1. Request for footage.

I'm looking for footage of "bottom trawling" - the industrial fishing process which invloves dragging massive (2 km long) nets attached to wheels across the sea bed.It causes massive amounts of damage to the ecosystems on the seabed - breaking off corals, disturbing essential sediments etc. To see a stretch of sea bed which has been bottom trawled is the equivalent of witnessing clear-cutting of ancient forests. As the search for decreasing fish stocks moves to ever-deeper waters, sea mounts, the biodiversity hotspots of the oceans, are increasingly threatened.
Greenpeace is launching a major campaign to protect sea mounts later this year. Footage of unspoiled seamounts is relatively easy to obtain, as is the aftermath of destruction. What I need is footage of the trawl nets in action, on the sea bed. So far I've managed to source one very grainy 10" clip. If anyone has footage, or knows where I might find it, please get in touch! Whatever the quality, I'm interested!

Many thanks,
Martin

Martin Atkin
Head of Images
Greenpeace International Images Unit
Ottho Heldringstraat 5
1066 AZ Amsterdam
+31 20 514 8150 (switchboard)
+31 627 000057 (mobile)
www.greenpeace.org

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2. Request for footage.

Dear all,
 
Got an email from a great guy I met from WCS - it goes like this:
 
I'm looking for a copy of any documentary about the dangers of introduced species that a colleague of mine can have shown to senior Govt officials in North Korea (yes the Dear Leader!!). Any ideas where I might get something?
Best
Colin

Colin Poole
Country Program Director
Wildlife Conservation Society Cambodia Program
PO Box 1620
Phnom Penh
 
I'td be really great if we can help (I'm sure we can!) because this is going straight to the top in North Korea!
 
If you have any films or any leads please get back to me ASAP.
 
Cheers,
 
Chris Dickinson
Executive Director
Wildlife Asia Ltd
 
t: +65 6274 3635
m: +65 9040 4469
 
www.wildlifeasia.org
www.filmmakersforconservation.org

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3. Request for footage.

Ellis searching for Squirrel & Raccoon footage
 
Ellis Vision, Canada's leading producer of wildlife films currently celebrating its 40th year in production, is developing a project to feature 'clever' squirrel and raccoon behaviour.  The project will be primarily focussed on the animals' relationship to humans, so the footage must involve scenes such as opening doors, getting into boxes or jars, escaping from traps, spectacular leaps onto birdfeeders, foiling pest control devices, operating heavy machinery, etc.  The producers are not looking for footage of typical behaviour in the wild.  Any film or video format would be acceptable.  (No, we don't actually expect anything involving heavy machinery.)  Please contact:
 
kip@ellisent.com

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4. Tiger War- A New Special Wildlife Documentary for TV and Video

The subject of this story is a formidable hunter on whose empire the sun is now setting.

The setting for our story is an overpopulated world that has usurped most of the territory of the tiger. A stolen kingdom in which man, previously fearful and reverent towards the great feline is leaving him without territory, without prey, without a future. A world of superstitions, for which each one of the parts of the powerful feline represents a remedy for frustrations, impotencies and illnesses. Traditional lies that are killing off the last tigers.

This is the story of a fight to the death. A battle between men that will decide the future of the tigers. Without time for long-term plans, only direct action can halt the otherwise inevitable extinction. It is a war with innocent victims on both sides, an international struggle in which tigers and men die as a result of the immoral greed of invisible traffickers that run the illegal trade in the different parts of the tiger.

This is, in short, the story of one species' fight to save another, of man against his dark side, of the belated attempt of one super-predator to help another, who he has brought to the very edge of extinction.

A NEW SPECIAL WILDLIFE DOCUMENTARY FOR TV AND VIDEO

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF A FIGHT FOR THE SURVIVING
A TRUE STORY BETWEEN THE LOVE AND HATE FOR THE TIGER

A PRODUCTION FROM TRANSGLOBE ( LINARES ) AVAILABLE IN ONE HOUR

Joaquin Linares
Managing Director
Gondwana Films
tel.+34 91 6326160
fax.+34 91 6326867
joaquin@gondwanafilms.com
gondwana@gondwanafilms.com
www.gondwanafilms.com
www.transglobefilms.com
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5. Wildscreen's call of the wild

Wildscreen the world’s largest and most prestigious international wildlife film festival has just announced the call for entries for its coveted Panda Awards, the wildlife and environmental equivalent of the OSCARS®.

The festival celebrates and rewards the finest wildlife and environmental films in the world during a week long festival of events held from Sunday 10th – Friday 15th October 2004 in Bristol, UK - the Hollywood of wildlife film-making.  In 2002, Wildscreen attracted nearly 400 films from 36 different countries.

