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2011 Screenings
A Wedged Tale
Tuesday, Buffalo Theater, 2:00 PM
Wednesday, Seminar Room, 3:00 PM (Newcomer Finalist Showcase)
Adam Perou Hermans & Simon Cherriman, AT Films & iNSiGHT Ornithology
(Finalist: Newcomer)
Few have seen one of the world’s great acts of predation: a wedge-tailed eagle catching a kangaroo. No one has filmed it. This is the story of one man’s quest to shoot just such a shot. 25 min.
African Cats
Tuesday, Forum Room, Tuesday 7:00 PM
Wednesday, Buffalo Theater, 3:00 PM
Disneynature
(Finalist: Theatrical, Cinematography)
The story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother’s strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a rival lion. An epic true story centered on two cat families and how they teach their cubs the ways of the wild. 89 min.
Africa’s Lost Eden
Tuesday, Wrangler Theater, 11:30 AM
Monday, Forum Room, 2:30 PM (Conservation Hero Finalist Showcase)
National Geographic Television
(Finalist: Conservation Hero)
It was known as “the place where Noah left his Ark” 4,000 square kilometers of lush floodplains in central Mozambique, packed with wild animals. But, 15 years of civil war took a heavy toll, wiping many species almost completely out, for meat. Conservationists today are battling to restore the park to its former glory, and save it from present-day threats that could destroy it forever. 50 min.
Albatrocity
Monday, Buffalo Theater, 11:30 AM
Wednesday, Seminar Room, 3:00 PM (Newcomers Finalist Showcase)
Edward Saltau & Iain Frengley
(Finalist: Newcomer)
New Zealand filmmakers trace the story of the albatross, immersing the viewer in the beauty, majesty and vulnerability of these birds as viewed through the dramatic prism of Coleridge’s famous poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Using innovative visual effects, the work distills a vast collection of natural history, harsh reality and folklore in a well paced viewing experience. Remarkable oceanic and onshore footage, woven in a creative synthesis, elevate this film to a class of its own. In tracing poetry, we find our relationship with the winged monarch of the sea. 26 min.
All We Are
Daily Screenings in the Earth Matters Full Dome Theater
Norrkopings Visualiseringscenter & Norrkoping
(Finalist: Fulldome)
An immersive dome movie that traverses the extent of knowledge across all scales we can measure and thus visualize. From our earthly home on outward, coursing through accurately displayed astronomical catalogs of the stars, exoplanets, galaxies and the most ancient radiation that surrounds us, we then retur, in one continuous move, back to familiar ground and continue on to smaller and unfamiliar terrain of the quantum. 21 min.
Amazing Plants
Wednesday, Wrangler Theater, 11:00 AM
Monday, Forum Room, 1:00 PM (Science & Nature Finalist Showcase)
Von Matthey Films, Smithsonian Networks, & Parthenon Entertainment
(Finalist: Science & Nature)
The seemingly peaceful world of plants is actually a constant struggle for survival and domination. They feel. They hear. They smell and they taste. Scientists reveal the incredible skills plants use to survive, from predatory plants that sniff out their prey to an acacia that commands an ant army to fend off unwanted visitors. Experts also investigate how human intervention affects plants, including a fascinating look at how technological advances could change the future of farming. 51 min.
American Cougar
Tuesday, Forum Room, 3:30 PM (Premiere Screening Event)
Hogan Films & National Geographic WILD
(Premiere Screening Event)
Merging adventure with breathtaking cinematography, this film is an exciting and intimate view into the secret life of cougars struggling to survive in the severe landscape of snow and ice, cliffs and caves in the northern Rocky Mountains, and the research team devoted to saving the elusive creatures. Filmmakers capture cougar behaviors and challenges few have ever seen, from courting and cougar romance to newborn births to death by “bubonic plague.
Animal Beatbox
Damon Gameau, RGM Artists Group
(Finalist: Short Shorts)
What is the true call of the wild? Here we travel down a very special river and are introduced to a wide variety of the animal kingdom who all contribute their name for the sake of music. 2 min.
Bangladesh: The Climate Trap
Thursday, Buffalo Theater, 11:00 AM
Monday, Buffalo Theater, 11:00 AM
Knight Center for International Media
(Special Consideration)
In Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, climate change refugees are moving from the countryside and into squalid slums due to environmental degradation. Like millions of others, Alam Mia has been forced to make the teeming capital of Dhaka his home. We follow his journey as he leaves his homestead in search of a livelihood in the city. 22 min.
Braving Iraq
Tuesday, Wrangler Theater, 2:00 PM
Monday, Forum Room, 2:30 PM (Conservation Hero Finalist Showcase)
Aqua Vita Films, Nature for WNET New York Public Media & BBC
(Finalists: Conservation Hero)
In the early 1990’s, Saddam Hussein destroyed the Mesopotamian Marshes when its inhabitants rebelled against him. Once the richest wildlife habitat in the Middle East, this beautiful “Garden of Eden” was reduced to mile after mile of scorched earth, and was thought to have been destroyed forever. But one man is making an extraordinary effort to restore both animals and people to the scene of one of the greatest ecocides of the Twentieth Century. Is it a dream too far? Can man and animal live again in what remains one of the most politically troubled and dangerous place on earth? 56 min.
Broken Tail
Tuesday, Forum Room, 9:00 AM
Thursday, Forum Room, 12:00 PM (Conservation Finalist Showcase)
Crossing the Line Films, IFB, RTÉ, CBC, SWR, ZDF, ARTE, MEDIA, Nature for WNET New York Public Media and BBC
(Finalist: Conservation, Hosted or Presenter-Led)
Broken Tail was the most flamboyant tiger cub Colin Stafford-Johnson had ever seen during many years spent filming India’s wild tigers. And then the cub went on the run, leaving his sanctuary, surviving for almost a year in the unprotected badlands of rural Rajasthan, where many said it was impossible. Tracking his extraordinary journey, Colin and his soundman, Salim, piece together Broken Tail’s final days, and through his story, uncover stark truths about India’s last wild tigers. 58 min.
