South African conservation documentary, The Edge of Existence, by Black Bean Productions, has scooped a top award at the 10th annual Wildlife Conservation Film Festival (WCFF), taking place from 1 October to 8 November 2020. Out of 150 documentaries at the festival, The Edge of Existence – which took three years to film, with the crew sometimes spending days or even weeks … [Read more...]
Community re-imagined in a social VR World
The annual Nature, Environment & Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF) Congress will take place in a real-time virtual world from 25 – 30 October. NEWF adapted to the reality of the times and have created a truly virtual congress. Delegates will represent themselves as Avatars, and literally interact, engage and network with other delegates and speakers at the … [Read more...]
One more month to comment on internet censorship bill
Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, recently extended the period for comment on the Draft Film and Publications Amendment Regulations, which align with the Films and Publications Amendment Act. Anti-censorship groups have dubbed this the “internet censorship bill” for seeking to regulate what it deems “harmful content” and to corral … [Read more...]
Inspiring women who bring environmental stories to their crafts
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Greenpeace puts the spotlight on female visual storytellers from around the world and their work on nature and the environment. From documenting rivers to climate change and ruminations about sustainable landscapes, these women all share a common passion in bringing their voice to environmental stories that they care about. Ore Huiying, … [Read more...]
HBO documentary focuses on solutions to environmental crisis
Ice On Fire, a new HBO documentary focusing on solutions to our escalating environmental crisis, is now streaming first on Showmax in South Africa, just months after its world premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. The documentary has a 90% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and “should be essential viewing for anyone who plans to carry on living on the planet,” to quote … [Read more...]
SA filmmaker exposes the secret lives of sea creatures
This week on Inside Africa, CNN International explores the extraordinary kelp forest, rich in marine life and biodiversity, on the coast of South Africa’s Cape Peninsula. With award winning filmmaker Craig Foster, the programme learns how The Sea Change Trust is fighting to protect South Africa’s diverse coastline. Foster has been diving through the kelp forest on the … [Read more...]
From Paris to Houston, climate change is an undeniable truth
It's been over 10 years since the release of former US Vice President Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. The 2006 documentary film premiered at Sundance and went on to win two Academy Awards with its combined use of breathtaking shots of Earth’s landscapes and Gore's politician's charm in order to talk about environmental issues. But the real lasting legacy of the film is how … [Read more...]
‘Normal Is Over’ premiere at Labia Theatre
I have seen so many movies about the decline on our planet. What more is there to learn? How to keep strong when you know so much? But there is a local film maker, Renée Scheltema (pictured, right) from the Netherlands originally, who has dedicated the past 5 years of her life – and mostly her own funds – to travel the world and construct a film to communicate this message … [Read more...]
Award-winning soil documentary to have gala screening at Labia
An exclusive gala screening of award-winning documentary Symphony of the Soil is being hosted by the Labia Theatre, Cape Town at 6.30 pm on Sunday 14 August to raise funds for Soil for Life. Join dedicated eco-warrior and MC Nik Rabinowitz for an entertaining ‘green’ evening and help change the world one garden at a time. US based film-maker Deborah Koons Garcia has … [Read more...]
SIMA celebrates best impact documentaries from around the world
The annual Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA) celebrate the best impact documentaries from around the world that inspire activism, compassion and social transformation. SIMA has announced the finalists for the 2016 edition of their unique initiative. The selected finalists will compete in the two categories Documentaries (Features, Shorts) and Impact Videos (Innovations, … [Read more...]
Racing Extinction: “Half of all species will be gone in 100 years”
The man behind the Oscar-winning film The Cove is back with a new eco-thriller that goes undercover to document the plight of endangered animals. Thirty years ago, Louie Psihoyos watched in horror as two young children were killed a few steps in front of him. On a blue-sky day near a market in Perkiomen, Pennsylvania, he noticed a family walking hand-in-hand beside the road … [Read more...]
Ordinary people mobilising to disrupt the fossil fuel industry
The business of unearthing coal, oil, and gas reserves to power the world is a multi trillion-dollar industry. But scientists say that in order to avoid catastrophic consequences, at least two-thirds of these reserves need to remain underground to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius. Ordinary people are joining forces to create a global grass-roots movement, geared … [Read more...]
100 Years of Biodiversity Science celebrated
Have you ever wondered how biodiversity science affects your everyday life? If so, a visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden on International Biodiversity Day on 22 May can give you many of the answers. As part of the Kirstenbosch Centenary celebrations, entry to Kirstenbosch and Biodiversity Day activities on this day is free to the public. It’s an opportunity to participate … [Read more...]
