Wildscreen Festival unveils the full programme for its 2024 edition

Natural history storytelling charity Wildscreen have revealed its full programme for Wildscreen Festival 2024 (14-18th October 2024). The biennial festival, Headline Sponsored by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, will bring together wildlife filmmakers, producers and industry decision-makers for five days of cutting-edge discussions about the state of the industry and the planet – and a celebration of wildlife filmmaking.

Jonny Keeling, Head of BBC Studios Natural History Unit says: “As headline sponsors, we’re incredibly excited to be supporting the 2024 Wildscreen Festival. It’s a globally significant event – bringing together wildlife filmmakers from across the planet. The calibre of speakers and panellists is exceptional, and the topics featured unmissable. I’m sure this year’s festival will once again inspire creators to develop and produce brilliant, compelling and relevant content to engage audiences of all ages and all backgrounds around the world.”

NOTABLE SESSIONS
This year's lineup includes: A special headline session featuring Charlotte Moore, Chief Content Officer at BBC, sponsored by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit; an exclusive conversation between Tom McDonald, EVP Global Factual & Unscripted, National Geographic, and Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual, BBC, which will focus on PSB versus streamer strategies, and the challenges facing the sector. Joining the festival remotely for a live, headline interview, Oscar-winning Director Chai Vasarhelyi, known for "Free Solo" and "Nyad", will share her stories of human exploration and endeavour, her journey with her latest documentary film "Endurance". Building a more representative doc genre, a new "Show me the Money" series of sessions, including "How to Fund your Coproduction" featuring Allison Barrat (Love Nature), Lilla Hurt (Blue Ant Studios) and Laura Mirret (ARTE), which will explore funding options including distribution partnerships and government subsidies.

Wildscreen Festival will also offer two sessions co-produced with Principal Sponsor, Save our Seas Foundation. ‘Gen-Sea: "Inclusivity Under the Waves" will spotlight pioneering voices in the ocean conservation space, whilst the "Science & Storytelling" session will explore how scientists and storytellers can work together.

On the other hand, the historic Panda Awards returns for 2024, honouring the very best in wildlife filmmaking across 14 categories.

OFFICIAL SELECTION PROGRAMME
The Official Selection, hand-picked by a team of international, independent and professional programmers, will see 36 films from six continents screen at the festival. Titles will screen in Bristol between the 12th and 18th October at the Bristol MegaScreen (Bristol Aquarium), We The Curious, and the Royal Photographic Society. Titles include "Orca – Black & White Gold" (1x91’, Terra Mater Studios), "Second Nature: Gender and Sexuality in the Animal World" (1x56’, narrated by Elliot Page), and "The Eagle with the Sunlit Eye" (1x92’, from UK director Ted Simpson).

WILDPITCH
WildPitch, supported by National Geographic, returns with a total prize fund of $24,000 to be split between three winners. Storytellers will be pitching to a live audience and judging panel, including senior industry execs and commissioners including Janet Han Vissering, Sara Edelson and Sabine Holzer.

The iconic kit show will showcase the companies and technology at the cutting edge of natural world storytelling. Exhibitors include Arri, Canon, CVP, Esprit, London Camera Exchange, Motion Impossible, Sony, and Underwater Visions.