Butterflies: A Very British Obsession
Tuesday, Wrangler Theater, 5:30 PM
BBC Natural History Unit, BBC Worldwide, Simon Bell
(Finalist: Writing)
This documentary celebrates the fascinating natural history of Britain’s most beautiful creatures and explores the secret of their enduring appeal through the eyes of the conservationists, artists, dancers and great British eccentrics for whom butterflies are a continuing source of inspiration. 58 min.
Change for the Oceans
Monday, Home Theater, 10:30 AM
Monday, Explorer Theater, 9:00 PM
Tuesday, Home Theater, 12:00 PM
Free Range Studios for Monterey Bay Aquarium
(Finalist: Short Shorts)
This 3D animation was created for Monterey Bay Aquarium’s campaign to raise public awareness about the impact global climate change is having on ocean life. This playful story featuring flamingos, walruses, and turtles, reminds us that we all share on this earth, as well as the responsibility we have for taking care of it. We can slow the climate crisis by making little changes on our own and big changes together. 1.5 min.
Decoding Immortality
Wednesday, Wrangler Theater, 9:00 AM
Monday, Forum Room, 1:00 PM (Science & Nature Finalist Showcase)
December Films, Pemberton Films, & Smithsonian Networks
(Finalist: Science & Nature)
The “Fountain of Youth” may have just been discovered, not in a Florida spring, but in a murky Australian pond. Far from myth, the findings of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Elizabeth Blackburn--an enzyme that can keep cells young--may just prove to be the key to immortality. Blackburn and molecular biologist Carol Greider’s decades-long journey to fully understand this enzyme, which is both amazing and paradoxical, for while it may prove to be an elixir of endless life, it also has the power to kill. 46 min.
Echo: An Unforgettable Elephant
Wednesday, Buffalo Theater, 10:00 AM
Thursday, Wrangler Theater 1:00 PM
Mike Birkhead Associates and Nature for WNET New York Public Media/BBC Natural World
(Finalist: Hosted or Presenter-Led)
When the most famous elephant in the world dies, the timing could not be worse. The cruelest drought in living memory is devastating Echo’s home under the shadow of Kilimanjaro. As head of her family, Echo carried immense experience gained by her forebears over centuries. But the final test of a matriarch is whether she passes on that knowledge. This film reflects on the life of a remarkable elephant and discovers what happens to Echo’s 38-strong band of relatives bereft of her leadership for the first time in almost half a century, with hunger and poachers posing a daily threat. 59 min.
Elsa: The Lioness that Changed the World
Tuesday, Buffalo Theater, 4:30 PM
Tuesday, Wrangler Theater, 8:30 PM
Monday, Forum Room, 2:30 PM (Conservation Hero Finalist Showcase)
Brian Leith Productions, BBC Natural World & Nature for WNET New York Public Media
(Finalist: Conservation Hero)
Fifty years ago, the book Born Free, the story of an orphaned lioness that returns to the wild, became a runaway international bestseller. A few years later the film, starring Virginia McKenna, captured the world’s imagination. Was it really possible to love a deadly predator? Should we open our hearts to all the wild animals? Elsa’s story triggered a new love and respect for nature that has grown ever since. It also changed Virginia McKenna’s life forever. 58 min.
Feeding the Problem
Monday, Buffalo Theater, 12:00 PM
Wednesday, Seminar Room, 3:00 PM (Newcomers Finalist Showcase)
Danny Schmidt, ColorBURN Productions, LLC
(Finalist: Newcomer)
With Chronic Wasting Disease banging on the door of Wyoming’s notorious elk feedgrounds, the people of Jackson Hole are faced with difficult decisions: Either maintain the century-long tradition of feeding 23,000 elk every winter or phase out the feeding program to avoid deadly infectious diseases that threaten the swelling elk herd. 26 min.
Flying Monsters 3D
Wednesday, Forum Theater, 11:00 AM
Friday, Center for the Arts, 5:30 PM
National Geographic and Atlantic Entertainment for SKY 3D
(Finalist: 3D)
Two hundred million years ago, dinosaurs were beginning their domination of the earth. But another group of reptiles was about to make an extraordinary leap: pterosaurs were taking control of the skies, and the story of how these mysterious creatures took to the air is more fantastic than any fiction. 40 min.
Forest Elephants: A Rumble in the Jungle
Thursday, Wrangler Theater, 12:00 PM
BBC Natural History Unit, BBC Worldwide & Animal Planet
(Finalist: Sound)
The woman who ‘speaks elephant.’ Deep in the rainforest of Central Africa lies an elephant oasis-a remarkable place that holds the key to the future for Forest Elephants. Over the last 20 years, Andrea Turkalo has been studying these enigmatic giants, getting to know over 4,000 intimately. She has begun to unravel the secrets of their complex social lives and the meanings of their unique vocalizations. Today, new acoustic research is shedding light on the many mysteries that still surround forest elephant society. Will these endangered elephants finally speak out and tell Andrea what it is they need to survive? 59 min.
Gloop
Monday, Home Theater, 1:30 PM
Monday, Explorer Theater, 8:30 PM
Tuesday, Home Theater, 1:00 PM
Gaby Bastyra &Joe Churchman
(Finalist: Short)
This is a fairytale about plastic. This short film follows the life of plastic, from invention to present day use. Like all fairytales, secrets are revealed and lessons are learned. 3 min.
Haiti’s Killer Quake: Why It Happened
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 3:00 PM
Monday, Forum Room, 10:00 AM (Earth Sciences Finalist Showcase)
Pioneer Productions & Discovery Channel
(Finalist: Earth Sciences)
Travel to Haiti to take a close-up look at the science behind the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit the island January 12, 2010. Find out when and where the next big one might strike. 44 min.
