A film festival to celebrate the big cats
Environment — di Lorenzo Brenna
On the occasion of Nature Day 2018, dedicated to the conservation of big cats, the International Big Cats Film Festival takes place on 2 and 3 March.
A film festival to celebrate the big cats
On the occasion of Nature Day 2018, dedicated to the conservation of big cats, the International Big Cats Film Festival takes place on 2 and 3 March.
Until a few thousand years ago, the blink of an eye from an evolutionary standpoint, big cats were widespread across almost every region of the globe. Their dominion was interrupted, however, by a small, insatiable primate that, from its very first appearance, contributed decisively to the extinction of the megafauna. Today, 13 per cent of wild felids are classified as endangered by the Iucn Red List, and many populations are in decline; a further 34 per cent is considered vulnerable.
Nature Day for big cats
On 3 March, the World Wildlife Day is celebrated, established by the United Nations in 2013. The 2018 edition is dedicated to the protection of big cats; eight species in particular are celebrated: the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), the jaguar (Panthera onca), the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), the leopard (Panthera pardus), the lion (Panthera leo), the snow leopard (Panthera uncia), the tiger (Panthera tigris) and the puma (Puma concolor).
What is the International Big Cats Film Festival
The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) and the Jackson Hole wildlife film festival, a United States festival dedicated to wildlife conservation, have organised a film festival dedicated to big cats. The aim of the initiative is to raise global awareness of the many challenges and threats facing these charismatic species. The idea underpinning the festival is, above all, to harness the power of the media to inspire wonder in audiences and make them active participants in the conservation of big cats.
16 stories of great predators
The festival will take place on 2 and 3 March in New York, at the United Nations headquarters and at the Explorers Club. The sixteen films selected as finalists will be screened. The jury, made up of professional filmmakers and big cat experts, selected the finalist films from more than two hundred entries, divided into six categories: Issues and Solutions, Conservation, People and Big Cats, Science and Behaviour, Short Films and Local Voices.
The films in competition
The films tell of the challenges and positive stories of jaguars, leopards, lions, pumas and tigers, reminding us once again how bare and sad the world would be without their regal tread. "The disappearance of big cats can still be prevented if we act now," said John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General of Cites. "We are deeply grateful to all the filmmakers for submitting their wonderful works, through which we hope to catalyse a wave of support to ensure that these animals survive in the wild." Below, divided into their respective categories, are the sixteen finalist films of the International Big Cats Film Festival.
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Issues and Solutions:
"To Skin A Cat", prodotto da Scholars & Gentlemen, Panthera, Earth Touch, and Beyond, Durban Film Office, National Film & Video Foundation, Peace Parks Foundation.
"Tribe versus Pride", prodotto da Terra Mater Factual Studios and Wildlife Films.
"Looking for Sultan", prodotto da Riverbank Studios.
"Broken Tail", prodotto da Crossing the Line Productions Ltd.
Conservation:
"Big Cats – Episode 3", prodotto da BBC Studios, co-produced by PBS & France TV.
"Jaguars – Brazil's Super Cats", prodotto da BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Nat Geo Wild.
"Broken Tail", prodotto da Crossing the Line Productions Ltd.
People and Big Cats:
"Big Cats – Episode 3", prodotto da BBC Studios, co-produced by PBS & France TV.
"Livestock Insurance Program", prodotto da Figet Films LLC, Pontecorvo Productions.
"Tribe versus Pride", prodotto da Terra Mater Factual Studios and Wildlife Films.
"Broken Tail", prodotto da Crossing the Line Productions.
Science and Behaviour:
"Big Cats – Episode 3", prodotto da BBC Studios, co-produced by PBS & France TV.
"Africa's Hunters: The Misfit", prodotto da Plimsoll Productions, Blue Ant Media, Smithsonian Networks.
"Vanishing Kings – Lions of the Namib", una coproduzione di ORF, Interspot Film, ARTE, Smithsonian Networks, Into Nature Productions and Boksdocs.
Micro Movie (meno di 5 minuti):
"Harimau Selamanya (Tigers Forever)", prodotto da Nuvista Media and Rimba.
"Nat Geo Inspires: Collecting Data to Save Gorongosa's Lions", prodotto da National Geographic.
"Pavel", prodotto da World Wildlife Fund-UK.
"Singye", prodotto da World Wildlife Fund-UK.
Local Voices:
"Ranger and Leopard", prodotto da Wildlife Pictures Institute for Jam-e Jam TV Network.
"The Tiger Who Crossed the Line", prodotto da Earthcare Productions.
"Gyamo – Queen of the Mountains", prodotto da Riverbank Studios.