Congratulations to our 2015 IWFF Award Winners!

After viewing, deliberating and debating, the IWFFl’s competition jury has reached consensus on our awards categories. The winners are:

Best of Festival – Poached
Best Broadcast Feature – Africa’s Giant Killers
Best Theatrical Feature – Enchanted Kingdom
Best Student Film – The Wild Wet
Best Environmental Film – Chuitna: More than Salmon on the Line
Best Short Film – Portrait of an Urban Beekeeper
Best Cinematography – Enchanted Kingdom
Visionary Award – Walking Under Water
Best Broadcast Series – Life Story
Best Human-Wildlife Interactions – EARTH A New Wild
Best Children and Young Adult Program – Marvelous Musical Report
Advocacy Award – Chuitna: More Than Salmon on the Line
Individual Achievement Award – Silencing the Thunder
Best Storytelling –  Return of the River
Best Conservation Message – Return of the River
Best Government Production – The Last Dragons: Protecting Appalachia’s Hellbenders
Chuck Jonkel Founder’s Award – Chris Palmer

Award screenings of select winners will show Saturday at the Roxy Theater. The lineup is:

5:00 pm: Silencing the Thunder & Africa’s Giant Killers
5:15 pm: The Wild Wet & Walking Under Water
6:00 pm: The Last Dragons: Protecting Appalachia’s Hellbenders & Enchanted Kingdom
7:00 pm: Portrait of an Urban Beekeeper & Poached
7:15 pm: Life Story Ep01 & EARTH A New Wild: Plains

Showing Today

11:00 am: Wild Hawaii: Land of Fire & Beak and Brain: Genius Birds from Down Under
11:15 am: Rara Avis: John James Audubon and the Birds of America
1:00 pm: Walking in Two Worlds & Chuitna: More Than Salmon on the Line
1:15 pm: Madagascar: Beyond Africa & Saving Africa’s Giants with Yao Ming
1:30 pm: It’s a Wild Life
3:00 pm: Urban Beekeeper & Love Thy Nature
3:15 pm: Tigress Blood & Mine Detection Rats
3:30 pm: Monarchs & Milkweed, The Realm of the Snow Leopard & Mapping the Blue
Starting at 5 pm: Screenings of the award winning films
8:00 pm: Merchants of Doubt

Today’s Events

Wrap Party @ The Roxy Theater – 8:00 pm

Beak and Brain: Genius Birds from Down Under

Volker Arzt & Angelika Sigl, 52 minutes, 2013

The new prodigies in the world of animals sport feathers and beaks. And they are highly talented. The documentary investigates two of the most clever creatures in animal kingdom. The film’s essence is the contrast between the humorous and agile keas and the rather steadfast and patient crows, but also the contrast of wild, untouched nature and a number of challenging and amusing intelligence tests. Whichever species comes out on top, either the keas of New Zealand, who are crazy about mental exercises and puzzles, or the crows of New Caledonia, who build and use tools depending on their needs, it’s impossible not to love these birds.

Chuitna: More Than Salmon on the Line

Trip Jennings, 30 minutes, 2014

“Chuitna” chronicles the journey of conservation-minded fly fishermen who travel to Alaska’s unspoiled Chuitna Watershed to wade waist-deep into its salmon-rich waters and the fight to defeat the proposed Chuitna Coal Mine. With every cast and every conversation with the frontier Alaskans fighting to protect their homeland, the travelers obtain a deeper understanding of the mine’s devastating impact.

It’s a Wild Life

Kennan & Karen Ward, 88 minutes, 2015

This picturesque snapshot of the Northern California coast captures the beauty of Big Sur through its magnificent wildlife; Condors, Bobcats, marine life and the stories of a long-term caretaker of the land.

Love Thy Nature

Sylvie Rokab, 76 minutes, 2015

Narrated by Liam Neeson, Love Thy Nature is a cinematic immersion into the beauty and intimacy of our relationship with the natural world. And while our environmental crisis threatens the survival of our species, a renewed connection with nature holds the key to a highly advanced new era.

Madagascar: Beyond Africa

ZDF, 43 minutes, 2013

The African island Madagascar doesn’t seem to be similar to its big brother, Africa. There are no elephants, giraffes or lions and also the people, plants and landscapes seem to be from another world. Dirk Steffens starts to search for reasons for this strangeness and discovers fascinating traces and common features from destinations that are from a world far away. Madagascar shows itself as a very mysterious country – beyond Africa. But some scientific studies provide clues as to how this island’s animal and human population evolved, leading to an intriguing variety of species today.

Mapping the Blue

Alison Barrat, 29 minutes, 2014

In 2012 the Cook Islands announced the largest Marine Park on Earth. In stunning 4K imagery this film tells the story of how Kevin Iro, founder of the park, and his team use a high tech GIS system to designate multi-use areas inside the pristine park.

Mine Detection Rats

Axel Gomille, 30 minutes, 2014

In Mozambique, African Giant Pouch Rat are trained to detect land mines. They have extremely sensitive noses, that enable them to find explosives when buried underground. Thus, they can play a vital role on Mozambique’s way to freedom by getting rid of the huge number of land mines that still endanger people, even after the war has ended.

Monarchs and Milkweed

Steven Bumgardner, 8 minutes

Take a microcosmic safari through a field of milkweed and discover a whole world of life, from bees to wasps to hummingbirds to butterflies. The charismatic Monarch butterfly is completely dependent on milkweed for its survival, and places like Yosemite National Park offer protection for this often overlooked plant.

Rara Avis: John James Audubon and the Birds of America

Al Reinert, 93 minutes, 2014

He was one of the most remarkable men in early America. A self-taught painter and ornithologist, he pursued a dream that made him famous in his lifetime and left a legacy in art and science that endures to this day. His portrait hangs in the White House and his statue stands over the entrance to the American Museum of Natural History. Yet the story of John James Audubon has never been told on movie screens.

The Realm of the Snow Leopard

Axel Gomille, 45 minutes, 2014

The snow leopard is highly endangered, but its habitat still exists, since men can barely cope with the harsh conditions of icy high mountain ranges. Thus, every effort is justified to save these cats. “The Realm of the Snow Leopard” shows how people of different cultural background, education and age join forces to save wild places and endangered species, and how much a few dedicated individuals can achieve.

Saving Africa’s Giants with Yao Ming

WildAid, 42 minutes, 2014

Basketball star Yao Ming journeys to Africa to see for himself the brutal consequences of the illegal ivory and rhino horn trade.

Portrait of an Urban Beekeeper

Steve Ellington, 20 minutes, 2014

This project is a short portrait documentary about the Pittsburgh-based urban beekeeper, Stephen Repasky

Tigress Blood

Akanksha Sood Singh & Praveen Singh, 42 minutes, 2014

Tigress Blood is a coming-of-age story as four sister tigers battle each other for dominance over their homeland. But they struggle to survive independently. Desperate and starving, they make a startling choice – join forces to hunt as a pack.

Walking In Two Worlds

Bo Boudart, 63 minutes, 2014

Worlds collide in the Tongass Forest, when the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act turns tribes into corporations and sparks a lengthy logging frenzy. A story of division and redemption plays out between a Tlingit brother and sister, showing the possibility of healing both the forest and the native community.

Wild Hawaii: Land of Fire

Kevin Bachar, 48 minutes, 2013

Wild Hawaii shows you the other side of Hawaii–the WILD side. From red hot lava to icy peaks and massive waves; we’ll take a look as the way sea turtles, cliff-climbing fish, hawks and others have adapted to thrive in this incredible, unique place.

rty at SpectrUM 9pm