WCDF Film Screening 2025
Photo by Caterina Giovannetti
The WCDF had our first successful fundraiser and screening thanks to the hard work from community member, Lucie Machin. We also want to say a special thank you to Wildstar Academy for sponsoring the event, to the staff at the Aquarium, our many community member volunteers and last but not least, Dave, the projectionist at Twentieth Century Flicks, for preparing the films and ensuring that the evening ran smoothly.
We had 50+ submissions for the evening and it was incredibly difficult to put together the event with so many deserving to be screened and not enough time to screen them all. From members who are just starting their careers to members that are well established within the industry, we were impressed with the talent on the screen. Some of our members were showing their films and footage on the big screen for the first time! We had representation from all over the world (films produced by members in the UK, South Africa, Kenya, China, Uruguay, New Zealand and more!).
We wanted to say thank you to those who came to this inaugural Wildlife Cinematographer Diversity Fund film screening. It was a fantastic evening and it was so lovely to be joined and supported by so many of you from within and outside our community. We are very proud to say that almost 150 people attended. We are also delighted to say the funds raised will go towards future training and workshops for the community members- with our mission to keep everything accessible. Thank you for continuing to support diversity!
For those who missed the program: Our evening lineup with details about our talented community members
SAMIRA VERA CRUZ: PRECIOUS HOME
Samira Vera-Cruz is a Cape Verdean film director, producer, dive master, and underwater cinematographer. Her work bridges social sciences and scientific research, exploring the deeper questions behind human behavior. Through her films, she seeks to connect conservation efforts with local communities — not by pointing fingers, but by inviting audiences to reflect on their own roles in the systems they are part of.
Precious Home is the result of a creative collaboration between Samira and Mozambican director and cinematographer Carlos Noronha. After co-leading a storytelling and cinematography lab in Kenya, the two filmmakers returned to Ekhaya, the headquarters of NEWF (Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers) in Sodwana Bay, South Africa. There, they met Precious, a young Nigerian marine scientist who had come to learn how to dive — despite not knowing how to swim. She was studying the ocean, yet had never experienced the underwater world she was so passionate about.
Moved by her story, Samira and Carlos knew they couldn’t miss the chance to help tell it.
NINGJING WANG: IMMACULATE
Ningjing Wang is an ecologist, wildlife filmmaker, and influencer from China, currently based in the UK. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Health Sciences from Yale University and an MA in Wildlife Filmmaking from the University of the West of England, in partnership with the BBC Natural History Unit. She is currently working as a researcher at the BBC Science Unit.
Ningjing is especially passionate about using storytelling to spotlight the conservation needs of “overlooked species”, such as amphibians, within the broader context of agriculture, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Her debut film, Immaculate, follows ecologist Amaël Borzée on an emotional journey to save a rare treefrog species found only in the rice paddies of eastern China. Mairi Eyres and Qiun Cui were also camera operators. The film was shortlisted for the BAFTA Student Awards and nominated for Best Conservation Story at the China Wildlife Image and Video Awards. Most delightfully for Ningjing, it garnered over one million views on Chinese social media, significantly raising public awareness and support for the species’ conservation.
YAZ ELLIS: BEAVERS ABOUT TOWN
Yaz Ellis and Jack Mifflin are award-winning wildlife filmmakers and cinematographers, based in Vienna, Austria. They founded Dream Wild Films in order to create impactful and important wildlife films, focusing on the effects of humans on species that are often overlooked on our planet. So far their films have won awards at Jackson Wild, United Nations’ World Wildlife Day, Green Screen and Innsbruck Nature Film Festival.
They created Beavers About Town to celebrate the 230 European beavers who have made Vienna their home. The film follows one special beaver family who are not able to dam their river, but instead coexist next to thousands of humans, exploring everything this Austrian capital city has to offer. This film is intended to show the incredible hidden lives of these beautiful, charming beavers and hopefully inspire people to experience the magical company of beavers for themselves.
