The 2nd addition of the Nature, Environment & Wildlife Film Congress was definitely a peak experience among the scores of conferences that I have attended over five decades.
Africa!
In Durban, we felt Africa’s resurgence. Big time.
- Amazing, youthful talent.
- Exciting projects.
- Eagerness to learn from industry veterans including Off The Fence, Earth Touch, Scorpion TV, Wild Bear and others.
- The Africans shared ideas across multiple cultures and disciplines.
- This spirit took me back to the ‘Seventies when Australians tossed away decades of our “Cringe” before British and American cultures.
- Or to New York in 1980 as the “Indie Film” movement went “Off-Hollywood”.
- SABC is back: Thando Shozi-Malanga was a force throughout the event.
- NFVF led by Acting CEO Shadrack Bokaba, KZN Film Commission and other local buyers and funders were an engaging presence.
Mandela
- Mandela’s 100th birthday was celebrated as NEWF opened.
- His fearlessness inspires us to overcome even our most brutal personal and collective histories.
Science Meets Filmmaking
- It was one of the highest-rated panels when four scientists shared their challenges and progress.
- From left, Phindile Xulu, Tembisa Jordaan, Samukelisiwe Mnguni, Luwi Nguluka with moderator Yolanda Mogatusi.
Poaching & Extinctions
- WildTrust is South Africa’s largest conservation organization and a lead sponsor of NEWF.
- CEO Andrew Venter and Paula Kahumbu, CEO of Kenya’s Wildlife Direct sparked days of intense conversation about anti-poaching strategies.
- Dr Venter later led several guests to witness an unforgettable rhino de-horning operation.
- NEWF highlighted the energy, intellect and organization required to reverse our era of extinctions.
Anesthetized Rhino calf preparing to be painlessly de-horned,
Somkhanda Game Reserve, KZN. Hosts: Wildlands Trust
Expose the Buyers!
- There are two sides to the illegal trade in animal parts that kills rhinos and other creatures:
- Supply Side
African poachers, middlemen and corrupt officials. - Buy Side
Chinese and Vietnamese dealers in rhino horn and other products, their consumers, and the governments that protect this giant market.
- Supply Side
- Kenya-based documentary producer Karl Ammann has invested years on his compelling investigation of the Buyers.
- He is determined to expose how China hosts and tolerates this disgusting trade.
- In his panel with South Africa’s award-winning investigative journalist Julie Laurenz, Ammann argued that Beijing can be shamed by a Western campaign into suppressing the trade.
- I am in 100% agreement.
- We need to continue to make great films about anti-poaching and conservation measures,
- AND balance that effort by relentlessly exposing the Chinese ruling party’s culture of tolerance of the trade.
- I’ll be sharing much more about exposing the BUY Side in future posts. Contact me if you have ideas.
N.E.W. Pitch Finalists
- Yolanda Mogatusi led a terrific all-day strategic workshop for the finalists in the N.E.W. Pitch Competition.
- That’s Yolanda in the white sweater to my right. And on my left, our fellow pitch coach, Nat Geo Society‘s story-teller Dustin Renwick.
- Finalists were: Londiwe Shange from KZN with “Toxic Relations” about life in the South Durban basin; Myles Arendse from Western Cape with “The Eco Brick” which will help us re-evaluate our relationship with trash; Jessica Singh from KZN with “Epic Encounters” looking at saving Africa’s deadliest snakes; Liana Hassim from KZN with “Vida” a homeless woman representing Mother Earth and the challenges she faces; Surprise Matlaila from Limpopo with “Silent Victims” looking at the poaching of African vultures; Tessa Barlin from Western Cape with “Becoming One” a story about Lucky Mahlatsi Rapitsi who empowers rural children through nature and wildlife photography; Emily Cross from KZN with “Part of the Pack” about the African Wild Dog; Tumo Maokisa from Botswana with “When We Worked Away” about sustainable organic farming; and Brian Khawula from KZN with“Umelusi” about lessons learned from a rural cattle herder.
N.E.W. Pitch winners, judges and NEWF founders.
Funders
- Funders of NEWF2 were led by NFVF, with KZN Dept of Economic Development& Tourism and Environment Affairs (EDTEA), the Ethekweni Municipality and North West Parks Board.
Thanks!
- That’s Noel Kok and his partner Pragna Parsotam-Kok, founders of the runaway hit NEWF: Nature, Environment & Wildlife Film Congress.
- Many thanks for inviting me to join the band.
More
- Hilary Sparrow’s Big Takeaways (and more photos).
- And the NEWF Programme here.