the eagle and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working with in-country organizations to produce an array of media to help make that happen. With so much of the Philippine forest destroyed during the mid to late 20th century, human persecution now ranks as the greatest threat to the species. While we may not be able to bring the forests back quickly, stopping the unnecessary shooting and trapping of eagles is an area where we believe we could have an immediate positive impact.

One Hundred Days of Solitude What inspired this story? Henry David Thoreau and his book Walden was the inspiration for this film. Last July 12th was the 200 Aniversary of Thoreau birth and we believe his toughs and philosophy of life are very actual nowadays and can inspire people.

Wanda Films in coproduction with TVE

Tale of a Lake

MRP Matila RĂśhr Productions

Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share? Some of the scenes that we managed to film were seen for the first time and there were no exact research data when and where they take place. This kind of things were e.g. lake salmon spawning, the rising of underwater mist in the big springs and the formation of ice caves in the rapids. We needed this kind of mystical material for the story, which tells about the ancient beliefs and myths that have been the guiding principles for the ancient Finns and have determined their relationship to the nature. At times it was the nature directing us filmmakers!

The Last Animals Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film. There were so many that I will eventually write a book. The Last Animals is my directorial debut. The making of the film was an education from A to Z in everything filmmaking as I wore ever imaginable hat and carried the bulk of the weight. It was no doubt a baptism by fire but I never gave up and held on even though the project nearly collapsed several times. The lessons learned will serve me for the rest of my life and filmmaking career. Atlas Films, Foxtail Entertainment, Artemis Rising Foundation, British Film Company, Diamond Docs

To Skin a Cat What inspired this story? I visited a Shembe gathering years ago. I was appalled by the number of leopard skins being worn by dancers. At the same time, I was both intrigued and moved by the beautiful sense of meaning within the ritual. I think the film was inspired by tension between those two contrasting experiences of the same event.

Scholars & Gentlemen, Panthera, Earth Touch, andBeyond, Durban Film Office, National Film & Video Foundation, Peace Parks Foundation