Congratulations to this incredible lineup of finalists! This year's submissions included over 1,000 category entries - a record number - competing for more than 30 awards. We are deeply grateful to our more than 250 international preliminary judges who together reviewed over 5,000 hours of media.
Stay tuned —Audioscape finalists and Special Consideration nominees will be announced mid-August.

Jackson Wild has announced the 2019 finalists for its 16th biennial film competition, the Jackson Wild Media Awards, an event that is considered to be the “Oscars?TM? of nature filmmaking” around the globe.
Winners will be announced at the Grand Teton Awards Gala Celebration in Jackson, Wyo. on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019. The awards are just one part of the seven-day Jackson Wild Summit hosted at the Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park from September 21-27. Those attending include 850+ innovative filmmakers, conservationists, photographers, scientists, journalists and visionaries from across the globe; all engaged in conservation, nature, wildlife and media.
“The judges selected an incredible slate of inspired finalists this year," said Lisa Samford, Executive Director of Jackson Wild. "With powerful messaging and stunning imaging, these richly woven stories from around the world are high impact and purpose-driven."
This year’s submissions in the prestigious competition include over 1,000 category entries from over 30 countries competing for more than 30 awards. Finalists were selected by more than 250 international judges who together reviewed over 5,000 hours of media. A distinguished panel of international judges will select the 2019 award winners immediately preceding the Jackson Wild Summit. Audioscape finalists and Special Consideration nominees will be announced later this month.
See below for a full list of finalists:

Congratulations to the 2019 Finalists!
Best Animal Behavior Film - Long Form
Awarded to the program that most effectively explores animal behavior in a new, fresh, imaginative or authoritative way.
Sponsored by Disneynature
Blue Planet II: One Ocean
BBC Studios Natural History Unit
Dynasties: Painted Wolves
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, BBC America, Tencent, France Télévisions, CCTV9
Our Planet: Jungles
?
A Silverback Films Production for Netflix
Best Animal Behavior Film - Short Form
Awarded to the program that most effectively explores animal behavior in a new, fresh, imaginative or authoritative way.
The Great Pretender
A film by Nardine Groch, Produced as part of the UWE Masters of Wildlife Filmmaking course.
Unraveling the Monarch Butterfly Migration Mystery | It's Okay to be Smart
PBS Digital Studios, Spotzen
Whales and SETI
A Rebel Media Productions film, made in partnership with Long Story Short Media, in association with The Templeton World Charity Foundation.
Best Ecosystem Film
Awarded to the program that most effectively explores a unique habitat and its wildlife.
Sponsored by Terra Mater
Backyard Wilderness
Archipelago Films, Arise Media, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, SK Films and Reconsider
Kingdoms of the Sky: Himalaya
PBS, BBC Earth
Mighty Rivers: The Ganges
Icon Films for Animal Planet
Our Planet: High Seas
A Silverback Films Production for Netflix
Best Earth & Sky Film
Awarded to the film that best explores the science of planet earth and the cosmos beyond. Relevant disciplines include Geology, Paleontology, Oceanography, Astronomy and Meteorology.
Sponsored by: WGBH
Above and Beyond: NASA's Journey To Tomorrow
Discovery presents a Moxie Firecracker Films Production
Living Universe: The Explorers
Essential Media Entertainment, ZED, CuriosityStream, ARTE France
Space's Deepest Secrets: Cassini's Grand Finale
BBC Worldwide and Science Channel
Best Conservation Film - Long Form
Awarded to the program that most effectively contributes to an awareness of timely and relevant conservation issues and/or solutions.
Sponsored by International Fund for Animal Welfare
Blue Planet II: Our Blue Planet
BBC Studios Natural History Unit
Kifaru
Vs. Goliath
Visual, Ragtag Tribe Films
Sea of Shadows
Terra Mater Factual Studios in association with Appian Way, Malaika Pictures, The Wild Lens Collective for National Geographic Documentary Films
Best Conservation Film - Short Form
Awarded to the program that most effectively contributes to an awareness of timely and relevant conservation issues and/or solutions.
