2021 Special Jury Recognition

Jackson Wild is committed to elevating impactful storytelling at the forefront of nature, science and conservation. We are a global community motivated by deep reverence and urgent concern for the natural world, with a shared belief that through collaboration, and deep commitment we can address the critical challenges we are facing collectively as a result of climate change.

New in 2021, Jackson Wild's Special Jury Recognition welcomed nominations for both people and film projects pushing the boundaries of storytelling to create authentic engagement about the wild that achieve global impact.

Legacy Award

in Media & Conservation
Jackson Wild’s Legacy Award in Media recognizes visionaries who have demonstrated excellence and innovation in delivering world class content, and who have demonstrated excellence in science & conservation. Their work places them in the field, embedded in nature and the environment, working closely with species, and often at great risk. The work can be recent or demonstrate a depth of years dedicated to conservation.

Valerie Taylor

A pioneering diver and underwater photographer/filmmaker, shark expert Valerie Taylor is also an artist and children’s book author and ardent ocean conservationist. Her campaigning efforts helped to prevent oil exploration in Ningaloo Marine Park, overturned mining rights on Coral Sea Islands, and won hard fought protection for many significant marine species and their habitats on the Great Barrier Reef and beyond.

For 60 years, Valerie Taylor has dedicated her life to raising awareness about our oceans and the importance of protecting habitat for marine species. She started life in the ocean, as a free diver, spearfishing to provide food for her family in the 1950's, but she came to understand that the killing of the fish for sport was senseless and unsustainable. She and her husband Ron took up their cameras and started filming the wonders of the oceans, with a special focus on sharks. Their first film, Shark Hunters was released in 1963. Valerie used her fearless charm and determination to lobby politicians and was instrumental in the establishment of marine sanctuaries and species protection legislation. Using their footage as a tool in her lobbying she succeeded in having the grey nurse shark protected ,the first shark to be protected in the world. Valerie's presence on television screens around the world diving cageless with sharks like the Ocean White Tips in the 1960's inspired generations of people to see sharks differently and to join her in lobbying for their protection.

Rising Star Award

Jackson Wild’s Rising Star Award recognizes an early-career leader in nature, conservation and science media. This award reflects ongoing and exceptional contribution to our planet while demonstrating leadership and innovation that promises extended impact in the future.

Kara Norton

Kara Norton is a science journalist who has reported on a range of issues including the rise of "cyberpoaching" and the illegal wildlife trade, the importance of the Tongass National Forest to climate stabilization and Alaska Native communities, as well as a series of in-depth interviews with the organizers of the viral online movement Black Birders Week. Her work has been published by NOVA on PBS, NATURE on PBS, Only One, Mission Blue, and other top science media publications. She has worked on projects for NOVA Science Studio, TED, and Smithsonian.
Prior to her editorial career, she worked as a shark research intern for Bimini Shark Lab, collecting biological data on over five different species of sharks in The Bahamas. This field experience exposed her to shark conservation efforts, and gave her the ability to contribute to a natural history program on the critically endangered great hammerhead shark. Kara holds a BA in journalism and a B.Sc in environmental studies from New York University.

Global Accelerator Award

In recognition of their tireless efforts to create a culture of equity for nature, environment and wildlife-visual-storytellers in Africa. Across the continent, their work has helped remove barriers while building inclusive capacity in the conservation media industry.

Pragna Parsotam-Kok and Noel Kok

Noel and Pragna Kok are each established filmmakers and storytellers in their own right. Noel is a producer, creative director, and storyteller with a passion for natural history and stories of African conservation. After dropping out of law school, Kok began his 25-year career in management, marketing, music and media production. Noel has produced, directed and distributed a number of albums, live shows, documentary shorts, and a conservation TV series. Pragna is an award-winning film and television producer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science (majoring in Culture, Communication & Media Studies as well as Drama & Performance Studies). After producing their first conservation television series for broadcast in 2017 and experiencing first-hand the barriers to entry for African filmmakers in nature and wildlife genre and passionate about diversity, inclusion and conservation, Pragna and Noel co-founded NEWF (Nature Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers). An organization dedicated to unlocking the barriers to entry and building capacity in order to enable access, support inclusion and create a culture of equity for African nature, environment and wildlife visual storytellers. They serve as executive directors and are directly involved in the conceptualization of initiatives and day-to-day operations.

