WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--We’re not talking basketball here. We’re talking about the third annual, wildly fierce WILD TO INSPIRE short film competition. Nat Geo WILD, in partnership with the Sun Valley Film Festival (SVFF), announced today the four finalists of the third annual WILD TO INSPIRE filmmaking competition. The finalists will all travel to the SVFF for a special screening of their short films on Thursday, March 3, followed by a special screening of EXPLORER: WARLORDS OF IVORY. The WILD TO INSPIRE winner will be announced at the festival’s awards ceremony on Saturday, March 5. The winning filmmaker will take home the ultimate prize of an expedition to Africa to document wildlife for Nat Geo WILD viewers.
Starting Oct. 19, participants were asked to submit a short film that captured stories of individuals letting the wild into their own lives. Films were judged on the connection to the theme of “Let the WILD In,” quality of the storyline and script, creativity and/or content originality, production quality and editing.
Last year’s winner, Filipe DeAndrade, has spent the past couple months in Africa, working on several upcoming shows for the soon-to-launch Nat Geo WILDKiDS block (Saturday mornings beginning March 5). In addition, DeAndrade has shared short, powerful vignettes, imagery and other social media posts throughout his African adventure. DeAndrade’s “Girls Can’t Be Scientists?” — a short film he created during his time in Africa — will be screened at the festival. “Girls Can’t Be Scientists?” highlights three female conservationists at different points in their career who are perfect examples of individuals living deliberately and passionately.
“With more submissions than ever before, it was a challenge to narrow it down to a final four to come to Sun Valley,” said Geoff Daniels, executive vice president and general manager for Nat Geo WILD. “The Sun Valley Film Festival provides the perfect platform to celebrate the high quality of work being produced by the vibrant WILD TO INSPIRE community.”
The WILD TO INSPIRE finalists include:
“Conowingo Dam Bald Eagles” by Mike Lemery (Schenectady, NY) @MikeLemery
- Lemery is a video producer and filmmaker based in Schenectady, New York, with more than eight years of professional video experience in documentary-style and television production.
- “Conowingo Dam Bald Eagles” shows the resurgence of the bald eagle population at the Conowingo Dam in Maryland, where hundreds of bald eagles fiercely fight for the stunned fish that make it through the dam’s turbines.
“In Search of a Moment” by David Fontneau (Honolulu, HI) @DavidFontneau
- Fontneau is a self-taught photographer and cinematographer who seeks to inspire others through his passion for nature and photography.
- In his film “In Search of a Moment” Fontneau describes his search for what he can best describe as the purity of a moment.
“To the Explorers” by Alex Goetz and Justin Grubb (Toledo, OH) @alex_m_goetz
- Goetz and Grubb are filmmakers who focus on telling the stories of conservation and wildlife around the world, in an effort to raise awareness of the issues that affect our planet.
- This short film is an ode to all the adventurers, explorers and conservationists who dedicate everything they have to conservation, wildlife and the outdoors. It is also a “thank you” to those who inspire us to tell our stories as filmmakers.
“Wild Heroes of Uganda” by Marlina Moreno (Los Angeles, CA) @MarlinaMoreno
- Moreno is a freelance cinematographer with a passion for sharing the stories of people doing wonderful things to protect our planet’s biodiversity. This fall she will graduate with a master’s degree in conservation biology.
- In “Wild Heroes of Uganda” Moreno pays tribute to the wildlife conservation heroes she met while exploring Uganda.
The top four finalists have been invited to the SVFF March 2-6 to screen their films for festival attendees, a panel of judges and Nat Geo WILD executives. The winner will be announced at the festival’s closing ceremony and will receive an expedition to experience and document wildlife in some of the most exotic corners of the world for Nat Geo WILD viewers.
For more information, visit www.natgeowild.com/wildtoinspire.
About National Geographic Channels
The National Geographic Channels (The Channels) form the television and production arm of National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between 21st Century Fox and the National Geographic Society. As a global leader in premium science, adventure and exploration programming, the Channels include National Geographic Channel (NGC), Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo People and Nat Geo MUNDO. Additionally, the Channels also run the in-house television production unit, National Geographic Studios. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society’s commitment to exploration, conservation and education with entertaining, innovative programming from A-level talent around the world, and with profits that help support the society’s mission. Globally, NGC is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages, and Nat Geo WILD is available in 131 countries and 38 languages. National Geographic Partners is also a leader in social media, with a fan base of 250 million people across all of its social pages. NGC contributes over 55 million social media fans globally on Facebook alone. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com and www.natgeowild.com.
About the 2016 Sun Valley Film Festival
The Fifth Annual Sun Valley Film Festival (SVFF), presented by Zions Bank, will run March 2-6, 2016, and will feature a curated slate of more than 60 cutting-edge films and TV premieres, engaging Coffee Talks with top industry insiders including legendary filmmaker Oliver Stone (recipient of the 2016 SVFF Lifetime Vision Award), fabulous parties and panels, a Screenwriters Lab led by award-winning writers Mark Duplass and Nat Faxon, and the spectacular SVFF Awards Bash. The combination of cutting-edge programming and bona fide insider access in a fun, relaxed atmosphere is making the Sun Valley Film Festival a rising star in the world of destination festivals. This coming spring, filmmakers from around the world will bring their vision to the Sun Valley Film Festival, and movie lovers are invited to watch it come into focus. For Sun Valley Film Festival details and tickets, visit www.sunvalleyfilmfestival.org. Get festival updates on Facebook and Twitter.
