Wildscreen Festival Announces 2026 Official Selection
Wildscreen is delighted to announce its Official Selection for Wildscreen Festival 2026
News archive
Diary of a Prep Technician Trainee
Hear from Belle, one of the Trainees taking part in our Environmental Storytellers Programme.
Wildscreen Panda Awards 2026 Nominees Announced
Find out who the nominees are for the Wildscreen 2026 Panda Awards!
Panda Awards 2025 – Winners Announced!
Gripping Exposé ‘Trade Secret’ Wins Top Award at Wildscreen Panda Awards 2025
Wildscreen, has revealed the winning productions for the Panda Awards 2025 – the most highly anticipated awards of the international wildlife film and TV genre.
The awards, Headline Sponsored by Warner Chappell Production Music, comprised of 17 categories plus three special awards including the Golden Panda for best overall production.
Trade Secret was awarded the coveted Golden Panda Award 2025 and the Independent Film category. Directed by Abraham Joffe and Executive Produced by Adam McKay, the feature doc reveals how conservation, politics and commercial interests collide in ways the public was never meant to see. The film exposes the sanctioned sale of hundreds of polar bears each year on the global market and uncovers a disturbing truth: those entrusted with safeguarding the species may be entangled in their continued international commercial trade.
Recognised by the jury for its fearless and compelling investigative storytelling, the filmmakers took significant financial, creative, and physical risks over six years and nine countries, to produce a powerful film that reveals the lines between protection and exploitation have become blurred.
Two National Geographic series that dominated this year’s winners, walking away with three category wins a piece, were Underdogs and A Real Bug’s Life, Series 2, both recognised by the Jury for reshaping the boundaries of the natural history genre and its audiences.
Underdogs, a co-production from Wildstar Films and Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort, picked up category wins for Editing, Producer/Director and Scripted Narrative. The jury noted that the humorous series which celebrates nature’s unsung and unconventional heroes reshapes the boundaries of the natural history genre and its audiences.
A Real Bug’s Life, Series 2 from Plimsoll Productions, an adventure into different micro bug worlds around the globe, scooped up best Cinematography, Children’s and Series. Awkwafina’s witty and playful narration combined with stunning macro-photography transforms a seemingly unremarkable biome into a stunning cinematic world that immerses viewers across generations.
Silverback Films picked up two category wins – Behaviour for Sea Lions of the Galapagos and the much-coveted Impact Award for Ocean with David Attenborough which was co-produced with Open Planet Studios – the 99-year-old broadcasters’ untold story of the ocean and greatest message of hope.
Other winners include: Ryan Wilkes for The Bird in my Backyard (Emerging Talent Award), Tides of Life (Short Award), The Birds (In-Country Production Award), ROCK POOL (Sound Award), Superskilled with Eva Zu Beck (On-Screen Talent Award) Pangolin Journey to Freedom (Sustainability Award), Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey (Music Award), and The Americas (Production Management Team).
Martha Holmes received the Christopher Parsons Outstanding Achievement Panda Award in recognition of her exceptional leadership and innovation within the natural history genre.
This, the competition’s 43rd Edition marked its move to an annual awards event. The ceremony was the finale of the inaugural Wildscreen Industry Summit, which convened the global wildlife film, TV and content community in Bristol and online from the 20-22 Oct.
Lina Tebbs, Director of UK Production Music said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Wildscreen for another year. Warner Chappell Production Music champions great storytelling, and we absolutely understand the value in educating and entertaining audiences through nature programming. The Panda Awards celebrate the dedication and hardwork of all the people behind-the-scenes and we’re honoured to be headline sponsor for the second-year running.”
FULL LIST OF PANDA AWARD 2025 WINNERS:
GOLDEN PANDA AWARD 2025 – Sponsored by Warner Chappell Production Music
Trade Secret
An Untitled Film Works production.
Australia
BEHAVIOUR AWARD
Sea Lions of the Galapagos
A Silverback Films production for Disneynature and Disney+.