Helgoland: Island in the Storm
Monday, Buffalo Theater, 12:30 PM
Wednesday, Seminar Room, 3:00 PM (Newcomers Finalist Showcase)
Robert Morgenstern, Studio Hamburg DocLights Naturfilm
(Finalist: Newcomer)
Amidst the rugged North Sea, the island of Helgoland braves the elements for centuries. As another natural spectacle, each year thousands of migrating birds find their save haven on Helgoland and their resting and breeding attracts ornithologists from all over the world. Robert Morgenstern’s debut is an empathetic and visually stunning declaration of love to the small island and its habitants. 45 min.
Human Planet: Arctic, Life in the Deep Freeze
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 10:00 AM
Tuesday, Buffalo Theater 11:30 AM
BBC, Discovery Channel, France Televisions and BBC Worldwide, Matt Norman, Doug Allan, and William Edwards, Cinematography, Nicholas Brown, Writing
(Finalist: Cinematography, Writing, Limited Series)
The Arctic is the harshest environment on Earth. Temperatures can drop to sixty degrees below. Yet four million people live here. This episode follows a year in nature’s freezer. In spring, father and son set out across the sea ice to catch a Greenland shark, food for their dogs. Watch the mussel-gatherers who hunt in ice caverns, escaping the incoming spring tide with seconds to spare. Find out the best way to eat Little Auk. On Halloween, the polar bear patrol officers of Churchill, Manitoba need to protect the inhabitants from the annual invasion of hungry polar bears. 59 min.
Human Planet: Jungle, People of the Trees
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 4:00 PM
BBC, Discovery Channel, France Televisions and BBC Worldwide
(Finalist: Limited Series)
Rainforests are home to more species of plants and animals than anywhere else on the planet, but we humans can only survive here through great skill, ingenuity and bravery. This dramatic program reveals how people make their home within the most unexplored and untamed places on earth. The Matis of Brazil carve 4-meter-long blow-pipes to hunt monkeys. In the Congo Tete defies death by scaling a giant tree to collect honey for his family. Children from Venezuela’s Piaroa tribe hunt tarantulas to toast for lunch! In West Papua the Korowai tribe build a home 35 meters up in the tree tops. In Brazil we join a monitoring flight for the first ever aerial footage of an uncontacted tribe. Discover their survival secrets, the extraordinary partnerships they forge with nature and how their future depends on the conservation of their forests. 59 min.
Human Planet: Rivers, Friend and Foe
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 8:30 PM
Wednesday, Buffalo Theater, 9:00 AM
Thursday, Forum Room, 10:30 AM (People & Nature Finalist Showcase)
BBC Wales, BBC Natural History Unit, Discovery Channel, & BBC Worldwide
(Finalist: People & Nature, Limited Series)
The brave father who must risk his childrens’ lives on a melting ice-river in the Himalayas. The lone man who walks a homemade high-wire above the raging waters of the Mekong in terrifying full flood. The mud mason who must re-plaster the giant mosque with fresh river mud in Mali. The magical little girl who is learning to grow a living bridge! This film plunges you straight into the real lives of real people caught up in the most surprising and dramatic human-versus-river stories that you will have ever seen! We are not joking. 60 min.
Icelandic Volcanoes: Who is Next?
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 11:00 AM
Monday, Forum Room, 10:00 AM (Earth Sciences Finalist Showcase)
Saint Thomas Productions
(Finalist: Earth Sciences)
A year ago, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland provoked a vast economic chaos by paralyzing one of the world’s major air traffic networks for several days. This eruption however was mild. Other, much more powerful volcanoes, are now ready to wake up in Iceland. Through spectacular aerial footage of this country which is an accumulation of lava and ash, a maze of craters and faults, the film tries to understand which volcano could wake up next and what the consequences of a major eruption are likely to be. 52 min.
In the Spirit of Laxmi
Tuesday, Wrangler Theater, 6:30 PM
Persistent Productions
Follow the journey of Gerhard Wiehahn as he raises an injured leopard cub in India’s Rajasthan province. Hungry, weak and dehydrated, the cub was left for dead on the outskirts of Ranthambore National Park. Taken in by the naturalist, the two embark on a journey focused on bringing the cub into adulthood. Propelled by an unwavering dedication to the cub, Wiehahn commits himself to the goal of raising Laxmi and returning her to the wilderness from which she came. 29 min.
Into Iceland’s Volcano
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 1:00 PM
Monday, Forum Room, 10:00 AM (Earth Sciences Finalist Showcase)
Scandinature Films USA, Profilm & National Geographic Channels
(Finalist: Earth Sciences)
In 2010 the eruption of the Icelandic Eyjafjallajökull volcano brought havoc around the world. The Scandinature/Profilm crews were on the volcano from day one and their story helps paint a picture of what really happened before, during and after the eruption. Iceland is the volcanic laboratory of the world, with more volcanic features than anywhere else. With new and potentially bigger eruptions looming in the future the film crew makes a unique journey into a volcano’s magma chamber to search for a detailed scientific explanation to the violent Icelandic eruptions. 50 min.
Into the Dragon’s Lair
Wednesday, Wrangler Theater, 3:00 PM
Foster Brothers Film for NHU Africa
(Finalist: Hosted or Presenter-Led)
In 2005, 52-year-old Didier Noirot saw a picture of the clear waters of the Okavango Delta. He had already spent a full year of his life underwater (in 7000 dives), mostly filming for Jacques Cousteau. He now set out to fulfill his dream...to dive with a dragon, a giant Nile crocodile, the last predator on earth that views humans as viable prey. 52 min.
Koala Hospital
Monday, Buffalo Theater, 10:00 AM
Thursday, Buffalo Theater, 10:00 AM
Global Briefing LCC
(Special Consideration)
Australia may seem like a wildlife paradise, but looks can be deceiving. Koalas are now confronted by a maze of roads and human mayhem and with fewer places to live, they’re becoming urban refugees. Koala Hospital presents the poignant and surprising life of koalas. 52 min.