From Asia to Antarctica
Eco-Business
Nigerians fight to protect the world's most trafficked mammal
Katie Schuler, Mike Olcott, Dan Steinmetz, National Geographic Partners
Sides of a Horn
Whirlow Park Pictures, Broad River Productions, YKMD Productions, The Televisionaries, Frame 48
Best People & Nature Film - Long Form
Awarded to the program that most effectively explores the interdependent relationship between humans and animals or the environment. ??
?Sponsored by: The Nature Conservancy
Sea of Shadows
Terra Mater Factual Studios in association with Appian Way, Malaika Pictures, The Wild Lens Collective for National Geographic Documentary Films
The Biggest Little Farm
NEON and LD Entertainment present a FarmLore Films production in association with Diamond Docs and Impact Partners & Artemis Rising
The Serengeti Rules
Passion Planet/HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
Best People & Nature Film - Short Form
Awarded to the program that most effectively explores the interdependent relationship between humans and animals or the environment. ??
Last Wild Places: Gorongosa
National Geographic Society
Nigerians fight to protect the world's most trafficked mammal
Katie Schuler, Mike Olcott, Dan Steinmetz, National Geographic Partners
Where Life Begins
Katie Schuler, Coral & Oak Studios, The Wilderness Society
Best Changing Planet Film - Long Form
Awarded for the best examination of our changing planet, including human impact, the environment, sustainability and climate change.
Sponsored by Love Nature
Picture
Our Planet: Frozen Worlds
A Silverback Films Production for Netflix
The Human Element
Earth Vision Film
The Serengeti Rules
Passion Planet/HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
Best Changing Planet Film - Short Form
Awarded for the best examination of our changing planet, including human impact, the environment, sustainability and climate change.
Cowboys & Scientists
Grizzly Creek Films, Archbold Biological Station
How to Save Our Planet
Silverback Films, Netflix, WWF UK
The Last Green Thread
Grizzly Creek Films, Danny Schmidt Films
Best Science in Nature Film - Long Form
Awarded to the program that most effectively incorporates science, the scientific method and scientific discovery into an understanding of some aspect of the natural world. ?
Sponsored by Marco Polo Film AG
700 SHARKS
ARTE France, Le cinquième rêve, Andromède Océanologie, Les gens bien productions, Filmin'Tahiti, CNRS Images, with the participation of FranceTélévisions, National Geographic Wild, Ushuaia TV, Ici Explora, ARTE Distribution, Le CNC, La Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, La Polynésie française.
Laws of the Lizard
Day's Edge Productions for Smithsonian Network
The Kingdom: How Fungi Made Our World
Smith & Nasht, Real to Reel Productions In association with CuriosityStream, The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, ZDF/ARTE, SVT Sweden
The Serengeti Rules
Passion Planet/HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
Best Science in Nature Film - Short Form
Awarded to the program that most effectively incorporates science, the scientific method and scientific discovery into an understanding of some aspect of the natural world. ?
Second Genesis
HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Market Road Films for PBS
Sounds of Survival
Katie Garrett and bioGraphic
The Anomalies: Venom Race
Day's Edge Productions for bioGraphic
The Lizard's Tale: Anoles
In The City
Day's Edge Productions for Smithsonian Network
Best Impact Film - Long Form
Awarded to the film that most effectively celebrates the impact of individuals, groups, organizations or movements committed to the protection, awareness or understanding of a species, ecosystem or some other aspect of the natural world.
Sponsored by ORF
Kifaru
Vs. Goliath
Visual, Ragtag Tribe Films
Picture
Ghost Fleet
Vulcan Productions, Seahorse Productions
STROOP - journey into the rhino horn wars
SDBFilms
The Serengeti Rules
Passion Planet/HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
Best Impact Film - Short Form
Awarded to the film that most effectively celebrates the impact of individuals, groups, organizations or movements committed to the protection, awareness or understanding of a species, ecosystem or some other aspect of the natural world.