UK
CHILDREN’S AWARD
A Real Bug’s Life – Series 2, Episode 3: Once a Pond a Time
Produced by Plimsoll Productions for National Geographic
UK
CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD – Sponsored by Films at 59
A Real Bug’s Life – Series 2, Episode 1: Love in the Forest
Produced by Plimsoll Productions for National Geographic.
UK/USA
Cinematography: Ben Cherry, Katherine Hannaford, Martin Dohrn, Robert Hollingworth, Doug Gardner, Andrew Fleming, Mark Payne-Gill.
EDITING AWARD
Underdogs: Superzeroes
Produced by Wildstar Films, a Fremantle company, in partnership with Maximum Effort for National Geographic
UK
Editor: Nigel Buck
EMERGING TALENT AWARD
The Bird in my Backyard – Ryan Wilkes
A Trochilus Films Production for CBC
Canada
FIELD CRAFT RECOGNITION AWARD
Bazili ‘Baz’ Kessy
Tanzania
IMPACT AWARD – Sponsored by Aurum Kaleidoscope Foundation
Ocean with David Attenborough
A Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios co-production, in association with All3Media International, National Geographic, and Minderoo Pictures. The film is co-produced by Arksen & 10% for the Ocean, Don Quixote Foundation, National Geographic Society and Pristine Seas, Revive Our Ocean, and The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
UK
IN-COUNTRY PRODUCTION AWARD – Sponsored by VI Rental
The Birds
A Production of Passion Planet and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios in association with Ammonite Films.
UK
Honourable Mention:
Mighty Monkeys
Produced by NHK/NHK ENTERPRISES/Doclights, in association with NDR/ARTE/ZDFS.
Japan
INDEPENDENT FILM AWARD – Sponsored by Wounded Buffalo Sound Studios
Trade Secret
An Untitled Film Works production.
Australia
MUSIC AWARD
Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey
An Anonymous Content / Dog Star Films / Water Creature Film / Production for Netflix.
UK
Music: Anne Nikitin featuring Zolani Mahola & Sky Dladla
ON-SCREEN TALENT AWARD – Sponsored by University of West of England
Superskilled with Eva Zu Beck
Produced by National Geographic.
USA
On-Screen Talent: Eva Zu Beck.
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR AWARD – Sponsored by Passion Pictures
Underdogs: Superzeroes
Produced by Wildstar Films, a Fremantle company, in partnership with Maximum Effort for National Geographic
UK
Producer / Director: Gary Smith
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT TEAM AWARD
The Americas – Episode 2: Mexico
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group.
UK / USA
Production Management: Alex Martin, Ally Young, Anna McGill, Claire Spelling, Emma Davidson, Gaby Wakefield, Hollie Diment, Jasmine McCrae-Jones, Jo Verity, Jordan White, Judy Roberts, Lisa Sibbald, Lizzie Derry, Louise Dawe-Lane, Melissa Burgers, Nicola Kowalski, Rachel Buxton, Sandra Forbes, Sophie Johnson, Sue Aartse-Tuyn, Tom Bowell, Zaylin September
SCRIPTED NARRATIVE AWARD – Sponsored by Terra Mater Studios
Underdogs: Terrible Parents
Produced by Wildstar Films, a Fremantle company, in partnership with Maximum Effort for National Geographic
UK
Writer: Polly Billam
SERIES AWARD – Sponsored by Doclights
A Real Bug’s Life Series 2
Plimsoll Productions for National Geographic
UK
SHORT AWARD – Sponsored by Leica
Tides of Life
University of the West of England
UK
Director: Tatiana McCabe
SOUND AWARD – Sponsored by Films at 59
ROCK POOL
SOUP Audiovisual
UK
Sound: Tom Bosher
SUSTAINABILITY AWARD
Pangolin Journey to Freedom
A Terra Mater Studios / Silver Bullet Films Production in co-production with The WNET Group in association with PBS and CPB.
Austria
CHRISTOPHER PARSONS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Martha Holmes