The Last Lions
Tuesday, Forum Room, 12:00 PM
Wednesday, Buffalo Theater, 1:30 PM
Wildlife Films and National Geographic
(Finalist: Theatrical, Editing, Original Music Score)
From the lush wetlands of Botswana’s Okavango Delta comes the suspense-filled tale of a determined lioness ready to try anything and willing to risk everything to keep her family alive. In the new wildlife adventure The Last Lions, filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert capture the epic journey of the lioness named Ma di Tau (“Mother of Lions”) as she battles to protect her cubs against a daunting onslaught of enemies. 88 min.
The Last Reef 3D
Wednesday, Forum Theater, 4:30 PM
Friday, Center for the Arts Theater, 8:00 PM (Premiere Screening Event)
YES/NO Productions, Liquid Pictures and Giant Screen Films
Exotic coral reefs, vibrant sea walls in the sub-arctic pulsating with anemones and crustaceans: these biodiversity hot spots are as vital to our lives as the rainforests. Groundbreaking macro 3D cinematography explores these cities beneath the sea.
Leopard Queen
Tuesday, Forum Room, 9:00 PM
Thursday, Forum Room, 9:00 AM (Animal Behavior Finalist Showcase)
Aquavision Productions
(Finalist: Animal Behavior)
Manana is a wild leopard in Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa. Powerful, deadly and elusive, yet beside her sits John Varty, unarmed and unharmed. JV is a wildlife cameraman who has filmed her for the past 16 years. Her life on camera revealed intimate insights into the world of leopards: the constant threat of other predators, the endless struggles to keep her kills and the often tragic battles to protect her cubs. Over time Manana grew to accept John’s presence and the pair formed an incredible friendship. This film opens a window into the secret life of a leopardess. 50 min.
Life: A Cosmic Journey
Daily Screenings in the Earth Matters Fulldome
Theater
California Academy of Sciences
(Finalist: Fulldome)
How did life on Earth begin? Narrated by Jodie Foster, Life launches the audience on a journey through time, witnessing key events since the Big Bang that set the stage for life. Life features scientific visualizations including a powers-of-ten dive into a redwood tree to illustrate photosynthesis and demonstrate the interconnectedness of all life on the molecular level. The show’s complex imagery includes collaborations with the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. 25 min.
Life: Challenges of Life
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 6:00 PM
BBC Natural History Unit, Discovery Channel, Open University, SKAI & BBC Worldwide
(Finalist: Cinematography, Limited Series)
Introducing the extraordinary things animals and plants must do in order to survive and reproduce. Witness amazing sights, captured at 1,000 frames per second: capuchin monkeys smashing open palm nuts with stone ‘hammers’; hippos launching from the water into the air and chameleons stealing prey from a spider’s web. Sprint with cheetahs as they band together to tackle ostriches; watch dolphins form perfect rings of silt to trap fish, and swim with a seal as it struggles to escape attacking killer whales amongst the ice of Antarctica. 60 min.
Life: Plants
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 12:00 PM
BBC, Discovery Channel, SKAI, Open University & BBC Worldwide
(Finalist: Sound, Limited Series)
The drama of the plant world is impossible to view with the naked eye. But using the latest time-lapse technology, all is revealed: how a Venus flytrap snaps shut and imprisons its prey; how the animal-like grasping hooks of the cat’s claw creeper and the sticky pads of the Boston ivy help in their fight for light. Fly with the seed that inspired the design of gliders and watch the fastest growing plant on Earth rocket up two feet a day and discover the water retaining abilities of the bizarre dragon’s blood tree, which oozes red sap from its branches. 60 min.
Life: Reptiles & Amphibians
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 9:00 AM
Tuesday, Buffalo Theater, 10:30 AM
Thursday, Forum Room, 9:00 AM (Animal Behavior Finalist Showcase)
BBC Natural History Unit, Discovery Channel, SKAI Open University, & BBC Worldwide (Finalist: Animal Behavior, Limited Series)
Reptiles and amphibians appear better suited to the past, but through extraordinary behavior they remain a global success. A pebble toad bounces like a rubber ball to escape predators; a sea krait swims to an underwater, air-filled cavern to lay her eggs; a Komodo dragon uses a poisonous bite to bring down a buffalo, but the venom takes several weeks to kick in. All the while, the dragon relentlessly pursues its prey. These stories highlight the extraordinary lengths animals must go to survive from the perspective of individual animals, generating audience involvement in their fate. 60 min.
Life Force: Australia
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 2:00 PM
NHK, NHNZ, France Televisions, Animal Planet and Science Channel
(Finalist: Limited Series)
The epic journey of the world’s most arid continent has driven the evolution of its bizarre pouched mammals. Australia has become the realm of marsupials. Its climate has changed so dramatically that all inhabitants were forced to adapt...or die. This land of extremes has over 200 species of pouched marsupials. Some are tiny, others are vicious, and some can even fly! But the parched wasteland in the center of the continent hosts the most amazing survival strategies of all--the Red kangaroo is a pinnacle of evolution, equipped with an arsenal of adaptations to survive the desert. From its giant hop to its unique reproductive strategy, Australia’s Red Kangaroo demonstrates the power of evolution. 50 min.
Life Force: Japan
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 5:00 PM
Tuesday, Buffalo Theater, 12:30 PM
NHK, NHNZ, France Televisions, Animal Planet and Science Channel
(Finalist: Limited Series)
Fusing blue-chip natural history with cutting-edge science documentary in an exploration and celebration of evolution. Japan is a chain of islands born of violent tectonic forces and battered by an extreme climate. This is the story of how ancient animals collided with new arrivals, each evolving strategies to survive on the world’s most turbulent and breathtakingly beautiful island arcs. 50 min.
