A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to spend the week at Wildscreen, a world-leading festival celebrating natural world filmmaking and storytelling in Bristol, England.
While there I spent an evening watching the premiers of the four winning films from the 2023 ‘The EDGE of Nature: Short Film Fund’, which supports and nurtures emerging natural world storytellers to create fresh, out-of-the-box stories that engage GenZ audiences and spotlight EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) species.
These species collectively represent billions of years of evolutionary history. When they go, there will be no way to replace them.
EDGE Zones are the ecosystems that provide homes for these essential species, and their total mass of land is equal to less than 1% of the Earth’s land but hold one-third of the planet's terrestrial vertebrates.
Each filmmaker was granted £15,000 ($19,500) to make their films.
First, we saw Would You Still Love Me If I Was A Sticky Frog? from director Myles Storey, a unique film intertwining the classic conservation message from the jungles of Malaysia with a modern long-distance love story.
He said: “I’m so grateful for this opportunity to create an original story about the creatures that don’t always get the spotlight in mainstream natural history programs. What’s even more exciting is the freedom that we are given to create something authentic and unique in this space, all with support from industry professionals.”
Tania Ãlvarez Guerrero brought us her film, The Maya Forest: When A Tapir Gazes Upon You, a stunning and thought-provoking piece about the ancient history and plight of the Central American tapir in Mexico and Belize. Her work is characterized by a deep documentary style, with formal research and overtones that resemble elements from the fantasy genre.
She said:
“Through my projects, I aspire to open a dialogue that delves into the profound questions of how animals perceive the world and the intricate dance of our connection with them.”
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after Will Clothier played his film Ramfy, which told the story of a rescued pangolin that Clothier helped rehabilitate. Pangolins are the most trafficked animal in the world for their meat and scales, never had anyone attempted to hand rear one back into the wild, until Ramfy.
“After first attempting to make this film in 2020 and being unable to do so due to the Covid pandemic, I’m so grateful to finally be able to tell Ramfy’s incredible story thanks to the support of On the EDGE and Wildscreen. There’s so much more to pangolins than meets the eye – and I’m excited to spread this message with a new audience!”
Last but very much not least, was Madame Margaux from Nikki Tan.
This incredible film was shot in the Philippines, where by day Tboli man Rodel Hilado is a dedicated indigenous tourism officer, but by night he transforms into the dazzling drag queen Madame Margaux. The film follows Madame Margaux as she prepares for a local drag show while also working to protect the newly discovered Tboli leaf warbler bird, the inspiration behind her drag costume. It’s a vibrant film full of life, a celebration of Hilado’s tribe’s stewardship of the land they live on, and the harmony between culture and nature.
“Filmmaking has always been a big dream cooped up in this little mind of mine. Growing up, it became a stark reality that dreams aren’t always easy and opportunities are sparse. But since giving up proved to be even harder, it has pushed us to seize every chance and to chase after it fervently.”
Interested in wildlife? Take a look at our guides to the best cinema cameras, the best cameras for wildlife photography, and the best trail cameras.
