BBC Studios NHU announced as Headline Sponsor

Wildscreen, the not-for-profit behind the biggest festival of natural world storytelling globally, today unveils BBC Studios Natural History Unit as Headline Sponsor for the event, slated for 10-14 October 2022.

This milestone year for the Wildscreen Festival marks its 40th birthday and its first ever hybrid edition, with a packed in-person schedule taking place live in Bristol, UK, home to the biggest global hub of wildlife film production, and broadcast around the world via live-stream with bespoke content for its online audience.

The Festival’s focus for 2022 is “the future of natural world storytelling for a better planet” with four key elements underpinning the content – craft, industry, global voices, planetary crisis.

The support of the NHU as Headline Sponsors marks its commitment to supporting the future of the international wildlife film and TV industry, with a focus on driving an inclusive and sustainable global talent pipeline. The NHU will host the first ever Wildscreen Festival African hub, which will bring together the wildlife production community in Africa, broadcast live into the Bristol-hosted event, and offer bespoke in-person and hybrid networking events to support and showcase in-country talent. In Bristol, the NHU will open the doors to its new headquarters at Bridgewater House, to host a series of outreach events focussed on reaching out to local young people, highlighting the range of career paths into the wildlife film and TV production ecosystem.

Jonny Keeling, Head of BBC Studios Natural History Unit, said: “Wildscreen is critical to the wildlife filmmaking industry and to the natural world which is why the NHU is supporting as Headline Sponsor this year. Never has it been more important to tell impactful stories that inspire a global audience to love the natural world. To do that we need to build a more sustainable and inclusive industry – Wildscreen Festival is an incredibly powerful platform to drive that change.”

Also announced today, Jonny Keeling, Head of BBC Studios NHU joins the Wildscreen charity board as trustee. The board, chaired by Laura Marshall, CEO of Icon Films, oversees the organisation’s year-round charitable initiatives, as well as the biennial Wildscreen Festival.

Maria Norman, Head of Production, Steve Cole, Series Producer and Caroline Cox, Production Executive are also members of the Wildscreen Festival Advisory Board 2022. The Board drives the creative vision and programming for the 2022 Festival and is this year chaired by Jeff Wilson, Director at Silverback Films. For a full list of the 2022 Festival Advisory Board see here.

Wildscreen Festival early bird passes are on sale now, with a variety of hybrid and virtual passes available allowing delegates to choose how and when they experience the festival. Tickets can be purchased here.