Official
Selection
A global launchpad for authentic storytellers and original stories across the world.
Find out which 36 groundbreaking films made into the Official Selection 2024 below!
About the Selection
Introduced in 2020, our Official Selection showcases creative and bold stories that spark positive and restorative action for our natural world, acting as a global launchpad for new and diverse voices. From short and feature films to extended reality productions, these entries from amateur and experienced filmmakers alike are sure to inspire.
Our truly international selection is reviewed by a group of pre-selectors, then curated by a diverse team of programmers.
With thanks to our Official Selection Programme headline sponsors Love Nature and Blue Ant Media.
The Official Selection is separate from the Panda Awards, our industry- and craft-focused film competition.
Meet the Directors
You’ve watched the original stories on our film library, now meet the Directors behind them.
Wildscreen are releasing free-to-access Q&As on our YouTube Channel. Start watching today!
Trophies
Were you selected or an award winner for our 2022 Official Selection? Order duplicate certificates and trophies for the rest of your team before Fri 28 Oct.
☆ Film Screenings
After a two year hiatus, we’re excited to be hosting award-winning screenings in unique Bristol venues.
With world premieres on the cards, don’t miss this opportunity to watch original stories and participate in Director Q&As.
The screenings between 10-15 October are supported by the BFI, awarding funds from The National Lottery
Submitting Your Film
Submitting your film for consideration in Wildscreen’s 2024 Official Selection has never been simpler.
Now accepting submissions exclusively through Filmfreeway, our Earlybird submission discount window opens January 23rd, and will remain open till February 23rd.
Submissions will of course stay open after this date, though at a slightly higher price, until our final Late deadline closes on May 10th. So what are you waiting for? Get those submissions in!
Rules & Guidelines for 2024 submitters are listed on our Filmfreeway page, or you can read them in PDF format here.
Our Official Selection is split into two categories: short films, where we accept any film under 30 minutes, including immersive technologies (VR / AR), and Mid-length & Feature films, where we encourage any submitters who’s work clocks in over the 30 minute mark.
In 2024 we are on the lookout for stories reflecting one or more of the following:
– Authentic, Indigenous & Underrepresented Voices
– Biodiversity & Climate Change
– Interrelationships between Humans and Nature
– Next Generation of Stewards and Storytellers
– Solutions & Impact
Special Award Recipients
As part of our Official Selection, three special awards are also granted to outstanding productions which go out of their way to impress our programmers and audience.
These are the Programmer Prize, The Audience Prize, and Sustainable Merit, with the recipients of the Programmer Prize and Audience Award receiving a cash prize.
Important Submission Dates
- January 23rd – Earlybird Window Opens
- February 23rd – Regular Window Opens & Earlybird Window Shuts
- April 12th – Late Window Opens & Regular Window Shuts
- May 10th – Final deadline for entries
For more information see our Festival FAQs.
Submitting Your Film
Submitting your film for consideration in Wildscreen’s 2024 Official Selection has never been simpler.
Now accepting submissions exclusively through FilmFreeway, our Earlybird submission discount window is now open, and will remain open till February 23rd.
About The Official Selection
Our Official Selection is split into two categories: short films, where we accept any film under 30 minutes, including immersive technologies (VR / AR), and Mid-length & Feature films, where we encourage any submitters who’s work clocks in over the 30 minute mark.
In 2024 we are on the lookout for stories reflecting one or more of the following:
• Authentic, Indigenous & Underrepresented Voices
• Biodiversity & Climate Change
• Interrelationships between Humans and Nature
• Next Generation of Stewards and Storytellers
• Solutions & Impact
How To Enter
Before submitting your work, please review our competition Rules & Guidelines. You can also listen to them as an accessible audio recording.
All submissions can be made through our submissions portal on FilmFreeway.
Important Dates
- January 23rd – Earlybird Window Opens
- February 23rd – Regular Window Opens & Earlybird Window Shuts
- April 12th – Late Window Opens & Regular Window Shuts
- May 10th – Final deadline for entries
Special Award Recipients
As part of our Official Selection, three special awards are also granted to outstanding productions which go out of their way to impress our programmers and audience.
These are the Programmer Prize, The Audience Prize, and Sustainable Merit, with the recipients of the Programmer Prize and Audience Award receiving a cash prize.
The 2024 Selection
This year, Wildscreen highlighted 36 productions which told unique and original stories about our natural world created by authentic storytellers from 6 continents across the globe.
Chioma Onyenwe, Chair of Programmers, said, “On behalf of the programme team, I am delighted to present this lineup of incredible films curated by highly diverse filmmakers. These films span continents, weaving tales from the microscopic world to the majestic march of elephants. It is extraordinary to see that the ongoing struggle to save nature is happening on both micro and macro levels. We hope these films inspire and instil a profound sense of responsibility for preserving our planet for generations to come.”