Anointed
Mainspring Media, PREL
Blood Island
Lindsey Parietti in association with the University of the West of England
Last Wild Places: Gorongosa
National Geographic Society
Saving Grayling
Pioneer Studios, USFW, NFWF
Best Educational/Institutional Film
Awarded to the non-broadcast or commercially distributed program that most successfully educates its audience on some aspect of the natural world. This includes projects created by government agencies, NGOs, universities and other institutions.
Sponsored by: PBS
Hidden Rivers of Southern Appalachia
Freshwaters Illustrated
M6NTHS
Eline Helena Film in association with the University of the West of England
The Disappeared
Artists in Motion Ltd, Sound Off Films
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
Elisabeth Tova Bailey
Best Limited Series Film - Long Form
Awarded to the mini-series with episodes longer than 20 minutes in length, that most effectively advances a natural history theme.
Sponsored by: RED Digital Cinema
Blue Planet II
BBC Studios Natural History Unit
Okavango - River of Dreams
A TERRA MATER FACTUAL STUDIOS / WILDLIFE FILMS production in co-production with THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC, DOCLIGHTS/NDR NATURFILM in association with PBS, CPB, ARTE FRANCE / Unité Découverte et Connaissance and SVT
Our Planet
A Silverback Films Production for Netflix
Best Limited Series Film - Short Form
Awarded to the mini-series with episodes shorter than 20 minutes in length, that most effectively advances a natural history theme.
Sponsored by: ARRI
Deep Look
KQED, PBS Digital Studios
How to Save Our Planet
Silverback Films, Netflix, WWF UK
Wild_Life: Resurrection Island
The Front and Bertie Gregory for National Geographic
Best Engaging Youth Film
Awarded to the program that most effectively inspires an appreciation of the natural world, or issues associated with animals and the environment to young people 6-12 years of age.
Sponsored by: Discovery
Backyard Wilderness
Archipelago Films, Arise Media, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, SK Films and Reconsider
Great Bear Rainforest
Spirit Bear Entertainment
Superpower Dogs
IMAX & Cosmic
Best Host/Presenter Led Film
Awarded to the program that makes the most effective use of a host or presenter in communicating an appreciation and understanding of the natural world.
Sponsored by: Vulcan Productions
Judi Dench: My Passion for Trees
Atlantic Productions, Host: Judi Dench
Mighty Rivers: The Ganges
Icon Films for Animal Planet, Host: Jeremy Wade
STROOP - journey into the rhino horn war
SDBFilms, Host: Bonné de Bod
Wild_Life : Resurrection Island
The Front for National Geographic, Host: Bertie Gregory
Best Micro-Movie Film
Awarded to the most effective and compelling project under five minutes in length (including PSAs, music videos, and campaigns), that best advances an appreciation or understanding of the natural world.
Sponsored by: Seeker
Expand the Field
National Geographic Society
Finding Captain Nemo
Popular Science
March of the Newts
Freshwaters Illustrated
Not A Pet
Triangle Monday, The Big Sky
What is Biodiversity?
Silverback Films, Netflix, WWF UK
Best Theatrical Film
Awarded to the program created for commercial distribution that best advances an appreciation or understanding of the natural world. This category includes programs distributed in theaters, BluRay/DVD or streamed via the internet.
Sponsored by: Off the Fence
Picture
Free Solo
National Geographic Documentary Films Presents A Little Monster Films Production, an Itinerant Media Production and a Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation Production
Human Nature
Wonder Collaborative, News & Guts Films, Sandbox Films
Sea of Shadows
Terra Mater Factual Studios in association with Appian Way, Malaika Pictures, The Wild Lens Collective for National Geographic Documentary Films
The Serengeti Rules
Passion Planet/HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
Best Student and Emerging Film
Presented in recognition of the best program produced by either a first-time filmmaker in the field of natural history production, or a student currently enrolled or no more than 2 years out of an academic program.
