Photo Courtesy of Miguel Labastida González “I really like the challenge of making nature movies that don’t use the classical informative narrative. I try to relate the subject, structure, and theme through a philosophical point of view that would ultimately talk about a way of seeing the world and not only give information. This can be very challenging to achieve.” The poetic and philosophical undertones Miguel describes are palpable - very soon into starting Miguel’s short, Arthropodium (2018), a film co-produced with Jorge Bolado Photo Courtesy of Miguel Labastida González, Still from A ..read more

Photo by Keon Abbot If you saw Grace Eggleston volunteering at the 2023 Jackson Wild Summit operating a live streaming camera in Explorers Hall, you saw her in her element. An experienced cinematographer, director, and editor, Grace was drawn to filmmaking by way of a desire to be a part of the magic that happens behind the camera. “My excitement for filmmaking stemmed both from a love of watching movies and TV, but more also wanting to know the behind-the-scenes of how a production pulled off certain scenes. Even as a kid, I usually felt most connected to the documentary-style photo/film e ..read more

Not everyone can say they’ve worked in collaboration with powerful international production companies, but for Ismaele Tortella, this is his reality. “There are several things that I’m proud of, but the most important for me has been how I’ve been able to start working with big productions [such] as the BBC and Silverback Films. I’ve been following a group of Eurasian otters for the past few years in northern Norway, discovering unseen behaviors. Thanks to this, I started working with those production companies. It makes me extremely happy that something that I have been working on so ha ..read more

The “Free the Footage” film was created as a comical call to action to encourage film makers to think about their extra b-roll and all the hundred of hours of unused footage they have differently.  What would be possible if we freed our footage, and if we opened up our hard drives and shared all of our unused footage with the world? Would it be possible for us to help an NGO protect an endangered species? Would it be possible to help a teacher educate kids about their local ecosystems and the wildlife they share their beautiful home country with? Could we help build empathy within a gen ..read more

Photo by Rob Shaer “Every day I reach a new height. It is a constant process of growth.” Moronke Harris does not fit into any mold. She is an oceanographer who has returned to academia after working in industry on climate engineering and intergovernmental, multi-vessel research expedition planning. She’s also an artist, founding The Imaginative Scientist, a science communication brand blending traditional outreach and artistry to produce an audience-first approach that engages, invites, and inspires curiosity. Moronke contains multitudes, and so does her work.  “I am prouder of myself ..read more

“Diving headfirst into the world of natural history filmmaking - especially completing a short film in five days - was a wild (no pun intended) and incredible whirlwind of an experience,” said Jane Macedo Yang, a cinematographer currently based out of NYC. She came into the 2022 Jackson Wild Media Lab with loads of experience under her belt, having worked on political ads, stories of refugees, and much more. But the Media Lab was her first foray into the natural history space, and what better way to learn than through an intense production process surrounded by peers of all diffferent backgr ..read more

Q: What inspired this story? Little Fluffy Clouds studio is located in Northern California where we are now beset with ever increasing climate change related fires and worsening air quality from smoke every year. Fire season begins earlier and finishes later with every year that passes. Nonetheless California also shows us the spectacular beauty of nature. The giant old growth redwoods, abundant bird and wildlife and ever increasing populations of bears and wolves. We always wanted to include wolves in our animations and had an early idea to do a short animation about the redwoods. While ..read more

Q: How do you approach storytelling?   One of my aims as a filmmaker is to encourage audiences to engage with familiar topics  from new perspectives. With that in mind, when I began the research for ‘Growing  Underground’ I knew I wanted to use a less traditional approach to storytelling and make  something with a more contemporary feel. ​As well as emphasising the otherworldliness of the farm through the film’s music and  cinematography, I used narration to create an ‘Operator’ character who guides the  audience - the ‘seeds’ - through the production line ..read more

Photo courtesy of Kumu Niu Q: What inspired this story? This project began as part of a series of videos I pitched to the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) which we call “Tree Stories.” The series aims to spark interest in trees and forests by telling human-centered stories about how different trees profoundly affect people’s lives across the United States. We were initially pointed in the direction of “Niu Now” (the coconut-planting movement this film is about) by Heather McMillan from the one of NASF’s partners, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. I got on Zoo ..read more

Photo by Kyle Corea Q: What inspired this story?In 2015, I was looking for stories about how people and communities around the world were adapting to profound environmental change. I was working on a film series that would hopefully capture what ‘adaptation’ looked and felt like not as a concept, but as a real lived experience for the millions of people who have no other choice. Around that time I came across the NGO Rare and their Solution Search contest. Solution Search was a call for anyone around the world to submit adaptation projects that were being implemented on the ground, with the ..read more