Special Award Recipients
As part of our Official Selection, three special awards are also granted to outstanding productions which go out of their way to impress our programmers and audience.
The recipients of the Programmer and Audience Prize’s receive a cash prize.
Programmer Prize:
Orca – Black & White Gold
Sarah Nörenberg
Austria
Audience Prize
#Hvaldimir, Conversation With A Spy Whale
Dir: Jerôme Delafosse, Fabrice Schnöller
Imagissime with Miluna Productions
France
Sustainable Merit:
Rave on for the Avon
Charlotte Sawyer
United Kingdom
Full Official Selection
Entropy
Inuk Jørgensen
Greenland
Second Nature: Gender and Sexuality in the Animal World
Drew Denny
United States
Intercellular
Dan Short
United Kingdom
Rave on for the Avon
Charlotte Sawyer
United Kingdom
The Happy Man Tree
Katy McGahan
United Kingdom
The Last Gardener
Eloise Jenninger
United Kingdom
Antarctica Unearthed
Ariel Waldman
United States
Giants Rising
Lisa Landers
United States
Circle of Life
Tom Park
Australia
March of The Elephants
Olivia Chen
China
#Hvaldimir, Conversation With A Spy Whale
Dir: Jerôme Delafosse, Fabrice Schnöller
Imagissime with Miluna Productions
France
Tahlequah the Whale: A Dance of Grief
Daniel Kreizberg
United States
Sounds of the Ocean: A Mindful Underwater Journey
Directors Joshua Sam Miller, Elise Lein
United States
Wild Summon
Directors Karni Arieli, Saul freed
United Kingdom
STEALING GIANTS
Directors Karl Ammann, Laurin Merz
Switzerland
Orca – Black & White Gold
Sarah Nörenberg
Austria
KAPPE RAAGA The song of Kumbara
Prashanth S Nayaka
India
The Last of the Whale Shark
Ramtin Balef
Iran
Amazônia Viva
Estêvão Ciavatta
Brazil
Biocentrics
Directors Fernanda Heinz Figueiredo, Atal
Brazil
Ndossi
Kristina Obame
Gabon
Living with Lions (Kuishi Na Simba)
Erica Francis Rugabandana
Tanzania
A Buffalo Story
Colin Ruggiero
United States
Bear Hunt
Jacob Burley
United Kingdom
The Last Defenders of India
Srishti Lakhera
Singapore
Hope Restored
Maarten van Rouveroy
Netherlands
Yana Djamaga Ganji / Walk Good Fire
Directors Clancy Walker, Adam Nye
Australia
The Unseen
United Kingdom
EYE-TO-EYE
Directors Siri Linn Brandsøy, Lasse Huldt
Norway
The Earth Above: A Deep Time View of Australia’s Epic History
Ruwe Collective
Australia
Boca Chica
Ái Vuong, Samuel Díaz Fernández
United States
Mother of the Forest ~ Curupira ~
Lea Hejn
United Kingdom
Among The Wolves
Directors Tanguy Dumortier, Olivier LAR
France
Dahican
Boogs Rosales
Philippines
Flora, Fauna, Funga
Sam Sheline
United States
The Eagle With The Sunlit Eye
Ted Simpson
United Kingdom
Enjoy the Stories
Many of our Official Selection films are available on the Wildscreen Festival event platform.
Virtual Passes are still available to book to enjoy the film library until 16 December.
Our programmers
This year we assembled a diverse team of international programmers to curate our Official Selection. They curated our final selection of productions to showcase at the Festival.
Lucy Jane Mukerjee
Documentary Lab Director, Firelight Media
Lucy J. Mukerjee is a queer British-Indian cultural worker, dedicated to elevating the careers of underestimated storytellers, and leveraging the power of film to expand perspectives and shatter stereotypes. In 2023, Lucy became the Director of the Documentary Lab at Firelight Media, the premier destination for non-fiction cinema by and about communities of color, founded in 1998 by Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith.
Lucy’s 20+ years of industry experience include the roles of Director of Programming at Outfest and NewFest LGBTQ+ Film Festivals, and Senior Programmer at the Tribeca Festival. In 2019, alongside friends and colleagues from festivals worldwide, Lucy co-founded the Programmers Of Colour Collective, a global grassroots group of BIPOC film curators calling for transparency and accountability in the curatorial process.
Benn Wiebe
Owner/Executive Producer, HFP Productions
Benn is an Oscar Shortlisted and SXSW winning Producer who has championed natural storytelling across the creative landscape. Benn has created campaigns and helped convene initiatives for the United Nations in support of the UN Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, providing a unique expertise and understanding of global issues. Mobilizing people to impact social movement through stories is Benn’s personal mission.
