GENEVA, NEW YORK - Judges and organizers of the 2022 World Wildlife Day Film Showcase have unveiled the finalists of this year’s contest, highlighting outstanding films in 5 categories, selected from a total of over 300 entries from 34 countries. 

In keeping with this year’s World Wildlife Day theme ‘Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration,’ the Showcase includes films that raise awareness to the world’s most vulnerable species and the power of long-term innovative conservation efforts.

The winners will be announced on March 3, 2022, during the global virtual World Wildlife Day celebration. The films will then be made available for free, educational online streaming throughout the world.

The 2022 Showcase is the sixth film competition jointly organized as part of the annual World Wildlife Day celebrations by Jackson Wild, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The films below have been selected as finalists in five categories:

•             Species in Crisis (Long Form & Short Form) Sponsored by: Discovery

•              The Web of Life (Long Form & Short Form) Sponsored by: HHMI Tangled Bank Studios

•              Stories of Hope (Long Form & Short Form) Sponsored by: Terra Mater Factual Studios

•              People & Threatened Species (Long Form & Short Form) sponsored by Sandiego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

•              Micro Movie Sponsored by: Burgenland

"Films can powerfully communicate the awesome beauty of wildlife, the challenges to its survival, and the inspiring actions being taken to ensure its future” said CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero. “The many remarkable contributions to the World Wildlife Day Film Showcase demonstrate how much talent and enthusiasm exists around the world. These films will deserve large audiences for many years to come," said CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero.

“Throughout human history, stories have connected each of us with one another and the world we share in personal and powerful ways,” said Lisa Samford, Executive Director of Jackson Wild. “This is more crucial now than ever before. Media has the power to accelerate tangible ways we can work together as we restore and protect our planet during these critically important times.”

“This year's World Wildlife Day highlights the need to invest in the protection and restoration of ecosystems as part of broader efforts to respond to closely linked crises of poverty, inequality, biodiversity loss, and the changing climate. In this context, the World Wildlife Day Film Showcase plays a critical role in raising awareness and promoting the importance of conservation within the broader 2030 Agenda", stated Haoliang Xu, UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support.

Watch the Showcase here Link.  | View the finalists. Link.

World Wildlife Day 2022 Film Showcase list of finalists are below:

Species in Crisis (Long Form) Sponsored by: Discovery

Malaysia’s Last Tigers

Nuvista Media

Peng Yu Sai

Untamed Planet

Sea of Shadow

Terra Mater Factual Studios in association with Appian Way, Malaika Pictures, The

Wild Lens Collective for National Geographic Documentary Films

Species in Crisis (Short Form) Sponsored by: Discovery

Ferret Town

Caldera Productions

Kaliru

Jeswin Kingsly and Santhosh Krishnan, Felis Creations

Last Wild Places: Majete

National Geographic Society Impact Media Lab

Pango 

The Edit Room Pty Ltd

The Web of Life (Long Form) Sponsored by: HHMI Tangled Bank Studios

Now or Never

Matt Senior, National Film and Television School

The Otter, A Legend Returns

Hilco Jansma Productions, EO (Evangelische Omroep), In cooperation with Ispida

Wildlife Productions

Wings Over Water

Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, Dorsey Pictures, Archipelago Films, SK Films

The Web of Life (Short Form) Sponsored by: HHMI Tangled Bank Studios

How to Count a Wolf 

bioGraphic, Benjamin Drummond, Sara Joy Steele

Living on the Edge

Antonia Salter

Marine Ecosystem Diaries – Shellfish Reefs: Filters of the Sea

The Marine Diaries

The Common Ground 

Conor Ferris, National Film and Television School

Stories of Hope (Long Form) Sponsored by: Terra Mater Factual Studios

Endangered

The Natural History Unit BBC Studios and A Very Good Production for discovery+

Glorious Bustards 

ALTAYFILM, MDR, ARTE, BR, RBB

Last Wild Places: Iberá

National Geographic Society Impact Media Lab

Nature’s Fear Factor

A NOVA Production by HHMI Tangled Bank Studios for WGBH Boston

Stories of Hope (Short Form) Sponsored by: Terra Mater Factual Studios

La Voz Del Mar: Hope for Hawksbill Turtles

Wild Earth Allies, ProCosta, Emic Films

Mexico City and its Sacred Salamanders

bioGraphic, Katie Garrett

The Pangolin Man

Ellie Stones

Wild Innovators: Trees for Tamarins

Wild Elements Studios

People & Threatened Species (Long Form) Sponsored by: Sandiego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Lost - Birds of the Countryside

A FIlm by Heiko De Groot, federvieh produced by Doclights GmbH in association with

NDR, ARTE, Terra Mater Factual Studios

She Walks with Apes

Grand Passage Media Inc.