Life Force: Madagascar
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 9:30 PM
Wednesday, Buffalo Theater, 12:00 PM
NHK, NHNZ, France Televisions, Animal Planet and Science Channel
(Finalist: Limited Series)
Fusing blue-chip natural history with cutting-edge science documentary in an exploration and celebration of evolution. A cast of ancient creatures is marooned on the island of Madagascar, but a strange primate arrives and evolutionary magic takes place. The isolated island is transformed into a species factory where evolution flourishes. Cycles of tumultuous geological and climatic events force all castaways on board to mutate, creating the most amazing creatures on Earth. 50 min.
Life on Fire: Ash Runners
Tuesday, Wrangler Theater, 11:00 AM
Saint Thomas Productions
(Finalist: Sound)
Miles around Tavurvur volcano, on the remote island of New Britain, plants and animals have learned to live with the sporadic anger of the Earth. In this apocalyptic realm, when the ash created by volcanic eruptions invades their habitat, the choice is simple: leave, or stay to face the unknown. From the tiny vine seeds to the giant flying fox, this film follows the incredible destiny of emblematic animals. Using a wide range of innovative and sophisticated filming techniques over three years, this tale offers a unique and intimate account of an unprecedented natural hazard. 52 min.
Life on Fire: Pioneers of the Deep
Thursday, Wrangler Theater, 11:00 AM
St. Thomas Productions
(Finalist: Original Music Score, Writing)
In the vast emptiness of the Pacific Ocean, tectonic movements construct or swallow islands, following the wrath of the earth or the sea. In the Tonga archipelago, two little-known animals have learned to cope with these ephemeral lands rising from the ocean depths: the sooty tern, a seabird that never dares wet its wings for fear of drowning and the Alvin crustacean, a blind shellfish that can find its way around the abyss. When an underwater volcano becomes an island, the fates of these two extraordinary living paradoxes are linked. 52 min.
Lion Warriors
Tuesday, Buffalo Theater, 3:30 PM
Tuesday, Wrangler Theater, 7:30 PM
Thursday, Forum Room, 10:30 AM (People & Nature Finalist Showcase)
Original Godal Productions for National Geographic Channel
(Finalist: People & Nature)
This is the story of conflict between Maasai warriors and the declining lion population in Maasailand, Kenya. This sensitive and unusual film reveals both the lion’s and the Maasai people’s side of the story and captures firsthand the struggle of modern day Maasai, who are trying to reinvent their traditions to help save the lions they’ve historically prided themselves on killing. 55 min.
Madagascar: Island of Marvels
Wednesday, Wrangler Theater, 12:00 PM
Monday, Forum Room, 11:30 AM (Wildlife Habitat Finalist Showcase)
BBC Natural History Unit, Animal Planet & BBC Worldwide
(Finalist: Wildlife Habitat)
Madagascar, the world’s oldest island, broke off from Africa and India and has been on its own for more than 70 million years. In splendid isolation, it has evolved its very own wildlife, more than 80 percent of it is found nowhere else. And that wildlife is quite extraordinary. We reveal this island’s most bizarre and dramatic places, and the unique wildlife that has made its home in each, thanks to the geology and isolation of this Alice-in-Wonderland world. 59 min.
Manatees Ecofact
Monday, Home Theater, 10:30 AM
Monday, Explorer Theater, 9:00 PM
Tuesday, Home Theater, 12:00 PM
Untamed Science & Save our Seas Foundation
(Finalist: Short Shorts)
This Ecogeeks Science Video Podcast episode is about the biology of the Florida Manatee. While every ecofact is intended to serve as a broad overview of a species, we always try to add in a subtle conservation message. The goal is to create videos that are fun for students and enthusiasts to watch that end up making everyone lifelong environmental stewards. 3 min.
The Man Who Stopped the Desert
Monday, Forum Room, 2:30 PM (Conservation Hero Finalist Showcase)
Thursday, Wrangler Theater, 2:00 PM
1080 Films
(Finalist: Conservation Hero)
From an unforgiving land, where failure often means death, comes a story of hope. Yacouba Sawadogo, a peasant farmer from Burkina Faso, has succeeded where international agencies have failed. Over the last twenty years he has battled against nature and man, to become a pioneer in the fight against desertification and hunger. Yacouba’s struggle is a pure, inspiring drama. It is about one man’s determined efforts that now have the potential to benefit many thousands living in the Sahel region of Africa. 64 min.
Meerkats 3D
Wednesday, Forum Room, 2:00 PM
Saturday, Center for the Arts Theater, 2:30 PM
Oxford Scientific Films in association with Principal Large Format for National Geographic Channels and SKY 3D
(Finalist: 3D)
This is the engaging story of one family of meerkats and their courageous leader, Klinky, over the course of a year in South Africa’s harsh Kalahari Desert. As they defend their newborn pups from predators and their territory from rival gangs we learn that close bonds and co-operation are the key to survival in meerkat life and that for them, family is everything. 47 min.
My Life as a Turkey
Tuesday, Buffalo Theater, 1:30 PM
Thursday, Wrangler Theater, 9:00 AM
Passion Pictures, Nature for WNET New York Public Media & BBC
(Finalist: Cinematography, Editing, Writing)
Joe Hutto’s decision to imprint and raise thirteen endangered wild turkeys was a unique experiment that turned into an incredible journey of enlightenment. Taking place deep in the Florida wilderness, Joe becomes a turkey mother, he does not see another human for well over a year. “My Life as a Turkey” explores one of those rare moments when man and animal unwittingly become linked closer than nature should allow. 52 min.
My Pantanal
Tuesday, Forum Room, 11:30 AM
Wednesday, Buffalo Theater, 11:30 AM
Panthera
(Finalist: Children’s)
This is a film about a boy named Aerenilso, who lives on a fazenda (ranch) in the Pantanal, the world’s largest and wildest wetland, in Brazil. Aerenilso shows us what it is like to be a Pantaneiro (cowboy), riding his horse, doing his chores and exploring this incredible landscape that is teeming with wildlife, including the jaguar. Jaguars have been hunted here by people but Aerenilso’s ranch is different. He lives on a conservation ranch where the cowboys and Panthera’s scientists are working together to show that ranching and jaguars can coexist in this magical place. 10 min.
