This category showcases the work of non-professional filmmakers who have shown great initiative by taking the first step forward in making their own film.
This category is open to new or established broadcasters, film or television production companies/distributors and independent filmmakers from anywhere in the world.
Winner
Professional
Certificate
Trophy
Winner
Emerging Talent
Certificate
Trophy
Jury Selection
(2 per category)
Certificate
Plaque
The Jury Curator is Wildlife
Filmmaker, Sara.
Founder-Director, Dusty Foot Production
Rita Banerji is one of the leading environmental filmmakers in the country and her work has been grounded in using communication as a strong tool for conservation action. In 2017 she was awarded the National Geographic – CMS Prithvi Ratna Award for her contribution to the environment and the RBS Earth Heroes award in 2018. She has been part of three Panda Award-winning films, also known as the Green Oscar at Wildscreen, UK. Her core work is in engaging and empowering the youth, especially from indigenous and grassroots communities, in conservation through the use of the visual medium.
Natural History Filmmaker
With over 17 years of work experience that covers the entire range and breadth of film production, Akanksha has developed and honed her skills, often in extremely high pressure-high demand settings which range from the jungles to tent pole feature films, crafting scripts to negotiating complex acquisition and co-productions, and now to producing and directing her own films. Akanksha’s films have seen first-broadcast on networks like the BBC, National Geographic, Discovery, Channel 4, NHK and many more. Akanksha has won three National Film Awards, a Wildscreen nomination, a UN Film Award, and recently, the World’s Emerging Documentarian Award.
Director, Riverbank Studios
A National Award winner, Gautam Pandey is one of India’s most accomplished wildlife filmmakers. He studied film in Canada and has several national and international awards to his name. Beyond awards, Gautam is someone who lives with a passion for the wild. Born into a family of nature-enthusiasts, his passion for filmmaking started at an early age and he focused it on using the visual medium to bring about awareness about wildlife and document unique animal behaviour in the wild. Gautam has also produced and directed several episodes of the TV series Earth Matters, which is India’s longest running environmental series on National TV 3.
Wildlife Filmmaker
Joanna Van Gruisen grew up in the Northumberland countryside but has lived in the subcontinent since the late 1970s. She came to India in 1981 to make wildlife documentaries and has lived here ever since. An early pioneer of wildlife photography in India (winner of BBC Wildlife Photography awards) she has been part of the conservation scene for several decades - filming, photographing, writing, researching and editing. She presently lives in Madhya Pradesh where she co-runs a small eco-lodge and is active in sustainable tourism fields and local nature projects.
Conservation Biologist
Dr Raghu Chundawat started his career as a conservation biologist more than thirty years ago, with his research on Snow Leopards in Ladakh. Later, he worked as the Regional Science and Conservation Director for the International Snow Leopard Trust. Raghu was also a member of the teaching faculty of the Wildlife Institute of India. He is very closely involved with tiger conservation and research in central India and recently published a book based on his ten-year study there, “The Rise and Fall of The Emerald Tigers”. A recipient of several conservation awards, his work with Panna’s tigers was also made into an award-winning wildlife documentary film by BBC/Animal Planet.
Founder-Director, Dusty Foot Production
Rita Banerji is one of the leading environmental filmmakers in the country and her work has been grounded in using communication as a strong tool for conservation action. In 2017 she was awarded the National Geographic – CMS Prithvi Ratna Award for her contribution to the environment and the RBS Earth Heroes award in 2018. She has been part of three Panda Award-winning films, also known as the Green Oscar at Wildscreen, UK. Her core work is in engaging and empowering the youth, especially from indigenous and grassroots communities, in conservation through the use of the visual medium.
Wildlife Filmmaker
Sara is a wildlife filmmaker and the founder of Evanescence Studios and The Indian Wildlife Channel. He has worked for major networks like the BBC, National Geographic, Animal Planet and Discovery and his latest series was for Netflix. Sara started his journey as a wildlife photographer and continues to share a passion for creating images.
Contest Rules and Guidelines – Terms & Conditions
Everything you need to know before you submit your films.
What is the submission deadline?
Submissions are open from Sunday, April 24, 2022, till Sunday, July 31, 2022. The contest will close at 11:59 PM (India Time – UTC + 05:30) on Sunday, July 31, 2022.
How do I submit my films?
If I face trouble with the submission process, whom should I contact for help?
Write to us at [email protected] for any queries or issues. Before you write to us, please go through the FAQs listed here. We are sure you will find quick answers to some common queries.
After what date must my film have been completed?