FRANCES DICKINSON: THE SNAPPERAZZI
Frances Dickinson - known professionally as Benthics - is an underwater film-maker, photographer and video editor creating conservation-focused content about our oceans, based in Aoteaora (New Zealand).
Her work is used by scientists, educators and conservation leaders to highlight the beauty, diversity and intrinsic value of life below the waves. Frances lives and works near Te Hāwere-a-Maki / Goat Island marine reserve and in this short film - The Snapperazzi - she talks about some of the playful residents that live there and her concerns for their future.
TATIANA MCCABE: TIDES OF LIFE
Tatiana, a Panamanian-American storyteller with master’s degrees in filmmaking and animation, who recently moved from Brooklyn to Bristol to pursue an MA in Wildlife Filmmaking at UWE.
Drawn to stories of passionate people, her film Tides of Life follows Richard Tesore, founder of Uruguay’s first marine mammal rescue center, exploring his legacy and lifelong mission to protect coastal wildlife.
PAULINE KYALO: ASANTE NYUKI
Pauline Kyalo is a Kenyan filmmaker and environmental scientist who just completed her MA course in Wildlife Filmmaking at UWE Bristol. She is currently using her educational background in science and film to create stories that celebrate the beauty of the natural world while inspiring BIPOC audiences (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) to explore the outdoors and embrace curiosity.
Asante Nyuki (Thank You, Bees) is a short documentary that follows Jason, a dedicated Kenyan beekeeper, as he travels to Nepal to meet the Gurung honey hunters and witness their ancient tradition of harvesting wild honey from 300-foot cliffs using hanging bamboo ladders. Experiencing this unique cultural practice, he reflects on the vital connection that must exist between bees and humans, whether it be in his apiary in Kenya or in Nepal.
Set against the stunning Kenyan and Nepalese landscapes, Asante Nyuki urges viewers to respect and celebrate the essential role bees play in sustaining life across diverse communities and ecosystems.
NIKKI DODD: ONE LAST FARM
Nikki Dodd is a cinematographer and documentary filmmaker with experience working on factual series and documentary features for Netflix, PBS, and BBC. She's passionate about filmmaking that deepens our understanding of nature and people in today’s global, interconnected world.
Nikki's short film, One Last Farm, is a story documentary about Bristol’s last working farm, and its fight to protect a unique wildlife habitat from development. While Nikki shot and produced this film over the course of a year, other Wildlife Camerawoman Community members also had a hand in the production, including Meghna Nandy, Tatiana McCabe, Kelsey Kroon, and Claire Tomlinson.
SUE GIBSON: JACKSON’S WIDOWBIRD SEQUENCE from AIRBORNE
Sue Gibson is a wildlife cinematographer who has been in the natural history film industry for over 20 years, filming around the world for various terrestrial and streaming services.
This sequence was shot in Kenya in May 2023 for Humble Bee Films, for the Sky Nature series Airborne. This Jackson’s widow bird story is in the Love in the Air episode. Sue was the principal director of photography, with Dani Godwin directing, Chrissa Geering editing and Wickliffe Odera as the specialist filming guide and driver.
LUCIE MACHIN: A CLAWSOME TALE (PREMIERE)
Lucie Machin is a film-maker, researcher and conservation biologist, with an MSc in Conservation and Biodiversity from the University of Exeter, and experience living and working in some of the planet’s most remote places. She is passionate about using the power of storytelling for good, focusing on the intersection between human culture and the natural world, and issues of environmental justice. She is particularly focused on integrating impact film-making, and ethical, sustainable and collaborative film practices into her work.
Her debut film, A Clawsome Tale, dives into the wondrous world of The National Lobster Hatchery in Cornwall. Through the eyes - and voice - of Lowenna, a pregnant lobster with plenty to say, we meet others including Cornish fisherman Dan Gilbert and Head of Hatchery Production Ben Marshall. Combining playful storytelling with marine conservation education, this tale reveals a remarkable project working to safeguard the future of Cornwall’s lobsters. This film's edit was produced by Matt Jarvis, with Caterina Giovannetti and Matt Wall also working as camera operators.
