Wildlife Film News
No. 306 – From the producer of Wildlife-film.com – February 2025
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A Tribute to Richard Brock ... continues to grow!
It was with great sadness that I shared the news that Richard Brock died peacefully in the early hours of the 30th of December 2024, in hospital in Bristol, aged 86.
The funeral and wake were held on the 31st of January in Bristol and Chew Magna. It was a beautiful send off, with his family and lots of friends plus past colleagues attending to pay their respects.
It was so very important to Richard that his films continue to be watched and shared ... on his legacy be said:
¨My Wildlife Winners and Losers series shows that films can be made – with basic footage filmed on any device – to help get the word out about conservation. “There is still time to save the planet. My Wildlife Winners and Losers series is my contribution. Now it’s your turn. Watch these free films. Choose from these 80+ films of different lengths to inspire you to take action. They’re free to watch and share with as many people as possible. Use the Series to give you ammunition to help save the planet.”
If you´d like to add your own tribute, please email the words (& any photos) to me at: jason@brockinitiative.org
The Guardian ¨Other lives¨ Obituary for Richard Brock
My friend and colleague Richard Brock, who has died aged 86, was a BBC Natural History Unit producer for 35 years, and latterly a guerrilla film-maker trying to make a difference through his own means. He enjoyed sharing his passions about the natural world and our impact on it.
He had a long and successful working relationship with David Attenborough, starting with Eastward with Attenborough (1973). They worked together again on the groundbreaking series Life on Earth (1979), with Richard taking responsibility for the sixth episode and amphibian segment, Invasion of the Land.
He was then given the role of executive producer for the second part of Attenborough’s epic Life trilogy, The Living Planet (1984), surveying the world from an ecological point of view.
Richard’s love for nature started early on. The son of Arthur Brock, a teacher and businessman, and Eileen (nee Scudamore), he was born in Bristol, from where the family soon moved to the edge of Dartmoor. They all loved being in the countryside, but Richard was particularly in his element, collecting and housing creatures all over.
He boarded at Bryanston school in Dorset, where his teachers encouraged his interest in nature, taking him on trips where he studied migrating birds and other wildlife, which further embedded his passions. He went on to study zoology and botany at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he was also a successful squash and hockey player.
After graduation, he wanted to start communicating his passions, so he approached the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol for a job. Jeffery Boswall, a natural history radio producer, gave him his first job, as a general assistant. In 1964, when Boswall moved into television, he took Richard with him, giving him his first film to produce, Masters of Movement, which aired on Peter Scott’s Look series.
Several years later, Attenborough, then BBC director of television programmes, decided to move back into making films. Still in his early 20s, Richard met David in London to discuss producing a series with him travelling around Borneo and south-east Asia, which became Eastward with Attenborough.
A highly successful producer, Richard made many other films at the BBC NHU, including for the Wildlife on One and The World About Us series.
During his time there Richard became increasingly aware of worrying changes in the natural world. He was upset that this was not being reflected in the films they were making. He left the corporation in 2006 and set up Living Planet Productions and the Brock Initiative to produce his own films. He made more than 100 films for his Wildlife Winners and Losers series, and wrote a book called Planet Crunch (2021).
Richard will be greatly missed by the villagers of Chew Magna, in Somerset, where he lived. He made friends all over the world, through film-making and conservation, and inspired numerous young film-makers, whom he called “bright green sparks”.
In 1976 he married Gillie Day; they divorced in 2001. Richard is survived by his sister, Cherry, and his nephews, Julius and William, and niece, Emily.
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From the tiniest insects to the mightiest mountains, there’s no denying that we’re all experiencing a Wild Life here on earth.
We hope you’ll join us March 6-9th for 28 inspiring films that share stories of hope, resilience, and the beings (big and small) making a difference for our planet.
Visit our website now to view the schedule, explore the film guide, watch the trailer, and buy tickets.
Experience these stories as they were meant to be seen—on the big screen (with open captioning) surrounded by a community of passionate and curious individuals.
Engage with filmmakers and hear from special guest speakers, gaining behind-the-scenes insights and expertise.
All conveniently located at the Frank Arts Center on the campus of Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV with FREE and easy parking.
Save money with a full access festival pass for $75, or opt for a day pass for $35.
With Western North Carolina still picking up the damage of Hurricane Helene, wildfires raging in Los Angeles, and a foot of snow falling on New Orleans, we are seeing a climate in crisis. Despite that, the first days of the 2nd Trump administration have seen new executive orders rolling back environmental protections.
This March, we're bringing films and conversations to the Nation's Capital to chart the path forward and inspire lasting action. Our lineup will feature the strongest slate of climate films in our history, exploring a variety of issues and perspectives. Among them is a film that asks the question: how did we get here?
The 2025 Festival schedule is now live and tickets are on sale! In just a few short weeks, the 33rd Annual Environmental Film Festival will kick off, with more than fifty programs (many FREE) taking place at venues throughout Washington, DC from March 20-29. Learn more at dceff.org.
The 2025 Festival schedule is now live and tickets are on sale! In just a few short weeks, the 33rd Annual Environmental Film Festival will kick off, with more than fifty programs (many FREE) taking place at venues throughout Washington, DC from March 20-29. Learn more at: dceff.org
Planeta Microbio available worldwide, now subtitled in English!
The wonderful ¨Planeta Microbio¨ series from member Rubén Duro/Science into Images is now available worldwide on the CaixaForum+ free streaming platform with subtitles in English!
Planeta Microbio (Planet Microbe) gives us the opportunity to discover the importance of microbes both in our daily lives and in the planet we share with them.
Thanks to the use of special imaging techniques, we will be able to see microbes live and observe how they reproduce, feed and move around.
Directed by Rubén Duro and with the help of different scientists, Planeta Microbio is an opportunity to learn more about microbes with an informative and accessible narrative and beautiful images.
The ultimate guide to storing and preserving your garden produce.
Even half-acre plots can grow enough to feed a family of four for an entire year, yet with most produce ready to harvest in the summer and autumn, many gardeners struggle to use all of their fresh fruit and vegetables before it spoils. With proper storage techniques, there's no need for any of your hard work to go to waste, and you can enjoy home-grown goodness all year-round while saving money, lowering your food miles and avoiding the plastic packaging of a typical supermarket shop.
Jam-packed with creative storage techniques and 92 delicious recipes, How to Store Your Garden Produce is beautifully organised to showcase the best ways to preserve your produce, including dehydrating, freezing, fermenting and pickling.
Illustrated with aspirational photographs throughout, this book features a useful A–Z of garden produce, with each entry detailing up-to-date recommended varieties, improved storage methods and vegan alternatives in recipes to make the most of your harvests.
From strawberry wine and peach chutney to mushroom ketchup and celeriac soup, learn simple and enjoyable techniques for preserving your produce with this handy guide.
"An essential read for anyone who is serious about consuming home-grown produce. I heartily recommend it." – Ian Mowll, Green Spirit
Third Edition Published – 13th February 2025
BBC buys in NHU's The Americas
The BBC has acquired The Americas, an epic ten-part special event nature series narrated by Tom Hanks with music by Oscar winner Hans Zimmer, for BBC One and iPlayer from NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution..
Produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, The Americas showcases the wonders, secrets, and fragilities of the supercontinent, using cutting-edge technology to uncover never-before-seen behaviour, and highlight the extraordinary, untold wildlife stories that will deeply connect with millions around the world.
Five years in the making, and filmed over 180 expeditions, this groundbreaking series reveals the spectacular landscape of Earth’s most varied habitats and the only landmass to stretch between both poles. The Americas’ unprecedented scale and ambition delivers remarkable world firsts; new species, new intimate courtship, dramatic deep-sea hunting and some of nature’s strangest stories – even a frog that seems to defy death every day! Each episode features a different iconic location across the Americas: The Atlantic Coast, Mexico, Wild West, The Amazon, The Frozen North, The Gulf Coast, The Andes, The Caribbean, The West Coast and Patagonia.
BBC Natural History Boss Exiting To Take Up New Role At NHU
The BBC‘s natural history chief is swapping commissioning for program-making by taking up a newly-created role at the fabled BBC Studios Natural History Unit (NHU).
Sreya Biswas, whose credits include Planet Earth III, Asia and Kingdom, will become NHU Director of Programmes over the summer. She will continue to deliver BBC projects for the next few months and details on her replacement will come in due course.
Reporting into NHU head Jonny Keeling and working closely with vet Creative Director Mike Gunton, she will be tasked with delivering commissioned titles from the NHU slate and developing a portfolio of new shows for the BBC and beyond.
Biswas will join after a three-year stint as Head of Commissioning for Natural History at the BBC, during which time she has worked across blue-chips including Planet Earth III and Blue Planet III, along with lighter-touch fare like Big Cats 24/7 and Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles.
She recently chatted with Deadline about drawing inspiration from blockbuster movies and AI for the next generation of natural history shows. She has also been honest of late about market saturation in natural history and the need to innovate in order to get shows commissioned.
