Jackson Wild: Nature. Media. Impact.
  • Home
  • About
    • Get Involved >
      • Donate
      • Become a Partner
      • Volunteer
      • Internships
    • Board of Directors
    • Advisory Council
    • Our Team
    • News Room
    • Shop
    • Contact Us
  • Summit
    • 2022 Summit >
      • Summit Photos
      • Program & Schedule
      • Transportation >
        • Airport Transportation
      • Speakers
      • 2022 Partners
      • About Burgenland
    • Summit Archive >
      • 2021 Summit >
        • 2021 Summit Sessions
        • Program & Schedule 2021
        • Speakers
        • 2021 Partners
      • 2020 Virtual Summit >
        • Speakers 2020
        • 2020 Partners
      • 2019 Summit >
        • 2019 Program & Schedule
        • 2019 Session Recordings
        • 2019 Programming
        • 2019 Exhibitors >
          • Exhibitor Workshops
          • XR Demos
        • 2019 Partners
      • 2017 Festival & Summit
      • 2015 Festival & Summit
      • 2013 Festival & Summit
  • Awards
    • Media Awards >
      • 2022 Media Awards
      • 2021 Media Awards
      • 2020 Media Awards
      • 2019 Media Awards >
        • 2019 Judges
      • Media Awards Archive
    • Special Jury Recognitions >
      • 2022 Special Jury
      • 2021 Special Jury
    • World Wildlife Day Film Showcase >
      • Conservation Heroes
      • Recovering Species
      • Forests
      • Biodiversity >
        • Biodiversity: Final Jury
      • Living Oceans >
        • Ocean Finalists & Winners
        • Living Oceans Final Jury
      • Big Cats
      • Elephants
    • Legacy Award
    • Rising Star Award
    • On Tour >
      • Films
      • Schedule
      • Host an Event
      • Tour FAQ
  • Frontiers
    • Media Lab >
      • 2022 Media Lab Fellows
      • 2021 Media Lab >
        • 2021 Media Lab Fellows
        • 2021 Media Lab: South Africa
        • 2021 Media Lab Mentors
      • 2020 Media Lab >
        • 2020 Media Lab Fellows
        • 2020 Media Lab Contributors
      • 2019 Media Lab >
        • 2019 Media Lab Fellows
    • Summit Fellowship >
      • 2022 Summit Fellows
      • 2021 Summit Fellows
      • 2020 Summit Fellows
      • 2019 Summit Fellows
    • Cinematography Lab
    • Partner Labs >
      • African Conservation Voices >
        • Kenya
        • Rwanda
      • 2020 Wild Women Media Lab: Africa
      • 2020 Summit Kenya Lab
  • Collective
    • Narration Writing Masterclass
    • Action Coalitions >
      • 2021 Action Coalitions
      • 2020 Action Coalitions
    • Gear Hub
    • Virtual Event Details
  • Blog

Wild Talk

Jackson Wild Film Festival – Finalist QuestionsAnswered by Producer Jonny Keeling and Director Fredi Devas

1/31/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
What did you learn from your experience making this film/program?
Watching wildlife is about the most mindful thing you can do. Sat alone on an Antarctic coastline.
There’s no one else for hundreds of miles and no sign of humanity. You’re just watching and
listening. Watching the penguins and waiting. Waiting for them to do something. Waiting to film.
People ask if it’s challenging or if you need extreme patience, but there’s nothing challenging about it. It doesn’t matter that it’s cold or windy or that it’s icy. I just found it really fascinating to sit from first light at 5am ‘til last light at 9pm, to watch and observe and then to capture a moment and turn it into engaging images to create an inspiring story – that’s about as good as it gets.

What impact do you hope this film/program will have?
What I really love is the idea that audiences will come and enjoy the film. I want them to feel happy, inspired, and awestruck. BUT I also want people to feel hopeful and uplifted about what can still be done to reverse climate change and biodiversity loss. I also want the audience to take away the profound thought that actually what happens here in Antarctica is really critical for all of us and it’s worth fighting for.

Were there any surprising or meaningful moments/experiences you want to share?
For one sequence, we were working with some Argentinian scientists and the Argentinian navy who were the most hospitable, friendly people. They fed us every day, they housed us and some nights they danced with us – we were all in our full Antarctic gear wearing huge boots and overalls dancing the tango at the end of the earth. That was a wonderful memory. 

