A Year of Groundbreaking Achievements: Celebrating Wildlife Camerawomen in 2024

As we look back on 2024, it has been an exceptional year for the Wildlife Camerawomen Community members, with their numerous accolades, industry milestones, and game-changing contributions to wildlife storytelling. This newsletter celebrates the extraordinary work of our members, whose efforts in blue-chip productions, documentaries, conservation films, and groundbreaking cinematography have shaped the year. Your continued support has played an integral role in making these achievements possible. Thank you for standing by us and for believing in the power of storytelling to inspire change.

Awards and Recognition: A Year of Triumph

2024 has seen our members receiving prestigious recognition, both for their individual and collaborative contributions. From BAFTA wins to global festival accolades, here are some of the standout awards and recognitions:

The series, ‘The Sound Collector’, that Natalie Clements worked on as a live action DoP won a BAFTA for best animated series.
Olivia Andrus-Drennan’s film, ‘The Dolphin Dilemma’, premiered at Cannes Film Festival as the first short science-based documentary shown. It has currently attended 77 festivals across the world with 48 awards, and is still going through a festival run.
Romilly Spiers won 3 prestigious awards- ACS Golden Tripod, an ACS Gold Award and theRTS Award- for cinematography
Nene Fembe got multiple nominations for best documentary for her short documentary film and it’s still making rounds in Europe
Erica Rugabandana won the Wildscreen Panda Award for Emerging Talent for her film ‘Living with Lions (Kuishi Na Simba)’.
Lia Nydes won Wildscreen’s Wildpitch Animal Behavior award for a project she has been working on as a cinematographer called ‘American Lion’ with Fin and Fur Films.
Abi Thomas appeared on BBC Breakfast to discuss how drones were used to capture the tiger sequence for BBC Asia.
Jasmine Corbett’s films ‘The Manta Trust Global Network of Collaborators’ reached the finals of the Big Syn International Film Festival and ‘Mantas of Makunudhoo’ reached the finals of the Smiley Charity Film Awards. She also co-organised a World Manta Day event at the Natural History Museum in collaboration with Focused on Nature and Steve Backshall.
‘Queens’ team won Best Series 2024 at both Jackson & Wildscreen as well as numerous other nominations & awards
Mairi Eyres won Best Student Film at the International Wildife Film Festival for her film 'Grasping the Nettle' and it was also nominated for the Royal Television Society Student Awards in London. She also attended the Vancouver Queer Film Festival with her short film 'Dyeing for a Pocket'. And Ningjing Wang's short film 'Immaculate' (which she was a camera operator for) was longlisted for a student BAFTA!
Ningjing Wang’s film “Immaculate”, featuring the conservation story of a rare Chinese tree frog, was shortlisted for the BAFTA Student Awards and nominated for Best Conservation Story at the China Wildlife Image and Video Awards. The film also amassed over 1 million views on Chinese social media, gained media coverage from major outlets including China Daily, and raised significant conservation awareness for this species. Additionally, Mairi Eyres’s film “Grasping the Nettle” (which she worked on as a camera operator) won Best Student Film at the International Wildlife Film Festival and was also nominated for the Royal Television Society Student Awards in London.

Recent Broadcast Credits: Blue-Chip Success

Our community has made its mark on blue-chip wildlife productions, bringing unparalleled expertise to some of the most highly anticipated projects of the year:

Sugandhi Gadadhar had 2 principal photography credits across two episodes in BBC Asia. As well as a wildlife cinematography credit in ‘Guardians of the Gibbons’ aired on The Guardian.
Tania Escobar had a principal credit on the new series BBC ‘Mammals’ where she filmed the opening sequence featuring Capuchin monkeys for the ‘Heat’ episode. She also had a cinematography credit on National Geographic ‘Queens,’ where she filmed bonobos for 7 months in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and in Netflix ‘Our Home.’ Tania has also been working as a principal camera on multiple shoots for the upcoming BBC/Nat Geo series LION as well as other shoots for BBC HOME Africa and Humblebee.
Katie Wardle has been principal camera on multiple shoots including: standard and thermal long lens sequences for Humblebee, Springwatch, Jack Wolfskin and as underwater operator for an upcoming series for Silverback, Offspring and Amazon Prime drama. She also had shots on the new release, ‘Billy and Molly’ on Disney+.
Natalie Clements pitched the Wildlife Camerawomen group and the main episode at Newport Wetlands to Countryfile and filmed it with an all female crew. Katie Wardle taught long lens operating and was the representative contributor for the WCC coverage on Countryfile.
Sue Gibson worked on Offspring’s latest series for the first half of 2024. And ‘Airborne’ by Humblebee premiered- she shot the widow birds sequence in the ‘Love in the Air’ episode.
Sophie Darlington is the DoP on LION, a 4 part series for National Geographic, wrapping this year after almost 3 years on location.
Romilly Spiers received her first ‘top of the list’ credit for Earthsounds, Ep. 1, ‘Australian Forests.’ She had 7 sequences, across 3 productions, TX this year (A Real Bug’s Life Season 1, Earthsounds, Secret World of Sounds). She also had David Attenborough’s narration over her work for the first time (bumblebees and treehoppers in Humble Bee’s ‘Secret World of Sound’). She also filmed her smallest invertebrate yet- at 1 mm long!
Eleanor Hamilton was an AC/Second Camera for Wildstar and worked on Springwatch again, this time as a Story Developer.
Nicki Mehberg worked on Silverback/ Disney Film for 2 months as primary camera for the impact film (making of and main camera for underwater, topside and drone) Then for the main film as underwater camera for the one month of her time there. Nicki also worked on WILD SIDE OF THE MOON production (UW Camera assistant) and NDA Plimsoll production (UW assistant, safety diver, Freedive and scuba coach, onscreen contributor).
Helen Hobin (Antarctica), Sara Matasick (in Antarctica) and Erin Ranney (in South Georgia/Falkland Islands) all worked on ‘Secrets of Penguins’ with Talesmith. Helen overwintered in Antarctica to film Emperor penguins for the series. From February to November 2024 she was filming long-lens behaviour on the RED Raptor/CN20, drone on the Inspire 3 and Mavic 3 Cine Pro and did collaborative jib and gimbal work with Director of Photography Pete McCowen. Working in snowstorms, in temperatures down to -46°C, through two months of polar night and with no option of flights in/out for a replacement kit, it was an extreme environment and an invaluable experience as a cinematographer. ‘Secrets of Penguins’ premieres on Earth Day 22nd April 2025.
Helen Hobin also was part of a small team filming the B1 wave washing killer whales for the BBC's 'Expedition Killer Whale'. She wrote an article for the BBC about how it felt to be on location. This boat-based shoot involved crossing the Drake Passage, working closely with lead scientists to search miles of the Antarctic Peninsula, GSS assisting, jib operating, gimbal and some human filming.
Ester de Roij worked on ‘Secret Lives of Animals’ that most recently came out - with 3 cinematography credits across the series and was in one of the making-of episodes.
Kimberly Jeffries was an AC on ‘Our Oceans’ for the humpbacks.

Felicity Flashman started the year with more shoots with the BBC Asia team and finished the year with the series being aired. She had camera assistant credits on every episode in the series and an additional photography credit as well as a short clip of her in the behind the scenes. She also shot on Countryfile and worked on the Nat Geo HOME team and on BP3.
Millie Marsden directed a shoot and shot some long lens material for Wildstar’s Disney Nature orangutan film. She started a year-long camera bursary position on the second season of Underdogs at Wildstar films where she has gained experience setting up and filming with a variety of camera systems (RED Raptor, Venice, Ronin 4D, and remote PTZ cameras). She was a shooting AP on the new BBC series Big Cats 24/7.
Stephanie Feinman field produced and shot (drone piloted) for a blue-chip wildlife feature about Qatar’s wildlife, which involved being on location for 4.5 months.
Sophie Darlington, Justine Evans, Sue Gibson, Tania Escobar, Gail Kukula, Millie Marsden, Isabel Rogers, Maru Brito, Erica Rugabandana, Faith Musembi, Alicia Russo, Evelyn Smalley and Erin Ranney were all on the cinematography team for the newly released ‘Queens.’
Justine Evans has been working on Wildstar's Underdogs
Isabel Rogers shot BTS for the newly released ‘Secret Lives of Animals,’
Jocelyn Stokes contributed a pivotal wildlife sequence to the BBC’s ‘ASIA’ series Tangled Worlds episode, featuring an intense battle between two male rhinos, culminating in one losing its horn. She was also DP for another coming BBC Earth series, filming long-lens natural history sequences of iconic megafauna in Yellowstone National Park.
Julie Monière was a camera assistant on BBC - 'Home - Africa,’ camerawoman, assistant and drone operator on BBC - 'Human'
Laura Pennafort had her drone shot as the opening shot for season 2, episode 3 ‘Once a Pond a Time’ in ‘A Real Bug’s Life’
Innes Letch has been working as a full-time camera technician on various series at Wildstar. Currently, she serves as the in-house technician and assistant camera (AC) for the second series of Underdogs for National Geographic/Disney+.