Impact Campaign

learn more about these impact campaigns!

Sponsored by: HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
Jackson Wild recognizes an active impact campaign that extends conservation beyond the screen to inspire measurable on-the-ground change through education, policy change and engagement and outreach.

Save Ralph
Alldayeveryday, Arch Film Studios and Blue Tongue Films in association with Humane Society International

YOUTH v GOV
Barrelmaker Productions and Vulcan Productions

The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness
A Terra Mater Factual Studios Production in Co-Production with Campion Advocacy Fund and in association with Florian Schulz Productions, presented by Cosmic Picture

Purple Mountains
Sound Off Films for POW, TGR & Liars & Thieves

Saving the Florida Wildlife Corridor
National Geographic Society, Florida Wild and the Florida Wildlife Corridor Coalition

The Elephant Queen
A Deeble, Stone & Oliff Production. Apple Original

Grand Prismatic
Sponsored by: Doclights
This recognition honors a filmmaker from a self-identified underrepresented community in relation to gender identity, ability, people of color, Indigenous/Native and LGBTQIA+, telling stories about wildlife, conservation and science.

Pragna Parsotam-Kok & Noel Kok

Colleen Thurston

Daniel O'Neill

Roshan Patel

Anthony Ochieng

Click here to learn more!

Global Voices
Sponsored by: African Wildlife Foundation
Jackson Wild honors regional wildlife, conservation and science stories presented from a local perspective. We encourage submission of films by local filmmakers working in the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, Africa, The Middle East, Oceania and Indigenous Communities around the world.

Sky Aelans
(Solomon Islands)
NIA TERO and DREAMCAST THEATER

The Snow Leopard Calling
(Nepal)
Sonam Choekyi Lama and Snow leopard Journeys

Ladakh Pashmina ~ The authentic, sustainable, cashmere
(India)
Moon Peak films

Samburu Lions
(Kenya)
WildlifeDirect

School of Hope
(Morocco)
Illume Ltd/Pertti Veijalainen

This place is also mine': Brazil's Indigenous on prejudice in the city
(Brazil)
Mongabay

Ulwandle lushile - meeting the tides
(South Africa)
Tembisa Jordaan and NEWF

Blue Brazil
(Brazil)
Cristian Dimitrius Wildlife productions in co-production with National Geographic Channel

APENAS EL SOL
(Paraguay)
Arami Ullón and Cineworx Filmproduktion GmbH

A mugger crocodile on shared space, fear and future
(India)
Mongabay-India

Azilali: They Do Not Sleep (South Africa)
Faine Loubser and NEWF

Santiago Wild Finalists
Sponsored by: Smithsonian Channel
Jackson Wild is proud to co-sponsor Santiago Wild, the 1st film festival dedicated to wildlife and the environment in Chile. Organized by Ladera Sur!

● Long - Form

WINNER
Suriname the Lost Paradise
- Suriname El Paraíso Perdido
(Chile)
Mateo Barrenengoa Lecannelier

The Wild Connection - Conexión Salveje
(Chile)
Paula Sprenger and Carter McCormick

The Secret Life of The Spectacled Bear -
La Vida Secreta del Oso de Anteojos
(Chile)
Philippe Molins

Ilicit traffic: Vicuñas -
Tráfico Ilícito: Vicuñas
(Chile)
Diego Breit Lira

Caño Cristales: The Rainbow River -
Caño Cristales: El Rio Arco Iris
(Columbia)
Eric Ellena and Gonzalo Argandoña Lazo

● Short - Form

WINNER
Contrasts -
Contrastes
(Mexico)
Vanessa Alejandra Prigollini del Valle

Let Things Rot -
Deja que las cosas se pudran
(Chile)
Mateo Barrenengoa Lecannelier

Black Waters -
Aguas Negras
(Mexico)
León Landazuri

Korovadu
(Chile)
Rafael Pease

What Remains of the Forest - Lo que queda del Bosque
(Chile)
Dani Casado and Mateo Barrenengoa

Engaging New Media
This recognition honors content that best integrate the interactive potential of digital media and technology that engage awareness and understanding of the natural world, including but not limited to apps, games, social media content, extended reality, mobile and web-based experiences.