Estudiar diseño fue de las cosas más entretenidas que hice. Pude tomar todas las herramientas de vida que había aprendido hasta entonces, ordenarlas y orientarlas con un objetivo. Mi infancia fue bastante estimulada por las artes, la música y también la vida al aire libre.  Aprendí a tocar instrumentos musicales desde pequeño, dibujaba, pintaba, etc. Pero a la vez, sentía un fuerte llamado hacia la naturaleza. Vivir en un país tan diverso geográficamente es inevitable sentir ese interés. Un cumpleaños mis padres me regalaron un microscopio medio de juguete con el que podía ver ese mundo escondido y para un niño curioso descubrir eso es bastante revelador. Seguí haciendo música, tocando con bandas, pero más grande tomé la cámara y empecé a explorar la fotografía y los videos y a combinarla con el aspecto sonoro. Y de pronto era el que filmaba los shows, hacía videoclips, creaba las visuales, el artwork, etc.

Studying design was one of the most fun things I could have done. I was able to take all the tools and skills I had learned in my life up to that point, sort them out and orient them with a purpose. My childhood was quite stimulated by the arts, music and also the outdoors. I learned to play musical instruments from a very young age, and I drew, painted, etc. But at the same time, I felt a strong calling towards nature. Living in such a geographically diverse country, it is inevitable to feel that interest, I believe. On my 9th birthday, my parents gave me a “toy” microscope with which I could see a hidden world. For a curious child to discover that is quite revealing. I continued making music, playing with bands, but when I got older, I took the camera and started exploring photography and videos, and combining it with the sound aspect. And suddenly I was the one shooting the shows, making video clips, creating the visuals, the artwork, etc.

I have seamlessly moved between field-based conservation work and documentary filmmaking, often intertwining the two as I worked across Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Angola, and Mozambique. The wide range of projects I’ve been part of has taught me that conservation is as much about people as it is about wildlife. It is about stories, connections, and understanding the barriers and drivers that shape human behavior at all stakeholder levels. Witnessing the impact of social science and impact-thinking in field-based conservation work and later experiencing the power of film in capturing realities, I became truly passionate about bridging the two disciplines to help craft narratives that not only inform and document but also inspire action, break down barriers, and drive tangible outcomes to safeguard our planet's most vulnerable ecosystems.

“In today's hyperpolarized environment, it’s challenging for science that doesn’t align with pre-existing biases to reach and impact the people who need it most. Comedy can be a powerful tool in this context, as it exposes absurdities while instilling higher values in audiences who might otherwise tune out. As an educator, I believe it is my duty to protect and empower the curiosity of young people. The youth, with their innate curiosity, are uniquely positioned to challenge conventions. By protecting their curiosity, we can help them become lifelong learners.”

“I can say that I was personally very drawn to Satish’s story because of his incredible spirit of discovery, humble nature, and perseverance to protect sea turtles. In all the years we spent together making this film, I never once questioned the authenticity of his actions. In fact, as I grew to know him better, it only solidified my determination to share his story. I hope that this comes through in the film - for the audience to feel pain for Satish in his moments of vulnerability, joy in his moments of triumph, wonder and awe in his moments of discovery, and all the other emotions he experiences along his journey.”

Rugari and his family live on the border of the Serengeti, next to a pride of lions. During the dry season hungry lions threaten their village, and Rugari is faced with a terrible decision. Livestock is his family’s only income, and he could protect them by poisoning the lions. But if he’s caught he will be sent to jail. His daughter Nyange insists that there must be another way. Shot on location in Tanzania with a local team and director, this film is a nuanced telling of what it means to live with lions.

In Canary, witness the extraordinary life of Dr. Lonnie Thompson, an explorer who went where no scientist had gone before and transformed our idea of what is possible. Daring to seek Earth’s history contained in glaciers atop the tallest mountains in the world, Lonnie found himself on the frontlines of climate change—his life’s work evolving into a salvage mission to recover these priceless historical records before they disappear forever.

My Mercury follows Yves Chesselet, a 28-year-old conservationist who leaves behind the pleasures and comforts of modern life to live on a remote island with only birds for company. Mercury Island, becomes the center of Yves’ world as he makes a cruel pact with nature to wrest 15,000 seals off the island and return it to the critically endangered seabirds of the South Atlantic.

The moral dilemma that ensues is told through diaries, archive and contemporary and past footage shot on the island. Yves’ sister Joëlle tells a multi-layered story, part environmental, part epic tale of one man’s struggle to reverse a nature distorted by human greed. Private diaries Yves kept whilst on the island and 25 hours of his own video diaries, recorded by his closest confidante and soul mate, ‘Vid’, along with the rare birds of Mercury kept him company for the eight years he lived there provide a unique insight to his journey. Ultimately it was a victory for the birds – but at what cost?

If the name Sofía M. Villalpando sounds familiar, that’s probably because it is! Sofía’s been a longstanding member of the Jackson Wild community, starting in 2018 as a SMASH Fellow. She then returned to Jackson Wild in 2021 as a Media Lab Fellow. In 2023, she was one of nine filmmakers in the Jackson Wild and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) Latinx Film Lab.

“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

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.

During Ismaele’s early days as a wildlife photographer, he saw his photojournalism shortlisted in a variety of different international photography competitions. His work also found the spotlight in a handful of international magazines, ranging from Nikon to National Geographic. Now a director and arctic cinematographer living in Norway, Ismaele has continued this trend of success with two of his short documentaries winning awards in several international film festivals, and even being broadcasted on Italian national television. His most recent project, “Arctic Blue,” explores concepts that apply to both Ismaele personally and his global audience.

“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. 

“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 backgrounds and experience levels.

“Growing up, I always felt a connection to nature. I was raised with a forest and stream surrounding my home, with wild animals around my house, and with a lot of space to explore. As a kid and teen, I loved to spend every summer at lakes and in the ocean. Yet only when I was a young adult and traveled to different places around the world and then lived by the sea for a while, I felt the need to do something to help conserve our natural waters. For me, the way to do that was with environmental communication through documentary films.”

Sugandhi makes short films on natural history and wildlife conservation, in both English and regional Indian languages, for education and outreach. She believes that wildlife documentaries in regional languages will make a greater impact to those who who are actually living along side our wildlife. She was a 2020 Jackson Wild Media Lab Fellow and a 2019 Jackson Wild Emerging Filmmaking Scholar. In 2015 she was named by Sanctuary Asia Magazine as one of the nine Indian women wildlife photographers to follow, and in 2018 The Vibe Asia featured her as as one of seven women filmmakers from India who are documenting the wild.

Yang is an independent documentary filmmaker and producer based in between NYC and Shanghai. Although she is based in the metropolis, she was raised in Xi’an, China, where the Szechuan Alps embrace the ancient capital of the Silk Road, and developed deep love for mountains and oceans under the influence of her parents who love traveling for open landscapes. Yang was a 2019 Jackson Wild Summit Emerging Filmmaker Scholar, and also a PADI certified scuba diving instructor. In 2021, she initiated perhaps the first and only open source website, Jilu Commune, hoping to forge collaborations for nonfiction filmmakers based in China.

Nick Zachar is an award-winning filmmaker currently working for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries as their Video Producer/Diver. Through the Stories from the Blue series, he has the opportunity to find and share stories about America’s underwater treasures and, more importantly, the people who dedicate their lives to taking care of these special places. Alongside his team, he is directing, shooting, and editing virtual reality films that will allow viewers to explore the blue from anywhere in the world. Previously, Nick was a Producer/Editor for National Geographic's Digital Team.

The Jackson Wild Collective is an incredible network and community that is bringing natural history filmmakers and conservationists closer together. While this is particularly important at this time, crucially the platform is helping increase access to the industry to many across the world. Being based in Asia, and seeing first hand some of the barriers to local filmmakers breaking into the global industry, I cannot encourage people enough to sign up and join the community. You’ll have access to opportunities from jobs and grants, to masterclasses and events, but more importantly you can shape the industry and those opportunities moving forward.

I am a biology graduate student from Montreal, Canada, currently studying forest ecology at Yale University. Over the past few years I have travelled around the world conducting research and sharing my findings with global audiences. My favourite part of the Collective has been the map feature and finding out there are many other filmmakers in the Jackson community from Canada!