Natural history outfit to close up to 34 creative positions following
similar round of layoffs last year
BBC Studios Natural History Unit (NHU) is to close another 10% of
creative roles, in a second round of cuts in less than a year, Broadcast
has learned.
Up to 34 roles of the unit’s 350 permanent staff are set to close, with
those affected including producer-directors, production managers,
junior production managers, production coordinators, development
producers, assistant producers and digital producers.
The NHU, which is behind landmark shows including Prehistoric
Planet (Apple TV+) and Mammals (BBC1), closed between 25 and 31
creative posts (7% of roles) in March amid a global slowdown in
natural history commissioning over the past two years.
BBCS has said the latest closures are for the same reason, citing high
downtime costs between productions.
A BBCS spokesperson said: “Further to the role closures we announced last year in response to the contraction in the global natural history market, we are regrettably proposing further reductions to our production workforce to address increasing downtime costs.
“Colleagues have now entered a consultation period. The NHU will continue to be the world’s largest employer of natural history programme-makers, despite these proposed changes.”
Joanna Page (of Gavin & Stacey fame) follows her lifelong dream to become a wildlife rescue volunteer. Among the adorable animals, can she master the three Rs - rescue, rehab and release?
Actor Joanna Page has a passion for animals but doesn’t know how to look after the wildlife around her, so she is volunteering at her local wildlife rescue centre.
She starts her training with a test in the fox cub pen, feeding a baby badger and helping with a soft release of some fox cubs. But her biggest test is not being able to cuddle the animals for fear of them imprinting on her.
The House Of Fish wins VMI´s Sustainable Film Competition
The House of Fish: Winning the 2024 Sustainable Film Competition
We are thrilled to announce the winner of the 2024 Sustainable Film Competition, organized by VMI and Sustainable Film: The House of Fish, directed and produced by the talented Santiago Burin des Roziers.
The film captivated the judges, earning an overwhelming 5 out of 7 first-place votes. They were particularly impressed by the film’s ambitious scope, the depth of its environmental message, and the fact that it’s being shot exclusively in the stunning location of Talamone, Italy.
As the winner of the competition, Santiago will receive up to four weeks of rental for a comprehensive camera and grip equipment package, along with the calculation of the production’s carbon footprint (via Albert or GPG), as well as a tailored sustainable production methodology and carbon reduction strategy.
A Bold Conservation Documentary
At its heart, The House of Fish is a deeply personal and environmental documentary that follows the efforts of Paolo Fanciuli—known as “Paolo the Fisherman”—in his battle against the destructive practice of bottom trawling. This illegal form of fishing uses heavy, weighted nets dragged across the ocean floor, indiscriminately killing marine life and destroying precious ecosystems.
Paolo’s response is revolutionary: he has set out to build an underwater museum. By placing large blocks of marble on the seabed, he’s creating artificial reefs that block trawlers from damaging the ocean floor. These aren’t ordinary blocks; they are intricately sculpted works of art, sending a powerful message about conservation.
This documentary will highlight Paolo’s ongoing struggle and showcase the urgent need to protect the ocean’s delicate ecosystems, especially the endangered Posidonia Oceanica, a seagrass vital for maintaining marine biodiversity and combating climate change.
UKTV has commissioned new adventure documentary series, Cape Carnage: Killer Catch (10×60’), for U&Dave and streaming service, U. The ten-part series is produced by Sydney-based McAvoy Media.
Cape Carnage: Killer Catch follows the Davey family, led by Captain Bruce, his wife, Juanita, and son Tiger, as they make their living in one of the most dangerous ways possible – hand line fishing in the treacherous waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria, also infamously known as Cape Carnage, off the northern coast of Australia.
The Gulf of Carpentaria is bustling with life; crocodile, tuna, and the apex predator – shark. From July to October, fishermen from all over Australia gather here to hunt for one fish in particular – the lucrative Spanish mackerel, and with some of the most sought-after flesh in the world, these are a million dollar catch worth fighting for.
BBC Factual has released three first look pictures from the forthcoming BBC One and iPlayer series Walking With Dinosaurs, due to air later this year.
More than 25 years after its first outing, the iconic Walking With Dinosaurs is returning in a major new BBC Studios production for the BBC and PBS, co-produced with ZDF and France Télévisions.
This new six-part series will “take viewers on a unique journey back through time, revealing the incredible life stories of these long-lost giants.”
Each episode of Walking With Dinosaurs tells the story of an individual dinosaur whose remains are currently being unearthed by dinosaur hunters. Experts can work out how these prehistoric creatures lived, hunted, fought and died more accurately than ever before.