One Life
Monday, Forum Room, 9:00 PM
Wednesday, Buffalo Theater, 11:30 AM
Magic Light Pictures & BBC Earth Films
(Finalist: Theatrical)
One Life takes us from birth through to the creation of the next generation—then takes us one step further revealing that whether we have wings or flippers, eight legs or two, the triumphant story of life connects us all—growing up, finding food, seeking shelter, finding a soul mate and raising children. We see so much of ourselves in these different animal’s lives, and them in us—intelligence, strength, determination, courage, even love. The stories combine to reveal how every living thing on our planet shares the same desire, not just to live, but to foster new life. 84 min.
Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice
Monday, Buffalo Theater, 9:00 AM
Thursday, Buffalo Theater, 9:00 AM
John Downer Productions
(Special Consideration)
Shot mainly by covert spycameras on the Arctic islands of Svalbard, we get closer than ever before to the world’s greatest land predator. Icebergcam, Blizzardcam, and Snowballcam are a new generation of covert devices on a mission to explore the islands of Svalbard in Norway. As one set of mother and cubs journey across the drifting ice in search of seals, the other is marooned on the island with very little food. The state-of-the-art camouflaged cameras reveal how the polar bears’ intelligence and curiosity help them cope in a world of shrinking ice. 52 min.
Powering the Future: Leading the Charge
Tuesday, Wrangler Theater, 1:00 PM
Thursday, Forum Room, 12:00 PM (Conservation Finalist Showcase)
Discovery Studios for Discovery Channel
(Finalist: Conservation)
A Call to Action! Whether it’s global warming, geopolitics, or plain old geology, the reasons for change are undeniable. And ready or not, that change has already begun. 44 min.
Project Manta
Tuesday, Wrangler Theater, 3:00 PM
Thursday, Forum Room, 12:00 PM (Conservation Finalist Showcase)
Kaufmann Productions Pty, Ltd., WDR & ARTE in Association with National Geographic Channel & Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(Finalist: Conservation)
Manta rays are giant ocean wanderers and they’re smart. With the largest brain-to-body size of any living fish, these mesmerizingly graceful creatures are intelligent. They curiously interact with people, travel vast distances and show surprisingly complex behavior. Join Australian biologist, Dr. Kathy Townsend and her Project Manta team as they reveal the mantas’ secret world. Journey to manta hotspots in Mexico, Micronesia, the Maldives and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, to discover breathtaking feeding frenzies and rare mating rituals. But mantas are under threat, and this is a time when they could be key indicators of our rapidly changing world. 52 min.
Radioactive Wolves
Wednesday, Wrangler Theater, 2:00 PM
Monday, Forum Room, 11:30 AM (Wildlife Habitat Finalist Showcase)
EPO Film for ORF/Universum, NDR & Nature for WNET New York Public Media
(Finalist: Wildlife Habitat)
25 years after the biggest nuclear accident in history, wolves reign the radio-actively contaminated no-man’s-land, the so-called exclusion zone of Chernobyl, which stretches from Ukraine into Belarus and Russia. After the explosion of the Chernobyl reactor on April 26, 1986, about 340.000 people were displaced. Uninhibited by the presence of humans, a profusion of wild species has since taken over a territory of about 3.000 square kilometers, creating a new wilderness. At the top of this ecosystem is the wolf. Rumors about wolves in the zone have been numerous, but hard facts are still rare. 53 min.
The Riddle Solvers: The Shark Riddle
Tuesday, Wrangler Theater, 10:30 AM
Wednesday, Buffalo Theater, 11:00 AM
Sisbro Studios & The Save Our Seas Foundation
(Finalist: Children’s)
Follow siblings Laura and Robert Sams on an adventure through the pages of a magical journal to solve a mysterious riddle about shark teeth. Meet a raucous group of singing sea lions, experience the underwater game show, “Are You a Shark?” hear a shark lullaby and discover the powerful and magnificent world of sharks. This charmin.g, hilarious look at the ocean’s top predators has received ‘two fins up’ from sharks everywhere. 29 min.
Sea Rex 3D: Journey to a Prehistoric World
Wednesday, Forum Theater, 12:00 PM
Monday, Forum Room, 10:00 AM (Earth Sciences Finalist Showcase)
N3D Land Productions & Mantello Brothers Productions
(Finalist: Earth Sciences)
Join Julie, an imaginative young woman, as she travels from a modern-day aquarium to the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Explore an amazing underwater universe inhabited by larger-than-life creatures - including the powerful Liopleurodon, long-necked Elasmosaurus and gigantic Shonisaurus, which were ruling the seas before dinosaurs conquered the earth. See science come alive in a unique and entertaining manner. Immerse yourself in a lost age, 200 million years back in time, and get ready for a face-to-face encounter with the T-Rex of the seas! 41 min.
Seeing Death Valley
Tuesday, Buffalo Theater, 3:00 PM
Thursday, Buffalo Theater, 1:30 PM
Death Valley National Park and North Shore Productions
(Finalist: Cultural Institution Media Installation)
This is the signature film presentation for Death Valley National Park and plays daily at the Park’s visitor center theater. Narrated by David Sutherland and beautifully photographed by Neil Rettig, it is a visual exploration of one of America’s most extreme desert landscapes. The film explores the geology and natural history of Death Valley and highlights the different ways the Valley has been seen over time. The film features elders of the Timbisha Shoshone people, for whom the Valley has always been home. 18 min.