Recent Broadcast Credits: Other

Beyond their impressive blue-chip camera credits, wildlife camerawomen are driving innovation and contributing to media production in exciting and impactful ways. From leading projects both behind and in front of the camera to breaking new ground in conservation storytelling, their work continues to inspire and elevate the industry. Here's a glimpse into the diverse ways our members are shaping the future of media production:

Anna Dimitriadis filming on Big Cats 24/7

Anna Dimitriadis was one of the lead presenters and cinematographers for ‘Big Cats 24/7’- season 1 premiered in 2024 and S2 was commissioned and filmed in the same year.
Roxy Furman had her biggest freelance commission yet, shooting for Emirates in the Dubai Desert, as well as shooting long lens in the Serengeti for Nikon and shooting and producing 2 films for Jack Wolfskin in Europe and the Pantanal.
Olivia Andrus-Drennan and Caitlin Bailey had three expeditions aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and currently are in post production on two deep-sea short films, which will come out in 2025.
Cailtlin Bailey also did 2 expeditions with National Geographic Pristine Seas, in Palau and the Solomon Islands, where she did second shooting, camera assisting, DIT, audio, and photography. She filmed in a manned submersible for the first time.

Melanie Lippert got her first filming and field producing gig (& credit) this year when she filmed as second camera and field produced for the National Geographic Pristine Seas documentary called “Tasiujarjuaq & Weeneebeg: Bays of Life” about Hudson and James Bay in Canada; this film premiered in Ottawa in October.
Ester de Roij shot 2 shoots as main DOP on a new academic film about the Nimba region of Africa which will be edited this year - this involved wildlife and sync filming.
Sophy Crane spent three months DP-ing an exciting new feature documentary in remote Australia, spending many hours shooting wildlife on the long lens, drone and macro, as well as sync with multiple contributors
Sara Matasick shot as DP for ‘Wild Hope’ season 3 for PBS, filming natural history, drone and sync for two episodes: otters and bison.
Jocelyn Stokes and Katie Schuler led an all-female crew including Sara Matasick and Melanie Lippert filming a women-led conservation series called ‘In Her Nature’ for PBS Nature.

Jocelyn Stokes and Katie Schuler leading an all-female crew for their new PBS series

Felicity Flashman travelled to France to work with a different type of filming crew at the Olympics, working as an underwater camera assistant/ tech with the robotics team.
Ningjing Wang also had the opportunity to work as a researcher for a 3-part wildlife series, “Our Home: Wild Guangdong (w/t)”, co-produced by the BBC Science Unit and China’s Guangdong Radio and Television. Although her primary role was as a researcher, she was deeply involved in both production and post-production, contributing to all three episodes. She joined the team for her first big shoot in November, which lasted almost a month. She provided essential on-location support, including assisting with interviews, data wrangling, and camera operation. She helped film some time-lapse sequences in the mangroves.
Julie Monière was a camerawoman and part of the expedition team on 'Perpetual Planet - Felicity Aston: Before It's Gone (B.I.G) Arctic Research Expedition.’