The Witness is a Whale

A co-production of Spindrift Images, Terra Mater Factual Studios and Mark

Fletcher Productions

People & Threatened Species (Short Form) Sponsored by: Sandiego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Can the Blueback Survive?

Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission in partnership with North 40 Productions

Last Wild Places: American Prairie Reserve

National Geographic Society Impact Media Lab

ReWild: What Ocean Time Machine Experiments Predict About Oysters

Seeker

Wild Innovators: Beyond the Boma

Wild Elements Studios

Micro Movie Sponsored by: Burgenland

Illuminating the Dark Fleet

Ryan Ffrench, Global Fishing Watch

Ordina the Lynx

Miguel Anton

The Last Wolf of Africa

Too Wild Productions

The Turtleman

Jigar Ganatra, African School Of Storytelling

Wake Up & Smell the Flowers

Yaz Ellis

World Wildlife Day 2022 Film Showcase Honorable Mention:

Cao-vit Gibbons' Ark

Guangxi TV Station, Colorful Nature Films, Blibili

Conservation Heroes

Episode 1- Jumara Films, Kenya Films / Grupo INSUD

Gáax'w Ka Haaw: Herring Eggs & Branches

Lee House, Ellie Schmidt

Galapagos: Secrets of the Ocean Giants

Know Your Onions

In Too Deep

Deep Sea Conservation Coalition / Noctiluca

JuJurana's Kingdom

National Geographic Society, Moon Peak Films

On The Brink - Lion Tailed Macaque

The Gaia People, HCL, The Habitats Trust

Mabingwa

 Mays Entertainment, Sidekick Foundation

SURVIVORS: Rediscovering the Short-Tailed Rain Crayfish

Bookend Trust/Bookend Enterprises (Australia)

The Beast of Our Time

Save The Yellowstone Grizzly, Never Give Up Films

The Snow Leopard Calling

Sonam Choekyi Lama, Snow Leopard Journeys

When the Swallows Fly Away

Sébastien Pins, Alchimie Productions

About CITES

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed on 3 March 1973 and entered into force on 1 July 1975. With 183 Parties (182 countries + the European Union), it remains one of the world's most powerful tools for wildlife conservation through the regulation of international trade in over 38,000 species of wild animals and plants. CITES-listed species are used by people around the world in their daily lives for food, health care, furniture, housing, tourist souvenirs, cosmetics or fashion. CITES seeks to ensure that international trade in such species is sustainable, legal and traceable and contributes to both the livelihoods of the communities that live closest to them and to national economies for a healthy planet and the prosperity of the people in support of UN Sustainable Development Goals.

About Jackson Wild

For 30 years, the Jackson Wild Summit has grown a reputation for hosting extraordinary convenings of storytellers, scientists, conservationists, innovators and media stakeholders. The annual Jackson Wild Summit convening  fosters an environment where collaboration and innovation thrive, ideas are launched, and strategic partnerships are forged as participants work together to address critical conservation and environmental challenges facing our planet. Jackson Wild’s international board members include African Wildlife Foundation, Arte France, BBC Studios, Blue Ant Media|Love Nature, Boréales, Conservation International, Discovery, Doclights, GBH, Gorongosa Restoration Project, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, Humane Society International, International Fund for Animal Welfare, National Geographic Partners, National Geographic Society, Nature/WNET, Netflix, NEWF - Nature, Environment & Wildlife Filmmakers, Off the Fence Productions, ORF/Universum, PBS, Saint Thomas Productions, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Seeker, Smithsonian Channel, Sony Electronics, SVT (Swedish Television) The Nature Conservancy, Terra Mater Factual Studios, Wanda Films and World Wildlife Fund US.

About UNDP

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP.

About the United Nations World Wildlife Day

On 20 December 2013, the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 3 March as World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. The date is the day of the signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973. World Wildlife Day has quickly become the most prominent global annual event dedicated to wildlife. It is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the various challenges faced by these species. The day also reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime, which has wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts.