JHWFF 2017 Finalists Announced!
From Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival
8th August 2017

Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival Recognises the Best Wildlife and Nature Media for 2017.

The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival has announced the 2017 finalists for its 15th biennial film competition, an event that is considered to be the “Oscars of nature filmmaking.”

Winners will be revealed at the Grand Teton Awards Gala in Jackson, Wyo. on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017. The awards are just one part of the six-day industry conference hosted at the Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park from September 24-29. Those attending include innovative filmmakers, organizations, scientists, journalists and visionaries from across the globe; all engaged in conservation, nature, wildlife and media.

“My biggest takeaway this year, is how many deeply personal stories are being told,” said Lisa Samford, Executive Director of Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. “It speaks to the true power of the genre and importance of telling these stories.”

This year’s submissions in the prestigious competition include nearly 1,000 category entries - a record number - competing for 25 awards. Finalists were selected by more than 150 international judges who viewed 3,500 hours of media. A distinguished panel of international judges immediately preceding the Festival will select the 2017 award winners.

See below for a full list of finalists:

Congratulations to the 2017 Finalists!

CONTENT CATEGORIES:

Animal Behavior
Sponsored by World Wildlife Fund

Planet Earth II: Islands
BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions

Planet Earth II: Mountains
BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions

Rise of the Warrior Apes
KEO Films for Discovery Networks International

The Hunt: The Hardest Challenge
A Silverback Films production, made in partnership with The Open University, for BBC, co-produced with BBC Worldwide, BBC America, CCTV9 and NDR Naturfilm

Ecosystem

Antarctica in the Footsteps of the Emperor
Paprika Films and Wildtouch

Paris: A Wild Story
Boréales, Winds, Terra Mater Factual Studios

Sea of Hope: America’s Underwater Treasures
True Blue Films for National Geographic Channels

Conservation
Sponsored by HHMI | Tangled Bank Studios

Jaguars: Brazil’s Super Cats
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Nat Geo Wild

The Hunt: Living with Predators
A Silverback Films production, made in partnership with The Open University, for BBC, co-produced with BBC Worldwide, BBC America, CCTV9 and NDR Naturfilm

Tribe Versus Pride
Terra Mater Factual Studios and Wildlife Films

Yasuni Man
Pollywog Productions

People & Nature
Sponsored by The Nature Conservancy

Ghost of the Mountains
Brian Leith Productions with Disneynature Productions and Chuan Films

NOVA: Great Human Odyssey
NOVA, Clearwater Documentary Inc., CBC, Lawrence Klein Productions LLC for WGBH-Boston

Into the Amazon
An Ark Media and John Maggio Productions Film for American Experience, WGBH-Boston

Ranger and Leopard
Wildlife Pictures Institute for Jam-e Jam TV Network

Changing Planet
Sponsored by Sponsored by North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

BEARTREK
Wildlife Media

Before the Flood
National Geographic, RatPac Documentary Films, Insurgent Docs, Diamond Docs

Death by a Thousand Cuts
Participant and Documentales Univision present a Tarasios Production in association with Human Pictures

Mosquito
Yap Films for Discovery Channel

Science in Nature
Sponsored by Marco Polo Films

David Attenborough’s Light on Earth
Terra Mater Factual Studios, Ammonite Film Productions, Curiosity Stream, BBC, UKTV, ABC Australia

Rise of the Warrior Apes
KEO Films for Discovery Networks International

Sonic Sea
Discovery Channel presents a film by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Imaginary Forces in association with the International Fund for Animal Welfare and Diamond Docs

Spy in the Wild: Love
John Downer Productions for BBC, PBS and THIRTEEN Productions LLC

Impact
Sponsored by International Fund for Animal Welfare

Chasing Coral
A Netflix Documentary, Exposure Labs

Huntwatch
Produced by IFAW for Discovery

The Ivory Game
A Netflix Documentary, Terra Mater Film Studios and Vulcan Productions in association with Malaika Pictures in association with Appian Way

PROGRAM CATEGORIES:

Educational/Institutional
Sponsored by Terra Mater Factual Studios

Pavel: I Protect Tigers
WWF-UK

Sixteen Legs
Bookend Enterprises Pty. Ltd.

