Wildscreen ARK Competition Impact & Round-Up
12 finalists of Wildscreen ARK’s 2024 Youth Film and Photography Competition were celebrated at a special event, hosted by Steve Backshall, during last month’s Wildscreen Festival 2024.
News archive
Looking back on Wildscreen Festival 2024
“Last week over 2,000+ storytellers from over 60+ countries joined us for Wildscreen Festival 2024. The biggest global gathering of natural world storytellers in the world. And what a week it was.”
Introducing the Wildpitch 2024 Finalists
Wildscreen has revealed the 9 projects from wildlife and environmental filmmakers around the world to be pitched at Wildscreen Festival 2024 next week.
Programme Sneak Peek! Wildscreen Festival 2024
We’re just two months away from the biggest global gathering of natural world storytellers, and today, we’re giving you an exclusive sneak peek into the 2024 Festival programme.
“Storytelling in a changing world”, the theme that will sew a thread of hope through this year’s programme, highlighting content across Wildscreen Festival’s four key pillars: Craft, Industry, Global Voices and Planetary Crises.
WILDPITCH 2024
The fan favourite is back! Following the inaugural event in 2022, and featuring at both Wildscreen Nairobi and Wildscreen Tanzania, WildPitch returns to the Wildscreen Festival this October with a total prize fund of $24,000.
It’s your chance to bring your natural world film project to life! WildPitch platforms unique stories and storytelling talent from across the international wildlife production ecosystem. Whether you are a producer, cinematographer, presenter or scientist, WildPitch is open to all.
The 2024 categories are:
- Animal Behaviour
- Conservation & Environment
- Human Nature Stories
Nine individuals (or teams) will each have 3 minutes to pitch their nature-centred film idea to a jury of leading commissioners and senior executives, in front of a live audience at Wildscreen Festival 2024. The three most original and exciting projects will each win a cash prize of $8,000.
For full details on WildPitch 2024, see here.
Wild Pitch is made possible by our sponsors, National Geographic.
Highlights of the Week
We’ve got some exciting headliners and thought leaders in the mix which we’ll be announcing very soon, but to satisfy your programme needs in the meantime, here are some topics that’ll be up for discussion and dissection at the festival!
Money, Money, Money!
The question on everyone’s lips right now is “where’s the money?” Across the Festival, join us for a series of focussed sessions where experts will break down how on earth you fund your film, especially in the current climate. Think traditional, then think alternative. From co-production and commissioning, grants and philanthropy to features and branded content. We’ve got you, and your budgets, covered!
Speakers include: National Science Foundation, Blue Ant Media, DogWoof, WildBear Entertainment
Artificial Intelligence
What does the future hold with AI in the filmmaking industry? Will AI create new tools that will allow us to innovate out of the current lull and engage with new audiences? Hear from leading AI experts, including sceptics, pragmatists, believers and those already using AI to help protect the world around us.
The Decision Makers
We’ve revamped the popular Commissioner’s Clinics for 2024 to broaden those funding horizons. As well as featuring top commissioners, you’ll also have the chance to hear from Distributors, Foundations and other funders.
Speakers include: BBC, NHK, Love Nature, National Geographic, TVF International and National Science Foundation
The Workshop Hub *new for 2024*
A dedicated space for hands-on, interactive workshops. A maximum of 50 individuals per workshop will receive up-close experience in a range of crafts and topics. Workshops will be led by CVP, ARRI, Sony, Films at 59, ImpactWild & Bournemouth Uni, and Peregrine Risk Management. Roll your sleeves up and get ready to dig into top-of-the-range cameras, impact campaigns, post-production, inclusive risk planning and more!
Available to in-person attendees only, these sessions will not be available online.
Cinematography series *new for 2024*
Wildscreen is known for being the home of wildlife film craft, so this year we’re expanding our much-loved cinematography masterclass into an entire series! Spanning long lens, underwater, drones, extreme and everything in between, hear from global talent behind the lens on how they capture the perfect shot.
Sound Innovation
This session explores how we can use sound to amplify storytelling in bold and ambitious ways, building the sensory experience, influencing emotion and revealing unwritten secrets in the narrative. The speakers will also share their innovative approaches to collecting, crafting and creating sound with maximum impact.
Speakers include: Lina Tebbs, Warner Chappell Production Music, Barry Donnelly, Alex Parkinson, Ellie Williams and Marco Capalbo
Meet the Changemakers
Wildscreen, in partnership with On The Edge have funded a group of talented and emerging filmmakers to create innovative and out-of-the-box natural history films. On Tuesday afternoon we will be holding a special session to meet these filmmakers.
On the Edge: Nature through a new lens Meet the filmmakers who are producing films outside of the Natural History box. In partnership with On the Edge and supported by the Wildscreen Edge of Nature Film Fund, a group of incredible emerging filmmakers make their mark on the wildlife filmmaking map with their fresh take on telling nature’s stories. Think drag queens, drama, long-distance romances, comedy and more – these directors are ones to watch.
Filmmakers:
- Myles Storey, Malaysia/UK
- Nikki Tan, Bambby Cheuk & Evangelista Wan, Singapore
- Tania Ãlvarez Guerrero, Mexico
- Will Clothier, UK
The films will be exclusively premiered to a limited audience so be sure to reserve your spot when our Festival Platform goes live closer to the festival.
Grab your tickets!
If this sneak peek into our 2024 Festival Programme has piqued your interest, then head on over to our ticketing platform and purchase your tickets now.
We look forward to seeing you at the festival in just two months’ time!