Serengeti
Wednesday, Wrangler Theater, 4:00 PM
Studio Hamburg DocLights /NDR Naturfilm, Universum Film, & Intervista
(Finalist: Sound)
The Serengeti: an endless sea of grass, thorny bush land, and life-giving rivers. In this untamed wilderness, the epic drama of millions of animals unfolds. This production shows the Serengeti, thanks to the use of brand new HD technology, with a fresh eye: Cineflex stabilized aerials let us witness the splendor of the landscape and show animal behavior from a new perspective. HD High-speed cameras, with up to 2000 frames per second, reveal the fascinating hunting strategies of predators. Big cats ambush the herds on the open plains, but have to fight for the survival of their helpless young themselves. 98 min.
Snake Man (L’homme aux Serpents)
Tuesday, Wrangler Theater, 9:00 AM
Thursday, Forum Room, 12:00 PM (Conservation Finalist Showcase)
Reco Films & TS Productions
(Finalist: Conservation)
Guerrilla, Cocaine and Environment. This documentary follows Franz Florez in his old bus full of snakes across a rural Columbia that is generally inaccessible. A Columbian vet who looks after wild animals, Franz is a real snake charmer. He doesn’t hesitate to use them in order to effortlessly cross zones where a civil war has been going on for 45 years. In the heart of the jungle he even meets up with guerillas in order to invite them to become militants of... species protection! Full of the most surprising characters, this documentary takes us on an initiatory journey of discovery. 85 min.
The Story of Everything
Thursday, Buffalo Theater, 2:30 PM
Thursday, Buffalo Theater, 11:30 AM
Darlow Smithson Productions & Discovery Channel
(Special Consideration)
The world’s most famous living scientist presents the wonders of the universe, revealing the splendor and majesty of the cosmos as never seen before. See how the universe began, how it creates stars, black holes and life - and how everything will end. 88 min.
Surviving the Tsunami
Monday, Forum Theater, 7:00 PM
NHK Japanese Broadcasting
(Premiere Screening Event)
The earthquake that hit the northern coast of Japan on March 11th, 2011 marked Magnitude 9.0 - the worst ever recorded in Japan. It generated a tsunami of an unprecedented scale, obliterating coastal villages and towns in a matter of minutes. In some areas, the tsunami reached close to 39 meters (128 feet) in height and traveled 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) inland. What caused the giant tsunami? And how did people escape the violent waters? Utilizing exclusive footage captured by NHK, the Japan’s public broadcaster, and amateur videos, much of it never broadcast before, SURVIVING THE TSUNAMI provides a comprehensive look at the destructive power of the catastrophic tsunami and remarkable tales of human survival. 52 min.
There Once Was an Island (Te Hunua e Nnoho)
Tuesday, Wrangler Theater, 4:00 PM
Thursday, Forum Room, 10:30 AM (People & Nature Finalist Showcase)
On the Level Productions
(Finalist: People & Nature)
What if your community had to decide whether to leave their homeland forever and there was no help available? This is the reality for the culturally unique Polynesian community of Takuu, a tiny low-lying atoll in the South Western Pacific. As a terrifying tidal flood rips through their already damaged home, the Takuu community experiences the devastating effects of climate change first hand. In this verite-style film, three intrepid characters Telo, Endar and Satty, allow us into their lives and their culture and show us first-hand the human impact of an environmental crisis. 80 min.
The Trapper and the Amazon
Thursday, Wrangler Theater, 10:00 AM
Triosphere and AnimalPlanet
(Finalist: Editing)
In a tragic love story like no other, trapper Dairen Simpson penetrates the flooded Amazon jungle for a date with destiny. His heart is set on catching Elvira, the young jaguar who beguiled him last time he worked here. She’s now wearing a collar loaded with data that will help save her species. Dairen’s employers desperately want the collar back. But while he lays his traps and lures the jaguars in, the jungle develops a personality of its own. It has a killer grudge against Dairen, and will fight to keep its secrets. 48 min.
Turtle Vision
Wednesday, Forum Theater, 4:00 PM
Saturday, Center for the Arts Theater, 2:00 PM
nWave Pictures Distribution
(Finalist: Children’s)
Experience the ups and downs of life on land and sea in this coming of age story starring the cutest sea turtle on the big screen. From the warm waters of the tropics to the icy Antarctic, join Sammy and his friends on an exciting journey through truly immersive environments. Swim your way around spectacular coral reefs and enjoy a wild ride on a fun-loving octopus. Are you ready to face the dangers you may encounter with humans? 20 min.
We Are Astronomers
Daily Screenings in the EarthMatters Fulldome Theater
NSC Creative
(Finalist Fulldome)
Do you know what an astronomer does? Today’s astronomer is not the lone observer of past centuries. This program reveals the global collaboration, technology and dedication required to answer the unresolved questions of the universe, narrated by David Tennant. 24 min.
Whales to Windmills: Inventions Inspired by the Sea
Tuesday, Buffalo Theater, 2:30 PM
Thursday, Buffalo Theater, 1:00 PM
Monterey Bay Aquarium
(Finalist: Cultural Institution Media Installation)
This is a 15-minute interactive program led by a live presenter featuring whimsical CGI and stunning HD imagery. Audiences hear stories about inventors who are studying the adaptations of ocean animals like sharks, whales and boxfish. By borrowing natures design ideas they are inventing new energy efficient products such as trains and cars, or energy generating schemes that don’t burn fossil fuels. In the process, audiences learn about the threats to the ocean poised by climate change and ocean acidification through a positive, solutions-oriented approach. This program is expected to reach over 500,000 guests during its 3-year run in the aquarium’s 275-seat theatre. 15 min
Wild Hungary: A Water Wonderland
Wednesday, Wrangler Theater, 1:00 PM
Monday, Forum Room, 11:30 AM (Wildlife Habitat Finalist Showcase)
Azara Film in association with NDR Naturfilm Studio Hamburg DocLights
(Finalist: Wildlife Habitat)
Hungary is a country like no other in Europe; it is influenced by the rhythms of its rivers. White-tailed eagles, otters and enormous catfish share the wetlands with many other species living close to the local people, often unnoticed. This is their story presenting many never-before-filmed animal behaviors, like dancing deer, wintering catfish or the spectacular run of local fish called asp, just to name a few. 51 min.