The Last Pig
Piggy Films, LLC - Argo Films

Toad People
Wilderness Committee

Limited Series - Long
Sponsored by ORF Universum

Ocean Warriors
A co-production between Animal Planet, Sundance Productions, Brick City TV and Vulcan Productions

Planet Earth II
BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions

Savage Kingdom
Icon Films, Natural History Film Unit Botswana for Nat Geo Wild

The Hunt
A Silverback Films production, made in partnership with The Open University, for BBC, co-produced with BBC Worldwide, BBC America, CCTV9 and NDR Naturfilm

Limited Series - Short
Sponsored by ARRI

Animated Life
Sweet Fern Productions in association with Howard Hughes Medical Institute Biointeractive, and The New York Times Op-Docs

Deep Look
KQED, PBS Digital Studios

Lens of Time
Spine Films, California Academy of Sciences, bioGraphic

Shelf Life
American Museum of Natural History

Engaging Youth

Meet the Real Wolf
Grizzly Creek Films, Rocky Mountain Wolf Project

My Haggan Dream
Sisbro Studios, Open Boat Films

Water from the Mountain (Agua de El Yunque)
Freshwaters Illustrated

Wild Kratts: Spirit Bear
Kratt Brothers Company Ltd., 9 Story Media Group Inc.

Host/Presenter-Led

David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef: Builders
Atlantic Productions, BBC, Smithsonian Channel, ABC Australia, eOne

David Attenborough’s Light on Earth
Terra Mater Factual Studios, Ammonite Film Productions, Curiosity Stream, BBC, UKTV, ABC Australia

Tales by Light: Sacred Nature
Untitled Film Works

Wild Ireland, Edge of the World
A Crossing the Line Film in association with ORF, PBS, BBC, France TV, NDR and Media

Short

Big World in a Small Garden
Ammonite Films for CuriosityStream
Edited by Pinky Robinson

Pangolin
Coral & Oak Studios

Shark - A 4-D Experience®
BBC Earth, BBC Natural History Unit and SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment

Why the Lion Calls
Panthera, Nick Hall Productions, Lion Guardians

Micro-Movie

Explore your Backyard
Wilderness Archipelago Films, Arise Media

I am Ranger
Black Bean Productions, United for Wildlife, Ol Pejeta Conservancy

The Chorus of Colorado
Grizzly Creek Films, Rocky Mountain Wolf Project

Theatrical

From the Ashes
Radical Media, Bloomberg Philanthropies for National Geographic

The Ivory Game
A Netflix Documentary, Terra Mater Film Studios and Vulcan Productions in association with Malaika Pictures in association with Appian Way

Wild Africa
BBC Earth Productions, Reliance Entertainment, IM Global, Evergreen Studios

Student & Emerging Filmmaker
Sponsored by Disneynature

Between Two Lichens
Andy Johnson, Talia Yuki Moore, Chris A. Johns and Kate Furby

The Healing Lizard
Fernanda Prudencio, University of the West of England

Wild Expectations
Equilibrio films LLC, Nedo Producciones Ltda.

Interactive

David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef: An Interactive Journey
Atlantic Productions

Deforestation in the Amazon
Council on Foreign Relations, Shapeshifter, Inc.

Oculus Cat Flight
BBC Earth Productions

360 Storytellling

360 Climbing Giants
Black Dot Films VR, National Geographic Partners

Carnivorous Glow Worms
Black Dot Films VR, National Geographic Partners

David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive VR
Alchemy VR, Atlantic Productions

Fossil Hunting in the Gobi
American Museum of Natural History

Valen’s Reef
Here Be Dragons and Finch for Conservation International

CRAFT CATEGORIES

Audioscape
Sponsored by Dolby

Amazon Adventure
SK Films, Picture Projects, Aventuras Produções

Born in China
Disneynature, Brian Leith Productions, Chuan Films

Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart: Summer - The Greatest Race
Maramedia LTD for BBC Scotland and ITV studios global entertainment

Planet Earth II: Jungles
BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions.

