Nat Geo WILD, in partnership with the Sun Valley Film Festival, announced today the third annual WILD TO INSPIRE filmmaking contest. One lucky winner will get to try their hand at filmmaking National Geographic style as they depart on an expedition to AFRICA to document wildlife for NAT GEO WILD viewers. The winner will share their experiences through video diaries, photos, social media and more, giving NAT GEO WILD viewers a taste of what it's like to be a NAT GEO WILD filmmaker.
The WILD TO INSPIRE film CONTEST will accept submissions on Vimeo from Oct. 19, 2015, through Feb. 1, 2016.
Inspired by last year's winning film, "Adapt" by Filipe DeAndrade, which tells the story of a filmmaker who discovers his salvation in nature, submissions should capture stories of individuals letting the wild into their own lives. The goal is to captivate viewers and encourage them to seek out the wild in their own backyards. Films should be no more than five minutes long and will be judged on the following criteria:
The top three finalists will be announced by Feb. 15, 2016, and invited to the Sun Valley Film Festival in March 2016 to screen their films for festival attendees, a panel of judges and NAT GEO WILD executives. The winner will be announced at the festival's closing ceremony, and will receive an expedition to experience and document wildlife in some of the most exotic corners of the world for NAT GEO WILD viewers.
Last year's winner, Filipe DeAndrade for "Adapt," will depart later this year for Africa, where he'll work on several upcoming shows for NAT GEO WILD while documenting his experience through regular blogs, vlogs and social media.
"Felipe embodies our theme of 'Let the WILD In' - his energy and enthusiasm for nature and wildlife jumps off the screen," said Geoff Daniels, executive vice president and general manager of Nat Geo WILD. "We look forward to seeing that same passion come across in the stories told through this year's films."
"We've had the honor of hosting some of the most well-known and iconic filmmakers in years past," added Teddy Grennan, executive director of the Sun Valley Film Festival, "and we're just as dedicated to celebrating new talent. WILD TO INSPIRE is an incredible opportunity to discover and support the next generation of rising stars."
For more information and complete rules, visit www.natgeowild.com/wildtoinspire. Only U.S. residents are eligible to enter this contest.
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 57 million U.S. homes. Globally, NAT GEO WILD is available in more than 192 million homes in 134 countries and 37 languages. For more information, visit natgeowild.com, find us on Facebook at facebook.com/NatGeoWild or follow @NatGeoWild on Twitter and Instagram.
About the Sun Valley Film Festival
The Fifth Annual Sun Valley Film Festival, March 2-6, 2016, will feature a curated slate of more than 60 cutting-edge films and TV premieres, engaging Coffee Talks with top industry insiders, fabulous parties and panels, a Screenwriters Lab led by award-winning writers and the spectacular SVFF Awards Bash. The combination of cutting-edge programming and bona-fide insider access in a fun, relaxed atmosphere is making the Sun Valley Film Festival a rising star in the world of destination festivals. 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 visit www.sunvalleyfilmfestival.org. Get festival updates on Facebook and Twitter.
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