FAITH MUSEMBI: MAKING OF A PRODUCER (EPISODE ONE)
Faith Musembi is a producer who is drawn to telling narratives which showcase the beauty of Africa’s natural world and her people, while highlighting the complexity regarding sustainable conservation. Her recent credits include QUEENS (Nat Geo/Disney+), Incredible Animal Journeys (Nat Geo/Disney+), and Chasing The Rains (Love Nature). By day, Faith works on LION, a landmark series from the BBC Natural History Unit, commissioned by National Geographic for Disney+.
During her down time, Faith has also been working on her passion project, Making of a Producer. This is an online series which chronicles the path she has walked to earn the unique distinction as the first African natural history producer.
NATHALIE BREJNER: RECLAIMING THE WILD: RESTORING EUROPE’S BISON
Nathalie Brejner is a Danish independent filmmaker specializing in natural history. With her series Reclaiming the Wild, she uses watercolor-style animations, Nordic- inspired music, and a presenter-driven approach to craft immersive and playful stories about the natural world.
In this film she asks: How did Europe’s largest land mammal—an 800 kg beast—end up on a small, isolated island? Follow wildlife biologist Dr. Alice Morrell on her journey to the remote Danish island of Bornholm, where she uncovers how the European bison came to make its home in such an unexpected coastal landscape.
NATALIE CLEMENTS: BIG WINGS
Natalie Clements is a wildlife cinematographer with a passion for filming conservation stories across the globe.
This film asks: can pelicans save people? When a rural Greek town works together to both protect and monetise the endangered Dalmatian Pelican, this film asks whether this eco-tourism model is one that can be replicated to save both the people and the pelicans in some of Greece's biggest wetlands.
STEPHANIE GUEST, LILY WINTER & CHARLOTTE GILLESPIE: LOOKING UP
Stephanie Guest, Charlotte Gillespie and Lily Winter - all from New Zealand - strive to use storytelling as a way to reconnect people with nature, science and important topics like mental health.
In 'Looking Up,' the camera turns its lens on three individuals whose lives intersect through a shared love for birdwatching. What started off as a student assignment grew into something much bigger when they were trusted with such personal and powerful stories from their characters. As the story unfolds, each character opens up about their personal battles with mental health, navigating the turbulent waters of burnout, depression, anxiety, and trauma. This short film gently reminds us that sometimes, the simple act of reconnecting with nature— watching birds, in this case—can be a powerful remedy to some of life’s challenges. 'Looking Up' is a down-to-earth exploration of personal struggles, resilience, and the unexpected healing that can come from a pair of binoculars and a bit of fresh air.
HELEN HOBIN AND JUSTINE EVANS: HARPY EAGLE SEQUENCE from THE AMERICAS
Justine Evans is a well known wildlife cinematographer whose career has spanned over three decades. She has worked in challenging locations worldwide, filming remote expeditions and blue chip natural history. A love of the tropics led her to a specialisation in tree canopy work, and she has a wealth of experience in rope access and working from height.
Helen Hobin is a wildlife cinematographer specialising in long-lens behaviour and drone filming. She worked on NBC's 'The Americas' as a BBC Camera Bursary, shooting in a wide range of environments from swamps and sea ice to glacial rivers and remote islands.
Each working from a height of 30 metres in the Venezuelan rainforest, the two cinematographers filmed together for Nikki Waldron's 'Amazon' episode, contending with intense heat, constantly swaying cameras and the downpour of rainstorms. This clip shows part of their harpy eagle sequence, with kind permission from NBCU and the BBC. Harpies are one of the most elusive and rare birds of the Americas. They are extremely difficult to film, especially on the nest, and so these shots are very hard won.
Photo by Caterina Giovannetti
Photo by Caterina Giovannetti
Photo by Caterina Giovannetti
It was a wonderful and positive evening in a time we feel that we all needed it! We could not be more proud of everyone who submitted their films and we do hope that we can hold more events like this in the future to showcase our talented community.
Thank you,
Erin Ranney
Director WCDF