Visualization
Sponsored by Fujinon Lenses

Brothers of the Wind
Terra Mater Film Studios
Oscar Duran and Otmar Penker, Cinematography

Planet Earth II: Cities
BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions.

Wild Tales from the Village
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, France Télévisions and BBC worldwide
Jonathan Jones, Cinematography

Editing

The Hunt: Hide and Seek
A Silverback Films production, made in partnership with The Open University, for BBC, co-produced with BBC Worldwide, BBC America, CCTV9 and NDR Naturfilm
Nigel Buck, Editor

The Ivory Game
A Netflix Documentary, Terra Mater Film Studios and Vulcan Productions in association with Malaika Pictures in association with Appian Way
Verena Schoenauer, Editor

Wild Tales from the Village
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, France Télévisions and BBC worldwide
James Taggart, Editor

Original Music Score

Amazon Adventure
SK Films, Picture Projects, Aventuras Produções
Antonio Pinto, Composer

Planet Earth II: Grasslands
BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions
Jacob Shea and Jasha Klebe, Composers

Planet Earth II: Mountains
BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions
Main Title: Hans Zimmer Original Music: Jacob Shea and Jasha Klebe (for Bleeding Fingers Music)

Highlands - Scotland’s Wild Heart: Spring - Season of Extremes
Maramedia ltd for BBC Scotland and ITV Studios Global Entertainment.
Simon Ashdown and Donald Shaw, Composers

Writing
Sponsored by NHK

Paris: A Wild Story
Boréales, Winds, Terra Mater Factual Studios
Frédéric Fougea and Guillaume Poyet, Writers

Rats
Discovery presents RATS produced by Warrior Poets, Dakota Films Ltd., Submarine Entertainment
Morgan Spurlock and Jeremy Chilnick, Writers

Soul of the Elephant
Wildlife Films, Thirteen Productions LLC,Terra Mater Factual Studios
Dereck Joubert, Writer

The Ivory Game
A Netflix Documentary, Terra Mater Film Studios and Vulcan Productions in association with Malaika Pictures in association with Appian Way
Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson, Writers

Best Audioscape
Sposored by Dolby

Amazon Adventure
SK Films, Picture Projects, Aventuras Produções Picture

Born in China
Disneynature, Brian Leith Productions, Chuan Films Picture

Highlands - Scotland's Wild Heart: Summer - The Greatest Race
Maramedia LTD for BBC Scotland and ITV studios global entertainment

Planet Earth II: Jungles
BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions.

Special Jury

Bird of Prey
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

One Hundred Days of Solitude
Wanda Films

Tale of a Lake
MRP Matila Röhr Productions

The Last Animals
Atlas Films, for Foxtail Entertainment, The British Film Company, Diamond Docs

To Skin a Cat
Scholars & Gentlemen for Panthera

Wildlife-film.com congratulates all of the finalsists, especially those of our members that have made the list (in bold above). It's likely other members have worked on some of these productions... Let us know if you have!

The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival and gala takes place during a week of critical importance in the industry: the Festival, The Cat Summit and the Conservation Summit. The events of the JHWFF attract a world-class audience and participation from key influencers in the conservation community. Again this year, a series of community screenings in Jackson are planned.

For more information, tickets, sponsorship, or conference attendance, please call +1 307-733-7016 or visit www.jhfestival.org.

Visit/Like facebook.com/jhwff & follow twitter/jacksonholewild & instagram.com/jacksonholewild

Recognized as the premier event of its genre, the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival is an unparalleled biennial industry gathering. Hosted biennially in Grand Teton National Park, over 750 international delegates participate in an exceptional slate of leading-edge equipment presentations, seminars and state-of-the-art screenings.

The Festival’s international board members include: Animal Planet, BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Discovery Channel, Disneynature, FujiFilm Optical Devices/Fujinon Lenses, Gorongosa Foundation, HHMI/Tangled Bank Studios, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Nat Geo WILD, National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy, Nature, Thirteen/WNET, Off the Fence Productions, PBS, Sony Electronics, Terra Mater Factual Studios/Cinemater, The Science Channel, Swedish Television, UNIVERSUM/ORF, VER, Vulcan Productions, WGBH, and World Wildlife Fund.