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| Wildlife Conservation Film Festival | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wildlife Conservation Film Festival |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Location | New York City, United States |
| Language | International |
Wildlife Conservation Film Festival is an international annual film festival dedicated to wildlife and conservation storytelling. Founded in 2011, it convenes filmmakers, scientists, conservationists, policymakers, philanthropists, and media from cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Berlin to showcase films about biodiversity, ecosystems, and species protection. The festival operates at the intersection of cinematic arts and environmental advocacy, engaging stakeholders from institutions like the Smithsonian Institution, Natural History Museum, London, American Museum of Natural History, World Wildlife Fund, and Conservation International.
The festival was established amid rising global attention to species loss, drawing early support from entities including National Geographic Society, BBC Natural History Unit, Disney Conservation Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society, and The Nature Conservancy. Founders and early advisors included professionals linked to Princeton University, Columbia University, Yale University, Harvard University, and Stanford University, while screenings rapidly expanded to venues such as Lincoln Center, Museum of Modern Art, Tisch School of the Arts, and Apollo Theater. Over time the festival formed ties with film institutions like the Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and awards bodies including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the BAFTA Awards. High-profile presenters and alumni have connections to David Attenborough, Jane Goodall, Sylvia Earle, E.O. Wilson, and media producers from National Geographic and BBC Studios.
The festival's mission articulates goals shared by organizations such as United Nations Environment Programme, Convention on Biological Diversity, International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Bank, and United Nations Development Programme: to elevate storytelling that influences policy, funding, and public awareness. Objectives have included amplifying voices from regions represented by Amazon Rainforest, Congo Basin, Great Barrier Reef, Galápagos Islands, and Himalayas; supporting filmmakers from institutions like Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Ford Foundation; and collaborating with award programs such as the MacArthur Fellows Program, Guggenheim Fellowship, and National Endowment for the Arts.
Programming mirrors categories found at established festivals: feature documentary, short film, youth competition, immersive media, and special screenings. Jury and category partnerships have involved bodies like the International Documentary Association, Peabody Awards, Emmy Awards, Sundance Institute, and film schools such as NYU Tisch, USC School of Cinematic Arts, London Film School, and La Fémis. The festival also curates programs highlighting regional conservation issues tied to Sahel, Mekong Delta, Borneo, Madagascar, and Arctic. Workshops and panels have featured representatives from NASA, NOAA, Smithsonian Institution, Royal Society, and American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Notable films screened have included works associated with David Attenborough productions, Al Gore-adjacent climate projects, and filmmakers linked to Louie Psihoyos, James Cameron, Louie Schwartzberg, Richard D. Ryder, and Annie Leibovitz-styled campaigns. Past awardees and honorees have connections to projects recognized by Academy Awards, BAFTA, Emmy Awards, Grammys (for scores), and Sundance Film Festival prizes. The festival has premiered films that later screened at Telluride Film Festival, SXSW, Venice Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, and Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Retrospectives and tributes have honored figures associated with Jane Goodall Institute, David Suzuki Foundation, Rachel Carson Center, IUCN Red List, and filmmakers affiliated with National Geographic Society and BBC Natural History Unit.
Sponsors and partners have included foundations and corporations tied to conservation and media: National Geographic Society, Walt Disney Company, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Studios, Patagonia, Inc., The Rockefeller Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. Institutional partnerships extend to universities and museums such as Columbia University, Harvard University, Yale University, American Museum of Natural History, Natural History Museum, London, and international organizations like UNESCO, IUCN, and WWF International.
The festival measures impact through collaborations that have influenced initiatives supported by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and programs funded by Global Environment Facility and World Bank. Screenings and campaigns have catalyzed fundraising for projects in places such as Borneo, Sumatra, Pantanal, Okavango Delta, and Serengeti, and have been leveraged in advocacy at conferences like COP, IUCN World Conservation Congress, and UN Biodiversity Conference. Filmmaker grants, fellowship alignments, and outreach have connected recipients to internships and positions at Smithsonian Institution, WWF, Conservation International, and research centers at University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of California, Berkeley, and Imperial College London.
The festival is governed by a board and advisory council including professionals from institutions like American Museum of Natural History, National Geographic Society, BBC Studios, Sundance Institute, Ford Foundation, and academic partners from Columbia University, Yale University School of the Environment, and Harvard Kennedy School. Operational partnerships include distribution and broadcast agreements with PBS, BBC, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Netflix, and HBO. The governance model aligns with nonprofit norms common to organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Society, while its programming decisions intersect with juries from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and advisors linked to Prince William's Earthshot Prize.
Category:Film festivals in the United States Category:Environmental film festivals Category:Conservation organizations