Film submissions

Film submissions to the 2024 Pridelands Wildlife Film Fest juried competition are now open. At Pridelands Wildlife Film Fest, our work is solely focused on the documentation of wildlife species, natural history and conservation storytelling.

Our jury seeks to identify the best audio-visual productions which demonstrate scientific accuracy, ethical decisions made during production and demonstrate key efforts to improve our natural world. It also prioritizes a robust representation of perspective in each category.

Pridelands Wildlife Film Festival, the 3rd edition Coming MAY 2024
Venue and dates TBA.

Since 2004, Natalie Cash has served as the Executive Producer in charge of video production at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), an international conservation organization founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society. Today, WCS works to conserve the world’s largest wild places in 14 priority regions, home to more than 50% of the world’s biodiversity. WCS also operates the largest system of urban wildlife parks in the world – Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo and New York Aquarium on Coney Island – educating four million visitors each year about the importance of conservation. With three decades of experience in the industry, Cash directs, writes and edits short-form programming about WCS projects and stories for multiple platforms. The films she produces for WCS help advance conservation and understanding of our natural world, advocate for stronger policy and raise funds to support this work. Her films have won awards at the International Wildlife Film Festival and New York WILD and have been selected as finalists at Wildscreen and the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. Cash is a Fellow of The Explorers Club and serves on the Board of the New York WILD Film Festival and the Advisory Council of Jackson Wild. Prior to joining WCS, she was a series producer and writer at the Emmy Award-winning documentary production company Pangolin Pictures where she worked on a diverse slate of documentary, children’s, nature and reality programming. 

Sarah-Jane Walsh is a Bristol based Blue Chip Natural History Director. In a past life Sarah-Jane was a Marine Biologist specializing in Climate Change and Coral Bleaching. Wanting to reach a bigger audience with conservation messages Sarah-Jane began working in the Wildlife Film industry and has since worked on Planet Earth II, Our Planet and A Perfect Planet. Sarah-Jane is currently working at BBC Studios on an upcoming Blue Chip landmark Series. Sarah-Jane specializes in leading teams in some of the most challenging environments including Underwater and Cold habitats.

Tosh Gitonga is a director, producer and founder of a new production house, Primary Picture. He has been on the Kenyan and African film scene since 2002. Having directed award winning films like Nairobi Half Life, which was selected as Kenya’s entry to the 85th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, Tosh is easily one of the most celebrated filmmakers in Kenya and Africa.

David Tosh Gitonga is Kenyan by birth and residence. He terms his journey into film as a beautiful coincidence. He is self-taught, gaining his experience from working closely with respected film producers and directors like award winning, Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run (1998), The International (2009).

Tosh treasures the learnings from his humble beginnings as the tea boy and handy man on sets. He rose through the ranks and, in 2009, got his big break when he directed a thirteen-episode series, Changes, for one of Africa’s highest-ranking broadcasting and production houses, MNet.

One of Tosh’s strong points is his versatility, directing not just films and TV series, but over 100 commercials for top tier companies in Kenya and East Africa including Safaricom, MTN Uganda, Tusker Kenya and many More. Always challenging himself and reaching for more, Tosh’s latest film, Disconnect (2018) won Best Male Supporting Actor/ Best Sound and Best Cinematography at the Kalasha Kenya Film and Television Awards (2019) His latest work is 2 episodes on an upcoming South African Netflix original Series in Post production. Tosh is currently working on a new Exciting teen drama Series called Volume.

The gift of storytelling is what turned Likarion Wainaina into an award winning cinematographer and film/television director.  With no formal film training, it is passion, practice and presence in the industry over the last ten years that has enabled Likarion to master the art of filmmaking.   One of his first film, BETWEEN THE LINES, made history by becoming Kenya’s first film to be projected on an Imax screen. His next short film, BAIT, was selected as one of the top shorts to be screened at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.  He is also the co-founder of Kibanda Pictures a film production company that aims to tell African stories in an African way.  His most recent feature film, SUPA MODO, received the Children’s Jury Special Mention at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival and continues to be acclaimed at various film festivals around the continent and internationally amassing a more than 50 awards from all around the world and becoming Kenya’s Oscar submission to the 91st Academy Awards,

Makbul has become a trusted brand synonymous with versatility. As an all-round creative with 15+ years of experience, he is passionate about delivering quality performances whether on the silver screen, the airwaves or on stage.

An award-winning actor, Makbul is loved by fans for his leading roles in Aunty Boss, Varshita, Makutano Junction, County49 and Crime & Justice currently showing on Showmax.

He will always be remembered as the voice of Capital in the Morning, the face of the humorous Donovan on Aunty Boss and the mind behind numerous Ads, as well as successful events and productions.

Makbul continues to hone his skills through sheer hard work and refined charm.

Karin Slater was invited as a lifetime member of the Academy and judge of the Oscars in 2020. She works as a director and cinematographer with her main interest in indigenous wisdom and wildlife. Her speciality is big cats having hand raised, two leopards, a lioness and working closely with cheetahs and tigers while living in remote parts of Africa. Her documentaries have screened at Sundance, Berlinale, Hot Docs, Museum of Modern Art, New York, Wildscreen and she has won numerous awards including the Trailblazer Award for innovative and creative work in the field of documentaries at Mipdoc, Cannes 2008, Best Feature Documentary at the International Innovations Film Festival 2019, Switzerland and she’s been eligible for an Oscar. She’s also a teacher of documentary filmmaking and was head mentor at Big Fish film school for seven years and has been a lecturer at Selkirk College, BC, Canada.

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