And of course, the memory of the gorgeous penguins. When the chicks grow up and shed all their fluffy feathers, their parents have left and the young ones then all walk down to the sea to take their first swim. They’re sat next to you waiting to plunge into the icy ocean. During those
moments, some of them fall asleep just a couple of meters away – they’re so trusting. That’s a
really sweet moment and it makes it all the more heart breaking and nerve wracking when they do finally jump into the sea, and you watch them try to evade the jaws of a massive leopard seal.

Did the film team use any unusual techniques or unique imaging technology?
We took drones to Antarctica. They allowed us to film behavior that you wouldn’t normally see.
We also filmed deep under the ice with timelapse cameras to give a perspective of a rarely seen
world.

What is your favorite shot and why?
There was one incredible animal moment where I suddenly thought, ‘OK, that’s in the film’: A
penguin was being chased through the sea by a leopard seal and managed to just escape by leaping out of the water and onto an iceberg. The leopard seal then jumped out of the water too and up onto the iceberg right next to the penguin. The seal began inching closer to the poor little penguin that was just exhausted. And this was happening right in front of us! We were filming the action from drone, from the land and from the water. The leopard seal has its jaws wide open, and the penguin leant forward and tried to peck this huge predator to get it away. Imagine a 30-centimeter-high penguin and a three-meter-long leopard seal – it’s completely David and Goliath! It was so brave and what happened next? Well, I won’t spoil it, you’ll have to see the film.

What do you feel is most important to remember when conveying information via film?
Not many people get the chance to go to Antarctica, so our goal is to connect to that continent.
It’s wild, it’s extraordinary, it’s spectacular. And I hope it’s entertaining and engaging in that
respect. But the key thing, especially considering lots of children are going to be watching this film, is to inspire them with hope. The idea that there really are solutions to climate change, to the
struggles the natural world is facing, and even in places really far away that you wouldn’t have
considered, there are things happening that give us a lot of hope. And that’s what I want people to leave the theater with, feeling like there’s something that can be done. That Antarctica, a frozen continent that’s miles away, is something worth protecting. Something we can still protect.
0 Comments

Finalist Film Q+A with Yaz Ellis, Director of Wake up & Smell the Flowers

1/25/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Q: What inspired this story?

Yaz: I created Wake Up & Smell the Flowers to celebrate European Ground Squirrels, an
absolutely adorable species! I moved to Vienna in September last year, which meant the
ground squirrels were already in hibernation. So making this film was actually my first time
experiencing these beautiful animals! I was inspired to create this film from some gorgeous
photographs of the ground squirrels and flowers I had seen. I thought what could better
represent Spring than adorable ground squirrels embarking on a frantic flower feast! That is
something everyone just has to see!

Q: Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film/program?

Yaz: I aim to create all my films to have only the smallest carbon impact possible. Thanks to
Vienna’s amazing public transport network and with a bit of leg power, this film was created
without a single car journey (and also without flights). Carrying gear through a combination
of buses, undergrounds and trains, plus a 3.5km hike, allowed me to film the ground
squirrels! It was absolutely worth the extra effort, knowing this film was created with such
small carbon emissions.

Q: What impact do you hope this film/program will have?

Yaz: European Ground Squirrels are endangered and threatened. Despite being a protected
species, their habitats are still being destroyed and fragmented due to agricultural
expansions and building developments. I really hope that this film will raise awareness for
this beautiful species and hopefully inspire those who live in the same countries as ground
squirrels, to help them. Currently European Ground Squirrels are resident in: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic,
Greece, Hungary, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Turkey.

How can you help European Ground Squirrels?
  • Pressure governments to ensure their protection
  • Oppose construction on ground squirrel habitats
  • Support conservation groups taking action for ground squirrels
  • Only feed a ground squirrel sunflower seeds, flowers from their habitat, or pieces of
  • apple or carrot.

Q: Were there any surprising or meaningful moments/experiences you want to share?

Yaz: Although I filmed lots of ground squirrels, I spent most of the time focusing on the couple
featured in the film. It was a very beautiful experience as I watched their relationship over
time. They paired up almost as soon as the female awoke from hibernation. I then witnessed
their interactions and affection with each other grow, as well as the male fending off many,
many other males. Once the female was pregnant, they were so focused on preparing for
the new arrivals, particularly the female running back and forth constantly to collect nesting
material, every single morning as soon as the sun was up.

The male ground squirrel is a very curious and friendly little guy, who was often coming to
check out me and my camera, jumping into my camera bag when possible and even getting
comfy in my fellow camera operator, Jack’s, shoes. Everytime he interacted with us, I just
could not stop smiling! It was a beautiful experience witnessing a huge part of these little
animals’ lives. I am also very happy to report that a few weeks after filming finished, two
adorable babies emerged from the couple’s burrow!

Q: What next?

Yaz: I am continuing filming and working on stories about Vienna’s wildlife. You would be
surprised just how much amazing wildlife there is in this beautiful city!
0 Comments

Q+A with Olivia Haun, Director of Bayou City, 2021 Jackson Wild Finalist

1/18/2022

1 Comment

 
Picture
  • Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film/program?
    • I may have flown my brand new drone into the murky waters of the bayou on the first day of filming…no big deal!
  • How do you approach storytelling?
    • My approach to telling Bayou City was through a series of place/character vignettes that also guide us through overarching umbrella topics, such as history, habitat destruction, advocacy, habitat preservation, habitat restoration, and environmental outreach. Each vignette isn’t directly connected to the next, but they all support each other, both in theory and in reality. 
  • What impact do you hope this film/program will have?
    • My goal with this film has always been for people to shift their perspectives. What you think is a concrete jungle is actually a biodiversity hotspot. What you think is just a ditch used to be a thriving ecosystem. I hope people come away from this film with a new understanding of Houston, of its people, of its natural spaces, and knowledge that there is immense beauty, even within our urban spaces. But if we don't actively work to enhance and protect them, then it’s going to ultimately work against us. We have ecological support systems all around us. All we have to do is support them in return. 
  • Were there any surprising or meaningful moments/experiences you want to share?
    • One of the most meaningful aspects of this film is that I was able to capture the voice and story of Mark Kramer, Conservation Director Emeritus at the Armand Bayou Nature Center. Mark is a legend in Houston’s conservation community. However, since the production of the film ended, Mark has subsequently lost his ability to speak due to health issues. It was a joy and an honor to capture Houston’s history through his eyes.
  • Any fun facts about the film/program, the subject matter or the production crew that might surprise the audience?
    • Through a grant from Fin & Fur Films and Explore Ranches, I was able to hire one of my dearest friends, Megan O’Connell (@lapsidasical) to be my production assistant and assistant editor. I couldn’t have done it without her!
1 Comment

Q+A with Kevin Sim, Writer and Co-Director of Day Zero

1/10/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture





​What did you learn from the making of this film?


Directors make and shape their films, but it is also true that films make and  shape their directors.; They reduce what you take for granted. 
For me, making Day Zero radically altered my conception of “Earth” for example, and “Nature”. With every location these concepts became more precious, more fragile, more vulnerable.
The expression ‘living in harmony with Nature’ took on a new and challenging meaning.
And because Day Zero -  a global water crisis - is now a near certainty, a catastrophe that will soon  affect everyone; and because its impact can be alleviated only  if we all pull together in a concerted global effort, the making of the film revealed to me the debt that each of us as individuals owes to humanity as a whole. We can’t turn our backs on this story.
 
How do you approach storytelling?
 These days, there’s always an apocalypse happening somewhere, but it’s normally happening somewhere else. Global warming, climate change, water crisis, most people may have strong opinions about such things, but they can’t always find them. We thought it was our job to help them.
We wanted to make an environmental film for people who do not watch environmental films. We wanted to beat drums. We had a message and we wanted it to be heard. We wanted to give climate change a human face and global crisis a local habitation.  Yes, Day Zero is a film about potentially catastrophic shifts in natural weather patterns – but it’s also about your hamburger and fries.
Water is the element that links everything to everything else. Just like film editing.  So Day Zero would tell the story of the Water Crisis in a way that only film can.
 
It would be a film that could cut from Outer Space to a slum kitchen in a South African township; from the Civil War in Syria to the cattle pens in Kansas; from the vast underground caves of Florida to the heart of the Amazonian Rain Forest.
Day Zero was conceived as a rallying cry -an unashamedly demotic, down to earth film about the future of the Planet.
It is a beautifully shot film with a terrifying warning, but also a film that finds in our shared humanity a solution - a way to fight back.  
 
What impact do you hope this film will have?
Modern life on earth, the life we have grown used to, Is unsustainable -  there’s not enough nature to go round. 
Near the end of the film the narrator says: “People used to say that water was Nature’s way of talking to mankind”.
We hope that people will start listening.



0 Comments

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All
    Astronomy
    Bajau
    Conservation
    Documentary
    Film Festival
    Filmmaking
    Fishing
    Grand Teton
    Indonesia
    Jackson Hole
    Jago
    National Park
    Nonprofit
    Observatory
    Ocean
    Oceanconservation
    Physics
    Planetarium
    Science
    Solar Eclipse
    Stargazing
    Tetons
    Tourism
    Wildlfie
    Wyoming

    RSS Feed

Subscribe to our e-newsletter
Support us with a donation
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

About Us

Board of Directors
​Shop
Get Involved
Our Team
Privacy Policy
Join our Mailing List
​News Room
​Donate
​
Code of Conduct

Summits

2022 Summit
2021 Summit

2020 Summit
2019 Summit
Become a Partner
Volunteer
​Archive

Awards

Media Awards
Special Jury Recognitions
2022 Media Awards
​2021 Media Awards
2020 Media Awards
2019 Media Awards
​Legacy Awards
​
On Tour
World Wildlife Day Film Showcase

Frontiers

Media Lab
​​African Conservation Voices
​Summit Fellowship

Contact Us

Jackson Wild
240 S. Glenwood, Suite 112
PO Box 3940
Jackson, WY 83001
307-200-3286

info@jacksonwild.org

SITEMAP

  • Home
  • About
    • Get Involved >
      • Donate
      • Become a Partner
      • Volunteer
      • Internships
    • Board of Directors
    • Advisory Council
    • Our Team
    • News Room
    • Shop
    • Contact Us
  • Summit
    • 2022 Summit >
      • Summit Photos
      • Program & Schedule
      • Transportation >
        • Airport Transportation
      • Speakers
      • 2022 Partners
      • About Burgenland
    • Summit Archive >
      • 2021 Summit >
        • 2021 Summit Sessions
        • Program & Schedule 2021
        • Speakers
        • 2021 Partners
      • 2020 Virtual Summit >
        • Speakers 2020
        • 2020 Partners
      • 2019 Summit >
        • 2019 Program & Schedule
        • 2019 Session Recordings
        • 2019 Programming
        • 2019 Exhibitors >
          • Exhibitor Workshops
          • XR Demos
        • 2019 Partners
      • 2017 Festival & Summit
      • 2015 Festival & Summit
      • 2013 Festival & Summit
  • Awards
    • Media Awards >
      • 2022 Media Awards
      • 2021 Media Awards
      • 2020 Media Awards
      • 2019 Media Awards >
        • 2019 Judges
      • Media Awards Archive
    • Special Jury Recognitions >
      • 2022 Special Jury
      • 2021 Special Jury
    • World Wildlife Day Film Showcase >
      • Conservation Heroes
      • Recovering Species
      • Forests
      • Biodiversity >
        • Biodiversity: Final Jury
      • Living Oceans >
        • Ocean Finalists & Winners
        • Living Oceans Final Jury
      • Big Cats
      • Elephants
    • Legacy Award
    • Rising Star Award
    • On Tour >
      • Films
      • Schedule
      • Host an Event
      • Tour FAQ
  • Frontiers
    • Media Lab >
      • 2022 Media Lab Fellows
      • 2021 Media Lab >
        • 2021 Media Lab Fellows
        • 2021 Media Lab: South Africa
        • 2021 Media Lab Mentors
      • 2020 Media Lab >
        • 2020 Media Lab Fellows
        • 2020 Media Lab Contributors
      • 2019 Media Lab >
        • 2019 Media Lab Fellows
    • Summit Fellowship >
      • 2022 Summit Fellows
      • 2021 Summit Fellows
      • 2020 Summit Fellows
      • 2019 Summit Fellows
    • Cinematography Lab
    • Partner Labs >
      • African Conservation Voices >
        • Kenya
        • Rwanda
      • 2020 Wild Women Media Lab: Africa
      • 2020 Summit Kenya Lab
  • Collective
    • Narration Writing Masterclass
    • Action Coalitions >
      • 2021 Action Coalitions
      • 2020 Action Coalitions
    • Gear Hub
    • Virtual Event Details
  • Blog