Wings of Life
Monday, Wrangler Theater, 7:00 PM
Thursday, Forum Room, 12:00 PM (Conservation Finalist Showcase)
Friday, Center for the Arts Theater, 6:30 PM
Disneynature
(Finalist: Animal Behavior, Original Music Score)
Teeming with profound wonder, unexpected intrigue and mesmerizing beauty, Disneynature’s film Wings of Life is the remarkable true-life story of the intricate and inseparable relationship between the flowering plants that grow on our planet, and the birds, bees, bats and butterflies who pollinate them. Narrated by Academy Award® -winner Meryl Streep, this visually stunning film shows the ecological balance of life and its interdependence between species. However, mankind’s ignorance and indifference threatens these winged heroes and could change life as we know it forever. Capturing never before seen images, director Louie Schwartzberg reveals nature’s often invisible, but most fundamental team of collaborators. From the rainforests to the deserts, “Wings of Life” illustrates humankind’s reliance on the pollinator-plant partnership for our modern-day food supply. 77 min.
Worm Hunters
Monday, Forum Room, 1:00 PM (Science & Nature Finalist Showcase)
Wednesday, Wrangler Theater, 10:00 AM
Gulliver Media Australia, Pty, Ltd.
(Finalist: Science & Nature)
In 2010, five worm hunters went underground to seek their ultimate discovery: Super Earthworms. Our film follows these devoted scientists, armed with spades, GPS worm locators, secret worm ousting fluids and battery-powered worm evacuators. They are each on the prowl for a supreme earthworm that will change the world forever. 52 min.
VISIT THE EXHIBIT FLOOR TO VIEW THESE FINALISTS
Natural Selection Game
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
(Finalist: Cultural Institution Media Installation)
The game demonstrates how a predator (the user) can have an impact on the natural selection process, and the evolution of species. This is an interactive game, intended as a touch-screen museum exhibit, and therefore will be delivered on a touch-screen tablet computer for judging.
Seeing Death Valley
Death Valley National Park and North Shore Productions
(Finalist: Cultural Institution Media Installation)
This is the signature film presentation for Death Valley National Park and plays daily at the Park’s visitor center theater. Narrated by David Sutherland and beautifully photographed by Neil Rettig, it is a visual exploration of one of America’s most extreme desert landscapes. The film explores the geology and natural history of Death Valley and highlights the different ways the Valley has been seen over time. The film features elders of the Timbisha Shoshone people, for whom the Valley has always been home. 18 min.
UN International Year of Forests/ Mensch Wald: Inspiration
Tuesday, Home Theater, 12:00 PM
Traffic Konzept + Film GmbH
(Finalist: Short Shorts)
The UN International Year of Forests is about giving a voice to one of our most precious natural resources. Leading its official celebration in Germany is a highly integrated multimedia campaign titled Mensch Wald, that invites people to create personal films about how the forest inspires them. 3 mins.
Whales to Windmills: Inventions Inspired by the Sea
Monterey Bay Aquarium
(Finalist: Cultural Institution Media Installation)
This is a 15-minute interactive program led by a live presenter featuring whimsical CGI and stunning HD imagery. Audiences hear stories about inventors who are studying the adaptations of ocean animals like sharks, whales and boxfish. By borrowing natures design ideas they are inventing new energy efficient products such as trains and cars, or energy generating schemes that don’t burn fossil fuels. In the process, audiences learn about the threats to the ocean poised by climate change and ocean acidification through a positive, solutions-oriented approach. This program is expected to reach over 500,000 guests during its 3-year run in the aquarium’s 275-seat theatre. 15 min
One Ocean Interactive www.oneoceanonline.org
Merit Motion Pictures & Tactica Interactive for CBC & The Nature of Things
(Finalist: Interactive/New Media Program)
This is an interactive website companion to One Ocean, a 4-part HD documentary series produced by Merit Motion Pictures & the CBC for “The Nature of Things”. One Ocean Interactive allows users to enter the ocean and experience it in a personal way. Featuring expert resources, virtual 3D underwater habitats, and utilizing the Google Earth platform, the website informs visitors of the global issues facing our ocean and challenges them to change the way they think and act. In a visually rich setting of vibrant and mysterious underwater images combined with interactive content, the website provides learning and entertainment through serious games, educational interactive features, teacher resource materials, podcasts, behind the scenes materials and social media applications.
Wild Kratts: Whale of a Squid www.pbskids.org/wildkratts
Kratt Brothers Company Ltd. & 9 Story Entertainment Inc.
(Finalist: Interactive/New Media Program)
A ground-breaking children’s wildlife property, this transmedia project includes a live-action/animated television series, along with enriching Interactive components. The purpose of the interactive website is to teach kids about science, animals and natural history through hands-on virtual explorations and engaging gameplay centered largely around “creature powers,” those amazing special abilities and behaviors that creatures possess. The interactive components of Wild Kratts push the boundaries of user friendly technology through augmented reality (AR) and database-driven content that gives kids a unique experience and puts them in the center of the action, making them feel like a true member of the Wild Kratts team.
Who Do You Think You Really Are? www.nhm.ac.uk
Natural History Museum, BBC Natural History Unit, BBC Research & Development, TraceMedia, Shadow Industries, IVC, Melford Electronics Ltd., Pentagram, Cultural Innovation, & Wellcome Trust
(Finalist: Interactive/New Media Program)
Cutting-edge technology takes the audience on an immersive, interactive journey into their evolutionary past. Hosted by Sir David Attenborough, with a mix of CGI models, BBC natural history footage and interviews with leading Natural History Museum scientists we explore the evolution of life and uncover what we have in common with other forms of life that have existed throughout the earth’s history.
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