Felicity Flashman filming for the Olympics

Pioneering in Conservation and Independent Film

Beyond major networks and studios, our members are pushing boundaries in conservation filmmaking and independent projects, using their craft to shine a light on crucial environmental issues:

Christy Frank had two films premiere: ‘Flowing Forward’ commissioned for a non-profit land conservancy about land restoration and its impact, and ‘A Bird in the Hand’ which she won a grant to share the story.
Grace Eggleston and Christy Frank just wrapped up filming on a STEM film that they were commissioned to create about women in veterinary science and robotics, premiering in 2025.
Jess Wiegandt directed and collaborated on ‘A River Called Home’ with Grace Eggleston (DP), Beth Ebisch (2nd Cam/Production Sound), and Hyatt Mamoun (Sound Design/Mix), broadcasted with PBS in April and remains a part of their programming through 2026. ‘The Grand Salmon’, a feature documentary Jess was a cinematographer and director for premiered in August and is on tour now - it showed at Kendal Mountain Festival and will join both the No Man’s Land Film Festival and Wild and Scenic Film Festival World Tours for 2025.
Eleanor Hamilton independently produced films for The Wildlife Trust throughout the year, documenting various conservation projects.
Tessa Barlin was second camera op/cinematographer on Will Clothier’s film about pangolins called RAMFY, which was funded by On The Edge and premiered at Wildscreen in October.
Sara Matasick was DP for the ‘Strand to Slough’ expedition film for the Florida Wildlife Corridor, working with fellow camerawoman Lia Nydes, produced by Day’s Edge Productions.
Nicki Mehberg worked on an impact film by RED media (due to be released for Sundance festival) about the work done on coral reef restoration by the Mars foundation. She was UW and topside camera assistant for this project.
Linda Van Rosmalen released 3 short films- "August | Late Summer Magic in the Dolomites | 8k Timelapse", "Autumn Air II | Dolomites Fall 8K Timelapse" and "Arizona Aurora | 8k timelapse"
Nova West (they/them) filmed wildlife in Costa Rica for PBS' long-standing broadcast show, Changing Seas. Nova directed, filmed, and edited their National Geographic Explorer project - a wildlife/travel TV show pilot - which is now in the final stage of editing and is about ready to pitch!
Felicity Flashman spent a few days working at Pinewood Studios, and shot on an independent feature doc (drone, sync and uw) called ‘Rave on for the Avon’ which has now won several awards including one at Windscreen 2024.
Sofía Villalpando worked on a documentary short series since March 2024 with the support of West Chester University for a four-part series called ‘The Secret Life of Animals’ that will premiere in the summer of 2025. Grace Eggleston helped to film the extra footage for this project.
Brynne Rardin and her team won the Pathfinder Prize from Hidden Compass, an 18k grant which will allow them to create a 20 minute documentary (which she will be directing) and an immersive Virtual Reality experience using 360 cameras to authentically capture and tell the story of The Rebel Reef, a story of hope for coral reefs in the Caribbean in Tela, Honduras.
Maria Africa McMullen had the opportunity to be deeply involved in two wildlife documentaries produced by Azor Producciones. Her roles included serving as Executive Producer, as an interpreter and translator during meetings and email communications, and working as a Second Camera Operator and Drone Operator during shoots in Savé Valley Conservancy (Zimbabwe) and Maasai Mara (Kenya). She also provided on-site interpretation between English and Spanish. Additionally, she produced several film projects focused on environmental initiatives, including SOS Buceadoras in collaboration with Asociación FauNatura through her film company Amber Lynx Productions.
Mairi Eyres directed, filmed and edited four short films about regenerative farming for the organization Pasture for Life. She also worked as a camera operator (both wildlife & sync) for a feature documentary about Derek Gow's rewilding project in Devon (w/t Derek's Ark). She also worked alongside Green Planet's Tim Shepherd and Todd Kewley and gained experience helping them set up a timelapse in their studio in Exeter. She filmed Guardian natural history writer, Patrick Barkham, for an upcoming documentary about Roger Deakin and the wild swimming movement.
Sina Strähl was part of a project called Ocean song with a Cello player and Didjeridoo artist, they created an amazing 10 minute song incorporating whale sounds recorded in the field. She was the videographer and editor for their music video and contributed 45 min of stock footage to a visual backdrop for their life performance. Everything will be released by April 2025 so not out yet and is funded by the Queensland Regional Arts Development Fund.
Nathalie Brejner made her first wildlife documentary. It was a short film filmed in Denmark presented by wildlife biologist Dr Alice Morrel, which was her debut on camera. Sony shared two posts about the film on Instagram and LinkedIn (post one and post two). The attention from Sony has led her to collaborate with them on an event on April 3rd. Together they have planned a one day event about wildlife filmmaking held in Copenhagen Zoo. Besides being the direct course for the event, and having planned the concept, she will also be doing a speech/workshop, telling about her experiences and giving advice on wildlife filmmaking.
Claire Tomlinson completed her MA in Wildlife Filmmaking at UWE and produced and self shot her first film, a poignant conservation story from the rainforests of Madagascar which will be shown at the World Primate Conference this year in Antananarivo.