As the dinosaurs’ bones emerge from the ground, the series brings the prehistoric stories to life with vfx - ¨making each episode a gripping dinosaur drama based on the very latest evidence.¨
This is the VFX breakdown for MPC’s work on Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King directed by Barry Jenkins.
Led by Production VFX Supervisor Adam Valdez, Animation Supervisor Daniel Fotheringham, VFX Producer Barry St. John, MPC VFX Supervisor Audrey Ferrara, and VFX Producer Georgie Duncan, a team of over 1,700 artists, technologists, and production crew spread across 4 continents collaborated to create a breathtaking visual journey. From the stunning expanses of the African savannah to the meticulously crafted animation of its animal characters, every frame of the film reflects MPC’s pursuit of authenticity and beauty.
The film’s production pushed innovation, leveraging tools and techniques, including Virtual Production and Motion Capture during pre-production. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the team collaborated remotely across London, New York, and Los Angeles, using Virtual Reality to navigate digital environments. For many of the movie’s sequences the movements of Motion Capture performers were mapped onto digital animals, and using Unreal Engine, director Barry Jenkins viewed real-time animated feeds, enabling him to direct performances live.
At the heart of the film’s groundbreaking visual effects, is MPC’s acclaimed Character Lab team, who meticulously crafted over 118 photorealistic unique animals. Each was built from the ground up, starting with anatomically precise bone and muscle structure. MPC’s proprietary grooming system, Loma, was instrumental in creating lifelike fur with an unprecedented number of hairs that could react naturally to environmental elements like snow, wind and water. Meanwhile, MPC’s Animators elevated the expressiveness and nuance of the characters, delivering performances rich in emotional depth and authenticity.
MPC’s Environment artists redefined world-building, crafting expansive African landscapes through scouting trips, photogrammetry, and hand-sculpting. They meticulously designed plains, canyons, and forests, capturing every detail from weathered rocks to blades of grass. To manage the vast scale, they developed innovative tools, ensuring the landscapes became as integral to the story as the characters. The result is a 107 square-mile digital world, rendered with photorealistic detail, immersing audiences in stunning African vistas that bring the story to life.
The Matsalu Nature Film Festival is open for entries!
The call for entries for the 23rd MAFF - Matsalu Nature Film Festival is open!
We're seeking your new creative documentaries.
Have you created a film that celebrates the wonders of the natural world or explores the relationship between humans and nature? We want to see it!
Submission Categories:
- Nature: Wildlife, ecosystems, and the beauty of the natural world.
- Man and Nature: Exploring the relationship between humans and nature, including conservation, climate change, sustainability, and environmental issues.
The submission deadline is May 1st.
We can't wait to see what you've been working on, and we hope to see you at this year's festival!
This years festival is from 24th September - 5th October 2025 - Visit: matsalufilm.ee/en
Wildscreen: Science in Storytelling 2025
Join us on March 24th at the Bristol Beacon, or online, for another day of networking, panel discussions, Q&As and collaboration, hosted by Wildlife Biologist and Science, Natural History and Environmental Broadcaster, Liz Bonnin!
By putting science in the spotlight, we’re once again highlighting the importance of nurturing relationships between those with knowledge, and those that want to share it. We want to platform successful case studies of scientists and filmmakers coming together to communicate science effectively and creatively.
After last year’s hugely successful premiere event hosting over 150 filmmakers, conservationists, scientists and communicators, 100% of surveyed attendees said they would return to a future Science in Storytelling event, online and in person.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of this year’s symbiosis of minds to learn, collaborate and share how best to keep science at the heart of our natural world stories!
CALL FOR ENTRIES – Wildscreen Panda Awards 2025!!!
You read that right, the Wildscreen Panda Awards are now annual!
We’re thrilled to announce that submissions for the 2025 Panda Awards are now open, with this year’s competition comprising of 17 categories and 3 special awards including the Golden Panda and 3 new awards for 2025.
Brand new for 2025, we’re proud to introduce:
Short Panda Award: for productions less than 20 minutes in length. The award has been introduced to reflect the importance of connecting with younger audiences and the growth of digital and the creator economy within the genre.
Independent Film Panda Award: recognising productions that have had less input from major production studios and have a budget under £1.5 million. It also builds on growing success of Wildscreen’s Official Selection Programme, showcasing authentic storytellers and original independent stories from around the world.
In-Country Production Panda Award: recognising productions made on location in-country with at least 50 percent of the production team being in-country nationals.