Sponsored by: HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
A Voice Above Nature
Annie Moir in association with the ?University of the West of England
Bears of Durango
?Test Area North
Blood Island
Lindsey Parietti in association with the University of the West of England ?
Chungungo: A Mentor's Tale
Visionhawk Films, Aquaterrafilms, Nedo Producciones Ltda.
Best 360° Storytelling
Awarded to the best natural history program created for the immersive platform of Virtual Reality.
Sponsored by: USC Cinematic Arts
Everest VR: The Movie Experience
Jonathan Griffith Productions, Legend 3D, Vulcan Productions
Greenland Melting
FRONTLINE, Emblematic Group, NOVA, xRez Studio, Realtra
My Africa
A Passion Planet Production in association with Vision 3 for Conservation International
Polar Obsession
Black Dot Films VR for National Geographic
Best Visualization Film
Awarded for the cinematography or computer generated visual storytelling that most enhances the natural history program of which it is a part.
Sponsored by: Fujifilm and Fujinon Lenses
Blue Planet II: The Deep
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Cinematographer: Gavin Thurston
Dynasties: Chimpanzee
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, BBC America, Tencent, France Télévisions, CCTV9, Cinematographers: John Brown, Mark MacEwen
Our Planet: One Planet
A Silverback Films Production for Netflix
The Serengeti Rules
Passion Planet/HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, Cinematographer: Tim Cragg
Best Editing Film
Awarded for the editing that most enhances the natural history program of which it is a part.
Sponsored by: Sony Electronics
Blue Planet II: One Ocean
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Editor: Matthew Meech
Dynasties: Chimpanzee
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, BBC America, Tencent, France Télévisions, CCTV9, Editor: Nigel Buck
Kifaru
Vs. Goliath
Visual, Ragtag Tribe Films, Editor: Andrew Harrison Brown
The Biggest Little Farm
NEON and LD Entertainment present a FarmLore Films production in association with Diamond Docs and Impact Partners & Artemis Rising, Editor: Amy Overbeck
Best Writing Film
Awarded for the writing that most enhances the natural history program of which it is a part through the union of imagery, story line, dialog and narration.
Sponsored by: National Geographic
Attenborough´s Ant Mountain
A production of TERRA MATER FACTUAL STUDIOS in association with BBC and ABC Australia produced by AMMONITE LTD., Writers: Martin Dohrn, Joe Loncraine
Cute little Killers
A TERRA MATER FACTUAL STUDIOS production, Writer: Ruth Berry
Sex, Lies and Butterflies
A Production of TERRA MATER FACTUAL STUDIOS and CONEFLOWER PRODUCTIONS in co-production with THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC for WNET, Writer: Janet Hess
Best Audioscape
Awarded for the combined contribution of sound editing, musical score, production mixing and post-production mixing that most enhances the natural history program of which it is a part.
Sponsored by: Television Academy Sound Peer Group
Cuba's Wild Revolution
A Crossing the Line Film for ORF Universum, PBS Nature, France Télévisions, BBC, SVT, RTÉ, ORF-Enterprise and WNET/Thirteen Productions LLC., Sound Mixer: Paul Finan, Original Music: Badhands
Epic Yellowstone: Life on the Wing
Grizzly Creek Films for Smithsonian Channel, Composer: David Majzlin, Sound Design: Brian Eimer
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
Elisabeth Tova Bailey Sound Recordists: JT Bullitt, Col Anderson, Lang Elliott, Steve Wilkes, The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and their individual recordists Sound Design: Luke Dunn Gielmuda Sound Editors: Caleb Townsend, Rachel Wardell Sound Mixer: Skip Lievsay, Warner Bros-NY
Wild Shetland: Scotland's Viking Frontier
Maramedia, Sound Editors: Kate Hopkins, Owen Shirley, Mitch Dorf, Original Music: Fraser Purdie
Special Jury
Special Jury Nominations honor programs that stood out to our preliminary judges as worthy of special recognition for some aspect or strength outside of the standard category criteria.
