Films from the 2015 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival

 From the “Monkey Kingdom” to the “Bat Man of Mexico,” the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences presents the best of the 2015 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, on Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21. The Museum is the first venue to showcase the award-winning films from the 2015 Festival, considered the world’s premier event for the nature and conservation film genre. The screenings are free, but all donations help support the Museum’s education programs.

“The Museum and its new department, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, look forward to introducing the people of North Carolina and Raleigh to these beautiful and powerful wildlife films,” says Museum Director Emlyn Koster.

[ View the trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG013gTjcUA ]

Film Schedule

Friday, November 20

7:00 p.m.            

“Shark Girl” — Special Jury Award — (58 mins)

For 20-year-old Madison Stewart, nothing feels safer or more natural than diving straight into shark-infested waters. Since childhood, growing up by the Great Barrier Reef, she"s treated these predators as family. But they"re vanishing from existence, and because of their bad reputation, few people seem to care. Follow Madison on her mission to protect our sharks, a battle that began when she put her studies on hold, grabbed a camera, and set out to save these incredible, misunderstood creatures.

8:30 p.m.            

“Natural World: The Bat Man of Mexico” — Best People & Nature Program — (60 mins)

When Rodrigo Medellin was a child, he kept vampire bats as pets, but now his favorite bat is the lesser long-nosed bat, which doesn’t drink blood at all. It doesn’t drink tequila either, but nicknaming it the Tequila bat might be the masterstroke that saves it from extinction, because these little animals are responsible for pollinating the agave plants that tequila is made from. Without tequila, Mexico’s economy would crumble and, when Rodrigo tells people that, they suddenly take a whole new interest in bat welfare.

Saturday, November 21

10:00 a.m.          

“Monkey Kingdom” — Best Sound — (81 mins)

From Disneynature studio, this spectacular tale is set among ancient ruins in the storied Jungles of South Asia. Maya, a clever and resourceful monkey, finds her world forever changed when she welcomes her son Kip into her colorful extended family. As Maya strives to keep Kip safe through unexpected and sometimes perilous adventures, amazing footage captures all the magic and surprises of their magnificent world. Maya and her family will make you laugh and warm your heart as she realizes her dreams for her son’s future.

12 noon               

“David Attenborough’s Natural History Museum Alive 3D” — Best Hosted Program, Best Interactive Media and Best Original Music Score

David Attenborough, Britain’s best-loved broadcaster, presents this documentary film, which makes use of cutting-edge CGI to bring to life the residents of London"s Natural History Museum. From famously extinct creatures such as the dodo and dinosaurs to some lesser known animals from Earth"s prehistoric past, Attenborough highlights the distinctive features of the residents he meets and discusses how they may have lived and died.

1:30 p.m.            

“The Secret Garden: Spring Awakening” — Special Jury Award

The garden has long epitomized paradise, and many of us derive great pleasure in creating our own Garden of Eden. With the help of nature, we fashion a world of beguiling scents and colors. But many of the creatures that live here go unnoticed, leading secretive and mysterious lives. Small field voles make a network of tunnels under the vegetable plot, and a shy weasel hides in the woodpile. Mason bees wallpaper their nest with colorful petals, and tiny ants form partnerships with some of our most gorgeous flowers. As winter gives way to spring and summer, this program reveals in stunning detail the beauty and intimate moments of our garden residents.

3:00 p.m.            

“Wild Yellowstone: Frozen Frontier” — Best Cinematography and Best Editing

After two years, 260 days of shooting and working in conditions as freezing as negative 40°F, the crew at Brain Farm Digital Cinema took it to the next level in our country’s oldest National Park. Covering the brutal winters and burning summers of Yellowstone, they captured game-changing images of America’s most iconic wildlife to tell new stories in their own cinematic style.

Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival

This was the 13^th biennial Festival. Winners were unveiled at the Grand Teton Awards Gala on October 1, 2015. The awards celebration concludes the five-day industry conference that draws leading filmmakers, organizations, scientists, broadcasters and visionaries engaged in conservation and wildlife media to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Submissions in the prestigious competition included a record 1,000 category entries competing for 23 special awards. This year’s winners were selected by a distinguished panel of international judges.