My Garden of a Thousand Bees won the Plimsoll Golden Panda Award, the ultimate honor, according to Wildscreen’s announcement of the 2022 Panda Award winners. Martin Dohrn, a wildlife filmmaker, uncovered the hidden lives of 60 bee species while under lockdown while filming a feature film (nicely reflecting this year’s Wildlife Photographer Of The Year winner).
The Bastard King, a documentary that follows a lion from baby to king, won the Panda In The Pocket award from Terra Mater Studios and Bonne Pioche. The film “Path of the Panther” by Eric Bendick, which tracked the elusive Florida animal, won prizes in both of the categories for which it was nominated (Save Our Seas Foundation Impact Award and the Off the Fence Production Team Award).
The Sustainability Award was presented at the 2022 Panda Awards for the first time to Springwatch 2021 in recognition of their efforts to minimize their carbon footprint during filming. The Terra Mater Studios Series Award went to David Attenborough and the BBC for The Green Planet.
“Some of nature’s most fascinating and timeless stories were found and brought to a global audience via this year’s remarkable array of shorts, films, and series. We wish to congratulate everyone who received recognition and look forward to following the development of natural world storytelling in the next years.
Considering a career in wildlife filmmaking? The Field Ready Program will be introduced at Wildscreen Festival for a third consecutive year, according to a joint announcement from the National Geographic Society and National Geographic Content.
The project seeks to advance inclusion and diversity in wildlife filmmaking.
The National Geographic Society’s chief storytelling officer, Kaitlin Yarnall, stated that “Field Ready gives historically underrepresented early-career National Geographic Explorers the mentorship and practical experience needed for them to tangibly break into the film business.”
“We take the crucial steps toward diversifying filmmaking—a discipline that has historically lacked representation—when we open doors for new voices. By hearing multiple viewpoints and developing new storylines, our storytelling and effect truly grow so much greater.
In our conversation with presenter and explorer Bertie Gregory, one of Wildscreen’s and National Geographic’s own, learn more about what it’s like to be a wildlife filmmaker.