Professional Growth and Development: Bursaries and Programs

2024 has also been a year of growth, with several of our members taking advantage of key industry programs to refine their skills and broaden their horizons. Other members have taken the roles of mentors in order to uplift others:

Helen Hobin worked as BBC NHU Camera Bursary on the 10-part blue chip series 'The Americas', which premieres for NBC Universal on 23rd February 2025 and will be on BBC1 in the spring. She filmed long-lens on all of her shoots (RED/CN20, Phantom Flex, Sony FX6), including cross-shooting with the wonderful Justine Evans from 30m tree canopies, putting her IRATA Level 1 Rope Access skills to use. The range of environments she filmed/flew drone in include rainforest, wetland, prairie, swamp, remote island, sea ice, glacial river, desert and coastal waters.
Roxy Furman was selected to be a part of the nature cohort for the first BBC Creator Lab programme and landed her pitch to Springwatch for a segment about disability in the outdoors.
Tessa Barlin was part of this year’s National Geographic Field Ready Cohort and in May and travelled to Washington DC to take part in a week-long bootcamp, during which she got to present her work with the KhoiSan community of Botswana to the whole staff of National Geographic. In October she completed an internship with Offspring Films, as part of the Field Ready program; Sam Hodgeson was her mentor and got to research, shoot and edit her own little natural history sequence.
Cailtin Bailey became a member of the International Association of Wildlife Filmmakers, board member of the Ocean Media Institute, and a partner photographer/filmmaker with Girls Who Click.
Nene Fembe was part of the NEWF Wildlife Cinematography Lab.
Teresa Carante was selected as a recipients of the Fresh Perspectives in Cinematography Grant presented by AbelCine in partnership with ARRI and the ASC.
Nova West (they/them) directed, filmed, and edited their National Geographic Explorer project - a wildlife/travel TV show pilot - which is now in the final stage of editing and is about ready to pitch!
Jasmine Corbett has been selected for the Girls Who Click 2025 Ambassador Program.
Isabel Rogers started a bursary place course - 'Virtual Production with Sony Venice 2' with MyWorld and the University of Bristol
Justine Evans was very proud of Erica Rugabandana for winning the Emerging Talent award at Wildscreen with her film Living With Lions. The mentoring relationship that started with Queens has carried on in a small way between them and it was rewarding to give her some help and feedback with her important film. Justine Evans has also been doing fundraising talks, campaign videos and more mentoring with the National Film School.

Breakthroughs and New Beginnings

2024 has been a year of firsts for many of our emerging talents, securing significant opportunities in the wildlife filmmaking industry:

Andrea Vale worked her first season on the Nautilus as a video engineer, and made the leap into full-time freelance at-sea documentarian.
Samantha-Lynn Martinez had the Nautilus video engineer internship.

Samantha-Lynn Martinez during her work as a video engineer intern for Nautilus

Skills and Certifications: Advancing Expertise

Our members have continually invested in upgrading their skills and qualifications, setting new standards for excellence:

Katie Wardle trained up on the new Arri Alexa 35 and helped collect wildlife content for their Wildscreen showreel. She also completed her mental health first aid training.
Eleanor Hamilton, Linda Van Rosmalen, Hyatt Mamoun, Teresa Carante, Jess Wiegandt , Stella Ditt, Madeline St Clair took the REDucation course.
Kelsey Kroon got her part 107 US drone license. Helen Hobin renewed her US Drone Qualification. Sophie Crane earned her Australian commercial drone license (REPL). Natalie Clements got her EU Drone certification. Innes Letch has completed her A2 CofC and GVC drone qualifications.
Sara Matasick for her Wilderness First Responder certification and Erin Ranney and Jess Wiegandt re-certified as a Wilderness First Responder. Stephanie Feinman recently completed her Wilderness First Aid certification. Samantha-Lynn Martinez also recently completed Wilderness First Aid. Helen Hobin is trained First Aid in Remote Locations trained (Lazarus)
Felicity Flashman, Abi Thomas, Berenice Mathieu were GSS trained.
Laura Pennefort and Abi Thomas did their Rope Access Course
Stephanie Guest got her masters degree in science communication and filmmaking from Otago University, New Zealand.
Sara Matasick was certified for SSI Open Water SCUBA and Erin Haynes completed her open water scuba diving certification.Laura Pennefort got her Rescue Diver qualification. Lana Young completed her Dive Master course. Felicity Flashman spent two months abroad working on rebreather and freediving skills. Millie Marsden certified as AIDA level 2 freediver on a course that was tailored to the demands of supporting crew filming underwater.
Nicki Mehberg completed her first Antarctic season as an expedition guide, taking people around the Antarctic peninsula, South Georgia, the South Shetland islands, The Falklands and South Georgia. This gave her experience and field time with Antarctic species, diving, and skippering zodiacs in all conditions. She also wrote and gave lectures on board the ship regularly, enhancing her public speaking and writing skills.
Helen Hobin undertook several months of Overwinter Training prior to her continuous 9 month shoot in Antarctica. Courses included the UNIS Sea Ice Safety Course in Svalbard (ice water rescue, rifle handling, polar bear safety, avalanche rescue, first aid), Mountain & Crevasse Rescue Training in Austria (ropework, glacier navigation, emergency scenarios, survival camping), and a week-long Fire Fighting Course (with fortnightly drills on location). The Overwinter prep also involved passing extensive medical assessments and psychological evaluations. Her I-Visa is renewed to work in the USA is valid until 2027.

Festival Highlights

Representation at the Festival
Throughout the festival, group members were actively represented on key panels, thanks to the efforts of Wildscreen organizers who prioritized inclusivity and diversity. Check out our full blog on Wildscreen here.

Natalie Clements, Katie Mayhew and Ellie Sound taught a sync workshop at Wildscreen.
Natalie Clements, Elizabeth Streeter and Sara Matasick ran a sync workshop specifically for the Wildlife Camerawomen Community at Wildstar with the Wildstar kit staff.
Nicki Mehberg worked on the Nauticam stand in the kit hall helping Alex Tattersall sell Nauticam housings and lenses.
Nova West (they/them) taught photography at National Geographic Photo Camp

We had lots of representation on panels for Wildscreen including Lizzie Daly, Katie Mayhew, Natalie Clements, Justine Evans, Erica Rugabandana, Berenice Mathieu, Sue Gibson, Roxy Furman, Libby Penman, Faith Musembi, Tania Escobar, Abi Thomas, Sophie Darlington, Mads St Clair, Nova West, Nicki Meharg, Sugandhi Gadadhar, Sara Matasick and Erin Ranney.

A heartfelt thank you to all participants, organizers, and industry supporters who made Wildscreen 2024 an unforgettable experience for wildlife camerawomen everywhere. You can read more about this in our other blog.

New Showreels

This year, several members have updated their showreels, showcasing their latest work and skills in wildlife filmmaking. These new reels reflect their growing experience and the diverse range of projects they’ve contributed to, demonstrating their capabilities in the field. Here are some of the newest showreels from our talented members:

Ester de Roij new showreel
Elise Gibbins new showreel
Hyatt Mamoun new showreel
Lana Young new showreel
Maria Africa McMullen new showreel

Celebrating the Resilience and Excellence of Wildlife Camerawomen: A Year of Triumph and Innovation

2024 has been an outstanding year for wildlife camerawomen, marked by remarkable achievements, groundbreaking contributions to the industry, and a commitment to pushing the limits of wildlife storytelling. Despite the challenging times currently facing the international film and TV industry—marked by economic uncertainty, production slowdowns, and shifts in how audiences engage with content—our members have not only adapted but thrived. From prestigious awards to impactful documentaries, and from major blue-chip broadcasts to inspiring conservation films, our community has continued to shape the future of wildlife filmmaking. This newsletter celebrates the exceptional accomplishments of our talented members over the past year, highlighting their resilience and unwavering dedication to excellence. A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who has supported our group—your encouragement, collaboration, and belief in the power of wildlife storytelling are the driving forces behind these successes. We are deeply grateful for your continued support!

2024 Yearly Wrap Up