Artifishal
Liars & Thieves
Disneynature Penguins
Disneynature / Silverback Films
Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy
The Film Crew, Inc.
Hostile Planet: Oceans
Plimsoll Productions for National Geographic Channels
Inventing Tomorrow
A Fishbowl Films Production in association with Motto Pictures, 19340 Productions, Shark Island Institute, HHMI | Tangled Bank Studios.
Our Gorongosa
Gorongosa Media and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
The Most Unknown
Sandbox Films, VICE Media, Wicked Delicate
The River and The Wall
Rio Grande Film
2019 Legacy Award Recipient:
Paul Hawken
The Jackson Wild Legacy Awards recognize visionary filmmakers, conservationists, scientists and thought leaders. This year's 2019 Legacy Award Recipient is Paul Hawken. Paul Hawken starts ecological businesses, writes about nature and commerce, and consults with heads of state and CEOs on climatic, economic and ecological regeneration. Business he has started include Erewhon, Smith & Hawken, and OneSun Solar (now called Energy Everywhere). He has written eight books including five national and NYT bestsellers: The Next Economy, Growing a Business, The Ecology of Commerce, Blessed Unrest, and Drawdown (2017). He is the founder of Project Drawdown, which works with over two hundred scholars, students, scientists, researchers, and activists to map, measure, and model the one hundred most substantive solutions that can cumulatively reverse global warming by reducing and sequestering greenhouse gases.
Paul's Keynote conversation will be on Sunday, September 22, 7:30 - 8:30pm.
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!
Visit: jacksonwild.org/2019-finalists.html
Founded in 1991, the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival has become Jackson Wild, expanding our reach and impact around the globe.
Jackson Wild believes in the power of media to inspire wonder for our living planet and ignite action to restore and protect it through high-impact collaboration.?
Jackson Wild creates impact through four pillars of engagement: Summits, Awards, New Frontiers and Global Impact. See: www.jacksonwild.org/about.html
The Summit Programming & Schedule is Live!
More than ever before, we are inspired by the urgency of our times, and we are committed to creating a convening that will move the dial to restore and protect the world's ecosystems, species and cultures. With this in mind, we have an extensive lineup focusing on impact, innovation and collaboration through the power of storytelling.
See the 2019 programming here: www.jacksonwild.org/programming.html
The Jackson Wild Media Awards Gala is slated during a week of critical importance in the industry: the Jackson Wild Summit and the Living Oceans Summit. Jackson Wild events attract participation from key influencers in the conservation, science and media communities. For more information about the Summit programming, sponsorship, or conference attendance, please call 307-200-3286 or visit www.jacksonwild.org.
About Jackson Wild: A renowned international conference for over 25 years as the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, Jackson Wild has expanded its reach and impact around the globe. Leveraging the power of media to inspire wonder for our living planet and ignite action to restore and protect it through high-impact collaboration, Jackson Wild creates impact through four pillars of engagement: Summits, Awards, New Frontiers and Global Impact. The Jackson Wild Media & Conservation Summit is an unparalleled annual industry gathering, held annually in Grand Teton National Park with over 800 international delegates. Summit attendees participate in an exceptional slate of leading-edge equipment presentations, seminars and state-of-the-art screenings. The Jackson Wild Media Awards are announced during the Summit at its awards gala celebration.
The Festival’s international board members include: Animal Planet, BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Blue Ant Media/Love Nature, Discovery Channel, Disneynature, FujiFilm Optical Devices/Fujinon Lenses, Gorongosa Restoration Project, HHMI/Tangled Bank Studios, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Media Alliance, National Geographic Partners, National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy, Thirteen Productions/WNET, Netflix, Off the Fence Productions, PBS, Sony Electronics, Terra Mater Factual Studios/Cinemater, The Science Channel, Smithsonian Channel, Swedish Television, UNIVERSUM/ORF, Vulcan Productions, WGBH, and World Wildlife Fund.
Visit/Like facebook.com/jacksonwildorg & follow twitter/jacksonwildorg & instagram.com/jacksonwildorg

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