WildlifeDirect Inc

Dear Friends, This March, I am celebrating our incredible African wildlife filmmakers. Please join me on this epic cinematic journey! Let’s laugh, learn, and share our intense love of Africa’s spectacular nature. Kuishi na Simba - Living with Lions by Erica Rugabandana https://lnkd.in/drxDF9jD The parallel lives of humans and lions sharing the world famous Serengeti Ecosystem come to a head forcing the entire community to take action.  Kuishi na Simba is a 60 minutes long film by Erica Rugabandana, a debut film by Tanzania's first female wildlife filmmaker. When I first met Erica she was the unwilling star of the party at international film festivals. Her passion is lions, she’s an expert on them and this film has been hugely anticipated on the continent. I am awed by her husband Mr Rugabandana who took care of her children while she filmed the lions! The film opens with spectacular African scenes, you might think you are watching a Nat Geo epic. This is Erica's home, the Serengeti, which is also home to 3000 lions, it's Africas last lion stronghold. But life is tough - as gnu herds migrate lions must follow, and if that takes them into villages it could be explosive. The quiet idyllic life in the village is shattered when lions kills the family cows. As a viewer it’s hard to hate the lions, their 2 month old cubs are adorable. The unfolding story of conflict is a relatable scenario common to many villages across the continent. When angry villagers retaliate against the lions, we understand – they must  protect their families, livestock and livelihoods by killing the offensive lions. But such actions are at odds with what children are taught at school - to be proud of wildlife. The contradiction plays out dramatically as children who have fallen in love with lions during a school trip to the park, take matters into their own hands to solve the crisis. Told in her native Kiswahili, Kuishi na Simba, will air on local Tanzanian TV stations. It will resonate with all Swahili speaking peoples of East Africa and beyond. The production was a community effort with the involvement of untrained actors including local villagers, children, rangers and teachers who courageously take to acting as naturally as if it’s an extension of herding and milking cows.  This incredible project It's all the more impressive as Erica is a young mother. What would you do if lions walked into your back yard and threatened your family? Kuishi na Simba will resonate with communities who share the landscape with deadly predators. It's an essential film for igniting conversations between government, conservationists, scientists, pastoralists, and the tourism industry.  This film encourages better management of this conflict. Erica has been awarded many prizes including best Film at the Pridelands Wildlife Film Festival in 2023 and I expect many more.    #KuishiNaSimba #WildlifeMonth, #AfricanNatureFilms, #ConservationHeroes

Hi everyone, I've been working on an exciting network called the @GlobalEarthEducationCollective. It is a community of visionary educators interested in and passionate about transforming nature conservation, environment and climate change education. It was started by Ribhu Vohra and me, Paula Kahumbu. We exist as a global WhatsApp group, and now we are launching on FB, Instagram, LinkedIn and X to celebrate World Environmental Education Day on 26th January 2024. Greetings everyone, please use the links below to follow *Global Earth Education Collective Social Media Handles* *Instagram:* globaleartheducationco Link: https://lnkd.in/dRygXt8W *X:* Globalearthedu Link: https://lnkd.in/ddfXgeNn *Facebook Page:* Global Earth Education Collective Link: https://lnkd.in/dPXQpMwF *LinkedIn:* Global Earth Education Collective Link: https://lnkd.in/dD5dWehU If you are in the environmental education space you are invited to join our active group to learn, network, share, and have fun. Karibu! A note on the photo - when we started the Wildlife Warriors Kids Field Lab, we invited children to tell us what their vision of the place was. They had some surprising ideas - like they wanted their parents to come and see what they were doing. So we organised a parents tea time at the field lab. The parents were not content to sit and talk, they wanted to walk around the entire facility, and do the nature trail that the kids do, taste the plants, name them and their traditional uses, identify the grasses, birds and footprints. For a day, we were all kids again. And that is what being an explorer is all about.

As an environmentalist deeply rooted in Africa's rich natural heritage, I've witnessed firsthand the incredible stories our continent has to tell, particularly through the lens of nature and climate filmmaking. I produce my own series Wildlife Warriors (26 episodes), I created Team Sayari with White Rhino, Disney and USAID and I presented and was a producer of the Emmy nominated Secrets of the Elephants with Nat Geo and Disney, and I've mentored brilliant talent like Clement Kiragu (see photo). Yet, navigating this field comes with many challenges and, reasons to keep dreaming and for hope in 2024. Challenges Facing African Filmmakers Infrastructure and Funding Hurdles: Many African filmmakers grapple with limited access to funding and infrastructural support. This restricts not only the quality but also the scale of environmental projects we can undertake. Piracy and Policy Gaps: The UNESCO report underscores the detrimental impact of piracy on revenue, coupled with the lack of established film policies in many African countries. This environment can be stifling for creatives seeking to make a meaningful impact. Market Accessibility: Despite a burgeoning appetite for environmental content, reaching a global audience remains a significant challenge, limiting the exposure and impact of our crucial narratives. However, It's Not All Gloom There's an undeniable wave of optimism in our industry. PwC's Africa Entertainment & Media Outlook for 2023-2027 projects robust growth in digital content consumption and OTT platforms, suggesting an expanding audience for our stories. Furthermore, initiatives like NEWF, AWF, WildlifeDirect and Nat Geo are empowering a new generation of skilled environmental filmmakers. Three Keys to Success for African Filmmakers Embrace Digital Platforms: To circumvent traditional market barriers, we must harness the power of digital platforms. This means not only creating content but also mastering the art of digital distribution and marketing. Leverage Local Stories with Global Appeal: Our strength lies in our authentic stories about the uniqueness of our environmental stories. We need to tell these stories in a way that resonates globally, highlighting universal themes of conservation and climate change. Invest in Skills and Collaboration: Continuous learning and collaboration are non-negotiable. Partnering with international filmmakers and attending global forums can provide us with the necessary skills and exposure. While the road may be challenging, it is lined with opportunities. Our stories are not just African; they are global. They speak of a planet we all share. By harnessing digital innovation, focusing on impactful narratives, and fostering skill development, we can turn these challenges into stepping stones for a brighter, more sustainable future. Together, we can bring the heartbeat of Africa's wilderness to the world. #AfricanFilmmaking #EnvironmentalConservation #DigitalInnovation

It wasn't possible to prepare properly for such a spectacle as the Emmy's. I was blown away by it all, and was feeling a belonging for African nature and wildlife filmmakers and story tellers. Thank you Jim Cameron for trusting the Secrets of the Elephants Team to tell the stories about our magnificent elephants to draw attention to their incredible secrets, and to create global interest in their future. I am truly indebted to Nat Geo for the opportunity to present the series and to the incredible team that pulled it off. Only some of us were able to come to LA and we really missed the members of the team who couldn't make it, we were all part of something quite magical. I am especially grateful to the experts without whom we could not have told these incredible stories, especially Joyce Poole. I was joined in the field by Ferina Othman and Hendrick Munembome who both appear in the series, I really hope that we can do Secrets of the Elephants 2 because elephants need all the attention that such a series can bring. It was a glorious night and I was reunited with many of the crew members who have become good friends. We didn't carry the Emmy home, but I was so happy to be part of something this big, and to see the friends films win like The Territory and 1619 by Roger Ross Williams - someone whose career trajectory in film is just beyond anyones wildest dreams, and who has set the bar very very high for all of us.