So what are you waiting for?
Submitting your film for consideration has never been simpler, now accepting submissions exclusively through FilmFreeway, our Earlybird submission discount window closes February 25th 2025!
Before submitting your work, please review our competition Rules & Guidelines.
Submission Deadlines
January 23rd – Earlybird Window Opens
February 25th – Regular Window Opens & Earlybird Window Shuts
April 17th – Late Window Opens & Regular Window Shuts
May 13th – Final deadline for entries
Check out our website for more information or submit your film now on FilmFreeway.
Africa Refocused: NEWF & Nat Geo Society’s Storytelling Program Invest in Africa’s Own Stories
Last year, Peter Hamilton caught up with Noel Kok, the co-executive director of NEWF, Africa’s Nature, Environment & Wildlife Filmmakers Congress.
In the webinar, Noel described how NEWF moved at full speed into training and mentoring filmmakers from all over Africa from its Durban base and brand new facility nearby in KwaZulu Province.
National Geographic Society‘s Storytelling Program is NEWF’s key funder.
In 2025, NEWF and Nat Geo launched AFRICA REFOCUSED to tell the continent’s rich bounty of stories from an African perspective.
¨It’s a special personal thrill that Documentary Business is engaged with NEWF on a full year package to provide content and promotion for Africa Refocused.
Why personal?
I was there at the beginning with Noel at World Congress Hong Kong (2014) when he proposed on the back of an envelope how NEWF would fill a clear need in Africa’s documentary landscape.
Noel and executive director Pragna Partsotam-Kok kept in touch with me as they figured out their strategy and proceeded to realize their dream.
Watch out for my upcoming coverage of Africa’s documentary stories.
In the meantime, don’t miss my 2024 webinar as Noel recaps the NEWF story and lays out his and Pragna’s ambitious plans¨
A&E orders “Duck Dynasty” reboot for summer premiere
A&E is bringing back the most-watched non-fiction series in American cable history with the new series Duck Dynasty: The Revival, which is slated to premiere on the network this summer.
Wheelhouse’s Spoke Studios and Tread Lively Productions are prepping a two-season order of the new series, totaling 20 one-hour episodes. A second window on a major streaming service will follow the conclusion of each season, with details on the streamer to be announced.
The revised series will follow Willie and Korie Robertson (pictured) and their growing family of adult children and grandchildren living on the family homestead in Louisiana. With their dynasty expanding into more than just ducks, the couple will bring what the network calls “their signature humor and family fun” as they grapple with mapping out the future of Duck Commander, watching their kids navigate marriage, children and businesses of their own, and passing down the family legacy.
The original Duck Dynasty ran for 11 seasons on A&E before the Robertsons decided to end the series to focus on other ventures in 2017. The series was also embroiled in controversy in its latter end of its run, with the original prodco, Gurney Productions, ensnared in a legal tussle with parent company ITV Studios, which was settled in 2019.
Protect The Wild founder Rob Pownall says ¨This is one of those videos I wish I didn’t have to make, but here we are...¨
¨You may have noticed that in recent months, both Chris Packham and Brian May have stepped down from their roles at the RSPCA.
But why?
That’s exactly what I’ll be discussing in today’s video. I’ll share an honest look at what’s going wrong within the RSPCA and why they need to do so much more for animals.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please share your feedback in the comments—I’m genuinely interested in what you have to say.¨
Also, Animal Rising and Animal Justice Project have done tremendous work with their RSPCA campaign - learn more about their work here: animalrising.org & animaljusticeproject.com
Debunking Big Meat's 2024 Lies: 4 Disinformation Tactics Exposed
Climate science continues to point out the harmful impacts of animal agriculture, forcing the meat industry to step up this year to remain relevant.
How did they do it?
Sentient’s Features and Disinformation Correspondent Jessica Scott-Reid looks back at Big Meat’s manipulative messaging:
Viva! Reaching 46 MILLION People Through TV Adverts!!
Over the past three years, this Viva! TV advert has reached an incredible 46 MILLION people! That’s a huge number of seeds planted in the heart of the nation.
Viva! say ¨This success wouldn’t have been possible without your support. A massive thank you to everyone who contributed to our TV advert fundraisers over the years – you’re the reason we’ve been able to make such a big impact!¨
Seeing where you all are... 225 countries and territories since added! :)
Disclaimer: Wildlife Film News publishes information and opinions as a service to its readers.
The producer does not recommend or endorse any particular method, institution, product, treatment, or theory.
Opinions expressed in Wildlife Film News are not necessarily those of the producer.