UN celebrates world’
s best big cats films for World Wildlife Day – Winners of International Big Cats Film Festival
announced at UN Headquarters
The CITES Secretariat and Jackson Hole Wildlife Film
Festival announced today winners of the International Big Cats Film Festival. Winning stories
about jaguars, leopards, lions, pumas, tigers and more will now hit the big screen and your
mobile devices as the world celebrates World Wildlife Day 2018 under the theme “Big cats:
predators under threat”
.
"These films connect us in a very personal way to wildlife. They inspire us all to make sure
these most magnificent creatures survive in the wild. Congratulations to all of the finalists and
category winners, and thank you for making this such a memorable World Wildlife Day. By
using the power of media we can catalyze a groundswell of support for big cats to help make
sure they survive in the wild ", said John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary General.
“We’re eager to partner with organizations around the world to raise local awareness and
engagement through free public screenings and events,” said Jackson Hole Wildlife Film
Festival’s Executive Director, Lisa Samford. These amazing films speak eloquently to the
importance of saving big cats while we are still able to do so.”
The co-organizers are particularly grateful to the following
final judges for their commitment of
time (in alphabetical order of family name):
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Inger Anderson, Director General of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
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Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary, Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
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Andrea Heydlauff, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, African Parks Foundation
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John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
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Cécile Tang, Co-Director, Youth for Wildlife Conservation
International BIG CATS Film Festival Trailer from Jackson Hole WILD
Winners of the International Big Cats Film Festival in the 6 categories are:
Issues and Solutions – Awarded to the film that most effectively reveals current issues and challenges and communicates solutions to the environmental, socio-economic and sustainability issues associated with big cats around the globe:
Conservation – Awarded to the film that effectively celebrates innovative approaches and noteworthy achievements of individuals or groups committed to the conservation of big cats:
People and Big Cats – Awarded to the film that most effectively coveys the complex relationship between big cats and humans:
Science and Behavior – Awarded to the film that greatly deepens our understanding of the science behind big cats and their behavior through its storytelling:
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“Vanishing Kings – Lions of the Namib” A co-production by ORF, Interspot Film, ARTE, Smithsonian Networks, Into Nature Productions and Boksdocs - Edited by Alan Miller
Micro Movie (under 5 minutes) – Awarded to the Public Service Announcement (PSA), music video, media artwork or advocacy film that most effectively communicates an appreciation or understanding of big cats or their conservation issues. Limited to media under 5 minutes in length:
Local Voices:
Threats Facing Big Cats from Jackson Hole WILD
Over 200 entries were submitted for the international competition, and they were reviewed by
60 preliminary judges over seven weeks after which they determined the 16 finalists. The
short list then was passed on to the final judging panel, which selected the winners from
among the 16 finalists.
Big cats are among the most widely recognized and admired animals across the globe.
However, the world has been losing these most majestic animals at an alarming rate. For
example, tiger populations plummeted by 95 percent over the past 100 years and African lion
populations dropped by 40 percent in just 20 years.
These iconic predators, the challenges they face, and how these challenges can be met, will
be in the spotlight through the 16 films chosen as finalists in the International Big Cats Film
Festival.
These stories went beyond simply being visually mesmerizing and engaging. They show the
challenges facing these iconic species, and they feature the front-line heroes and the
solutions that are necessary if we are going to be able to save populations of big cats around
the world.
Visit: www.jhfestival.org/finalists--winners.html
About CITES
With 183 Parties (182 countries + the European Union), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) remains one of the world's most powerful tools for wildlife conservation through the regulation of trade. Thousands of species are internationally traded and used by people in their daily lives for food, health care, housing, tourist souvenirs, cosmetics or fashion. CITES regulates
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international trade in over 36,000 species of plants and animals, including their products and derivatives, to ensure their survival in the wild with benefits for the livelihoods of local people and the global environment. The CITES permit system seeks to ensure that international trade in listed species is sustainable, legal and traceable. CITES was signed in Washington D.C. on 3 March 1973 and entered into force on 1 July 1975.
About Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival
Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival (JHWFF) programs promote public awareness and stewardship of wildlife and wildlife habitat through the innovative use of media. Since 1991, its annual conferences draw together international leaders in science, conservation, broadcasting and media. For three days in 2017, committed wild cats advocates convened for the Jackson Hole Conservation Summit (24-26 September), to share resources and strategies, address critical challenges and brainstorm innovative approaches for collaboration. They joined 650+ of the world’s most influential filmmakers and commissioners at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival to celebrate the world’s finest nature programming and explore innovative ways to integrate media centrally into the battle against global wildlife crime.
About the United Nations World Wildlife Day
On 20 December 2013, the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 3 March as World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. The date is the day of the signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973. World Wildlife Day has quickly become the most prominent global annual event dedicated to wildlife. It is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the various challenges faced by these species. The day also reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime, which has wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts.
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