In order to be eligible, your film should have been completed on or after April 1, 2018. Films shot before March 31, 2018 are not eligible.
Should I own the copyright for all the content in the film I am submitting?
All content used in the film should be original and belong to the participant or licensed to the participant under a valid license. Nature inFocus expressly disavows any responsibility for, and will not be held responsible for, any unauthorised inclusion of any copyrighted content or materials within or relating to the short film, including any content or materials that are or may become the basis for any third-party claims for copyright infringement.
If I have submitted my production to another festival, can I also enter the Nature inFocus Film Contest?
Yes. We do not require exclusivity.
If my production has been broadcast on television or screened in theatres, may I still submit it?
Yes. Whether or not your production has been broadcast or screened in the past, it is eligible for entry. The filmmaker assumes the responsibility of obtaining relevant permissions.
My film has non-English narration/dialogue. Can I enter?
Yes. However, you must provide a copy with English subtitles or an English voiceover.
Do you offer any prizes?
What are the entry fees? Do you offer a refund?
Participants will be charged a one-time non-refundable fee. The fee structure is:
Why do you charge entry fees?
The modest participation fee covers the costs of bringing together an expert panel of judges to watch and assess each film, as well as submission administration costs and screening venue hire.
Can I withdraw my film?
Fees are non-refundable. If you have made an error in your submission, please contact us at [email protected].
When will I receive the cap?
The caps are made to order in limited quantities. They will be dispatched to you right after the contest comes to a close. Ensure that the postal address you submit is full and accurate. We are not responsible for packages that go missing because of a wrongly-entered address.
What are the contest categories and how do I choose them?
We have two main categories – Emerging Talent and Professional. Here are more details:
Nature inFocus strives to be a platform that encourages emerging filmmaking talent. In this category we would like to showcase the work of non-professional filmmakers who have shown great initiative by taking the first step forward - making their own film. The Emerging Talent category is open only to Indian citizens. (The organisers may request for proof of citizenship.)
This is further divided into two sub-categories.
Be it an animal, plant or a habitat, capture its essence, tell us a story and compel the audience to love your subject and feel for it. You can highlight an interesting behaviour, an incident or just natural changes that are influencing the subject.
Highlight wildlife conservation issues, environmental crisis or any man-made changes and destructive trends to natural environments or wildlife. The scale of the problem does not matter – it could be a simple issue around your neighbourhood or something at the national level. What is important is how you can creatively capture the essence of the problem and convey the message to your audience.
Duration: Any length
Format: Digital HD – 1080 x 1920, 1280 x 720, 4K
This category is open to new or established broadcasters, film or television production companies/distributors and independent filmmakers from anywhere in the world.
This is further divided into two sub-categories.
Films of any length from anywhere in the world, India included. The theme is centred around animal behaviour and habitats that support wildlife.
Films of any length from anywhere in the world, India included. The theme is centred around conservation issues, environmental crisis or any man-made changes and destructive trends to natural environments or wildlife.
Duration: Any length
Format: Digital HD – 1080 x 1920, 1280 x 720, 4K
How many films can I submit?
This depends on the category you submit films to.
What is your preferred submission format?
What information do you need with my film?
Can I change my information after submitting it?
You have time until the contest closes – at 11:59 PM (India time - UTC + 05:30) on Sunday, July 31, 2022 – to amend entry information after submitting it. Once the contest closes, all the information saved on your profile is automatically accepted as your final submission.
What is the judging process?
When will I be notified in advance if I have won a prize?
While you won’t find out exactly what you have won, you will be informed if you are among the winners.
Can I get feedback on my film?
We discourage participants from writing to the jury members for feedback until the final results are announced.
Will my film be screened at the Nature inFocus Festival?
If your film is one of the winning entries, it will be screened to delegates and public audiences at the Festival. The jury may also select some final shortlisted films for this screening. In such an event, you will be asked to provide a high quality screening copy (to be retained in the Nature inFocus archive).
What are the benefits of entering the Nature inFocus Film Contest?
There are many benefits to entering the Nature inFocus Film Contest:
How will the organisers and sponsors engage with me if my film wins?
The organiser of the contest will be allowed to use the winning and shortlisted films, or its extracts in the promotion of the contest and the festival. For any other use, the organisers will contact the filmmakers. The main sponsors for the contest will have the right to use the films or any other data shared by the participant for one year and may engage the winning filmmaker for promotional activities.
Each category, under Emerging Talent and Professional, has a total of 3 prizes:
The cash prize for each of these categories will be: