NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NAT GEO WILD, THE SUN VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL AND
THE AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION
ANNOUNCE JUDGES AND MENTOR FOR
WILD TO INSPIRE SHORT FILM COMPETITION
USA TODAY and Mother Nature Network to Help Elect Winning Filmmaker
Acclaimed Filmmaker Bob Poole to Mentor Winner in Africa
(WASHINGTON D.C. – Nov. 25, 2013) Nat Geo WILD announced today, in partnership with The Sun
Valley Film Festival and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), that USA TODAY and Mother Nature
Network have joined the panel of judges for the first annual WILD to INSPIRE Short Film Competition,
which will give independent documentarians the chance to win a wildlife filmmaking apprenticeship in
Africa with acclaimed National Geographic filmmaker Bob Poole.
The WILD to INSPIRE Short Film Competition is currently accepting submissions through Jan. 31,
2014. To capture the WILD to INSPIRE theme, each film should focus on nature, with the goal of
inspiring people to let the wild into their lives every day through content that is awe-inspiring, real,
unexpected and fearless. Filmmakers can enter the competition and get official contest rules either by
going to Without a Box at withoutabox.com or by visiting the Vimeo contest page at
vimeo.com/groups/wildtoinspire.
Nat Geo WILD will fly the top three finalists to the Third Annual Sun Valley Film Festival in March 2014,
where their short films will be screened for festival attendees and a panel of judges, including USA
TODAY and environmental news site Mother Nature Network. Other judges include: Geoff Daniels,
executive vice president and general manager for Nat Geo WILD; Casey Anderson, wildlife expert; Bob
Poole, National Geographic filmmaker; and representatives from Sun Valley Film Festival and AWF.
The grand-prize winner will receive a trip to AWF’s Maasai Steppe landscape in Tanzania, Africa, home
to a host of wildlife, including elephants, wild dogs and lions. There, he or she will receive a crash
course in wildlife filmmaking through an apprenticeship with Emmy Award-winning National Geographic
filmmaker Bob Poole.
“From ‘War Elephants’ to ‘Great Migrations,’ Bob’s work embodies the spirit of this competition,” said
Daniels. “He’s a force in the natural history filmmaking community, and the opportunity to learn from
him on location is truly a unique one-on-one experience that only Nat Geo WILD could provide.”
During their stay, the winner will act as documentarian of record for Tarangire National Park, Lake
Manyara National Park and Manyara Ranch—a wildlife corridor between the two parks supported by
AWF—on behalf of Nat Geo WILD and AWF. Through regular updates, including blog posts, video and
photos, the winner will shine a light on African wildlife with a focus on big cat research and conservation
efforts. Additionally, the winner will give Nat Geo WILD fans an inside look at what goes on behind the
camera and show what it really takes to be a wildlife filmmaker.
As an extension of National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative, the WILD to INSPIRE Short Film
Competition also provides a real-world, hands-on opportunity for filmmakers to Cause An Uproar with
Nat Geo WILD in support of the ongoing effort to halt the decline of big cats worldwide.
For more information and complete rules, visit natgeowild.com/wildtoinspire. Only U.S. residents are
eligible to enter this contest.
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About Nat Geo WILD
For more than 30 years, National Geographic has been the leader in wildlife programming. The networks Nat Geo
WILD and Nat Geo WILD HD, launched in 2010, offer intimate encounters with nature’s ferocious fighters and
gentle creatures of land, sea and air that draw upon the cutting-edge work of the many explorers, filmmakers and
scientists of the National Geographic Society. Part of the National Geographic Channels US, based in
Washington, D.C., the networks are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Cable Networks. In
2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) debuted, and 10 years later, Spanish-language network Nat Geo
Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation’s major cable, telco and satellite television
providers, with Nat Geo WILD currently available in over 58 million U.S. homes. Globally, Nat Geo WILD is
available in more than 144 million homes in 140 countries and 28 languages. For more information, visit
www.natgeowild.com.
About the Sun Valley Film Festival
The Third Annual Sun Valley Film Festival, taking place March 13-16, 2014, features a curated slate of more than
50 cutting-edge films and TV premieres, engaging coffee talks with industry insiders like Hollywood legend Jodie
Foster, fabulous parties and panels, a Screenwriters Lab led by award-winning writers Melisa Wallack and Craig
Borten and a spectacular awards bash with musical guest The Weeks. This coming spring, filmmakers from
around the world will bring their vision to the Sun Valley Film Festival, and movie lovers are invited to watch it
come into focus. For festival details and tickets, visit http://www.sunvalleyfilmfestival.org. Get festival updates on
Facebook and Twitter.
About African Wildlife Foundation
Founded in 1961, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is a leading conservation organization focused solely on
the African continent. AWF’s programs and conservation strategies are based on sound science and designed to
protect both the wild lands and wildlife of Africa and ensure a more sustainable future for Africa’s people. Since its
inception, AWF has protected endangered species and land, promoted conservation enterprises that benefit local
African communities, and trained hundreds of African nationals in conservation—all to ensure the survival of
Africa’s unparalleled wildlife heritage. AWF is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Kenya and registered as
a 501(c)(3) in the United States. For more information, visit www.awf.org and follow us on Twitter @AWF_Official
and Facebook at facebook.com/AfricanWildlifeFoundation.
CONTACTS:
For Nat Geo WILD:
Chris Albert, calbert@natgeotv.com, 202-912-6526
Kristin Montalbano, kmontalbano@natgeotv.com, 202-912-3244
For Sun Valley Film Festival:
Henry Eshelman, heshelman@platformgrp.com, 323-337-9042
Carol Waller, carol@cw-communications.com, 208-720-3965
For the African Wildlife Foundation:
Kathleen Garrigan, kgarrigan@awf.org, 202-939-3326