Benn currently serves as the Executive Producer of HFP which runs film festivals across 13 countries. He is also a Mentor for SXSW, Creative UK, and for film schools including London Screen Academy, East London Arts & Music, and the National Film & Television School.
Chioma Onyenwe
Founder/Filmmaker, Raconteur Productions
Chioma Onyenwe is the founder of Raconteur Productions, an international film production company telling stories at the intersection of history, culture and identity. Her first narrative feature, 8 Bars & A Clef, was nominated for the 2016 AMAA, and her latest feature, ‘I do Not Come To You By Chance,’ premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2023 and won the Audience Choice Awards at the Africa International Film Festival 2023. She is a Creative Producer Indaba and EAVE fellow, a freelance film programmer, a deep sea diver, a burgeoning tennis player, and an avid swimmer.
“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” I am thrilled to rejoin Wildscreen Programming team to celebrate earth’s beauty through film amidst challenging times.”
Wangechi Ngugi
Producer & Programmer
Wangechi Ngugi is a film producer, writer and curator based in Nairobi. With a deep belief in the transformative nature of storytelling, I strive to bring diverse narratives to the screen, amplifying voices and sparking meaningful conversations through the magic of film.
“Joining the Wildscreen Official Selection Programming Team this year presents an exciting opportunity to unveil nature’s cinematic marvels, celebrating its diversity in every frame. I’m thrilled to be part of this journey!”
Shaunak Sen
Director, All That Breathes
Shaunak Sen is an Academy award nominated filmmaker and writer based in Delhi. His film ‘All That Breathes’, received nominations at the 2023 Academy and BAFTA awards. The film won awards at Cannes, Sundance, BFI London, IDA and Cinema Eye, and 24 other film festivals. Cities of Sleep (2016), his first feature-length documentary, was shown at various major international film festivals and won 6 international awards.
Shaunak has received grants from Sundance, Tribeca, IDFA – Amsterdam amongst others. He has received the Pro Helvetia residency in Switzerland, the Sarai-CSDS grant, the Charles Wallace grant as visiting scholar at Cambridge University. Shaunak holds a PhD and has published in journals including Bioscope and Widescreen.
The pre-selectors
Our international team of pre-selectors are integral for analysing the high volume of submissions we received into our Official Selection. Their reviews created a shortlist of original productions which we then shared with our programmers.
Aaron Sandhu Assistant Producer – Silverback Films
Anne Weinhold Business Development & Fundraising Manager – Royal Entomological Society
Carole Larsen Documentary Editor
Charlotte Bird Documentary Producer – Oxford Sparks
Coralie Migne Ecology and Evolutionary Biology MA Student & Wildlife Photographer
Darren West Natural History Cinematographer
David Pokupec Researcher – University of Maribor
Deirdre Denali Rosenberg Conservation Photography & Outdoor Writer
Eleanor Hamilton Wildlife Camerawoman
Elisabeth M.S. Oakham Producer / Director – Silverback Films
Evelyn Smalley Runner – BBC Studios
Evie Brudenall Distribution and Sales Executive – Magic Light Pictures
Helena Vilaplana Carnerero Producer & Film Programmer
Honey Crespo Documentary Filmmaker & Lecturer – Liverpool Hope University
Indigo Korres Director – Scottish Queer International Film Festival
Jeremy Hogarth Director/Writer – JPH Productions
Jessica Reiss Wildlife Filmmaker
Joe Galuszka Composer
Lana Young Visual Content Producer – NIWA
Laura Pennafort Wildlife Camerawoman
Lorelai Jo-hsuan Lin Development Associate – TAEA
Marete Selvin Producer/Co-Founder – Meraki Africa
Marina Hui Assistant Producer – BBC Studios
Nick Lord Researcher – BBC Studios NHU
Omar Manjouneh Documentary Filmmaker
Paula Kahumbu Wildlife Presenter / Producer
Pedro Wallace Producer / Writer / Director – Dragón de Fuego Cine SAS
Sabine Probst Documentary Filmmaker & NGO Director – Seen Blue
Samreen Farooqui Creative Head, Video – Roundglass Sustain
Samuel Obae Videographer / Photographer
Sarah-Jane Walsh Producer / Director – Moral Coral Films
Tania Dorrity Consulting Producer, PD & Edit Producer
Tania Esteban Assistant Producer – Wildstar Films
Tom Land Researcher – Silverback Films
Varun Manavazhi Editor – Felis Creations
Yoko Seki Field Producer – Wildlife Warriors
Tom Land Researcher – Silverback Films
Varun Manavazhi Editor – Felis Creations
Share your Story
The Official Selection is part of Wildscreen Festival and will open call for entries again in January 2024.
Follow our page on FilmFreeway to receive updates.
Official Selection Sponsors
Official Selection Programme Headline Sponsors