This year sees a broadening of the award categories to increase the range and topics related to the natural world, these include popular broadcast, earth sciences, news and campaigning ensuring that Wildscreen remains the most important event in the wildlife and environmental film-making industry calendar.

Wildscreen is an opportunity for people from all around the globe to gather to discuss technical, editorial and scientific developments in their industry. The 2002 Festival was attended by over 650 delegates from 35 countries, bringing together the world's top wildlife and conservation filmmakers, leading environmentalists, scientists, zoologists, commissioning editors and students.

Wildscreen 2004 promises to be the most exciting festival yet with world class speakers that include Sir David Attenborough, Jane Goodall and Richard Leakey. There will be an increased range of seminars, workshops, debates and masterclasses as well as an extra cinema which will allow more screenings of festival entries as well as the chance to show some wildlife ‘classics’.

       
For all Panda Award categories, entry requirements and up to date information on the festival visit www.wildscreenfestival.org

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6. International Wildlife Film Festival Update

Festival Week: MAY 1-8, 2004

The deadline for early bird registration (and a discounted registration fee) is fast approaching, so don't delay.  If you haven't received a registration form with your entry packet and would like one, you can visit our Web site's Entry page at http://www.wildlifefilms.org/festival/entry.htm and download the form as a PDF or contact us and we will be happy to mail, fax or email a  Registration Form to you.

VISIT OUR NEW WEB SITE!

We recently launched our new Web site - http://www.wildlifefilms.org, which will help you keep up with our schedule of events as things get confirmed between now and Festival. Basic information and some of the key highlights are already posted, including available Accomodations.

WHAT TO EXPECT FOR THE 27TH FESTIVAL

The Filmmakers' Festival, as its known for its hands-on, intimate atmosphere is also the longest running film festival of its kind and promises to be jam packed with exciting seminars, invaluable workshops and quite simply, the very best films and evening events ever.  For the 27th IWFF, you can look forward to a rewarding film experience whether you're a veteran filmmaker or a newcomer!

With daily workshops both in the field and in studio (beginning as early as Sunday, May 2nd) exciting seminars and dynamic, ground-breaking panel discussions, the 27th annual festival will focus significantly on conservation efforts around the world and the ways in which film is making a dramatic difference (some may argue this latter point, but there is plenty of evidence to indicate an impact). Plus, some of the most unforgettable evening events and field trips into the wilds of Montana, guarantee a not-to-be-missed festival May 1-May 8, 2004.
 
Special thanks to SONY Electronics for its generous donation of projection and workshop technologies.
       
For the 27th festival, just a few of the highlights to look forward to:

• Day-long seminar and workshop on Conservation in Central America, led by award-winning filmmaker Rick Rosenthal now affiliated with the Marviva Foundation
• Anatomy of Award-Winning Films with some of the leading names in the field including representatives from Discovery, BBC, National Geographic, WNET, Sundance, National Wildlife Productions and Universal
• Underwater Filmmaking Techniques straight from the Olympic-size swimming pool at the nearby University of Montana led by two of the best underwater filmmakers in the field.   
• Field and studio workshops sponsored by Kodak, SONY and other technology leaders.
• Dynamic workshops - How to Be a Star Presenter led by Chris Palmer, President and CEO of National Wildlife Productions, Music Scoring for Film, led by Charles Denler - Little River Music, Sounds From the Field, Copyright Issues and International Distribution, to name just a few. 
• From Pitch to Production - How Do They Do It?  (Last year, several newcomers not only pitched their projects but walked away with solid contracts.  Hear from some of them, the ins and outs of getting your film project off the ground)  
• Covering the Uncovered - Some of the hottest wildlife and environmental stories that haven't been told in film or television.     
• Award-winning screenings every day and evening at the historic Wilma Theatre       
• Keynotes by:
•  Dr. George Schaller, Scientific Director of the world-leader, Wildlife Conservation Society sponsored by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and
• Tim Kelly, president of National Geographic Television & Film   
• A Western Barn Dance, sponsored by National Geographic Television & Film
• Parties sponsored by Discovery Channel, Kodak, Marviva Foundation, Montana State University's Graduate Program in Natural History Film, Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks and many others
• Field trips that include Fly Fishing, Floats, Horseback Riding and Rodeo Demos
• A spectacular Awards Ceremony, produced by Spirit Creative, hosted by Chris Palmer, sponsored by Kodak at the historic Wilma Theater

CONTACT US
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need any assistance with registration, lodging, transportation or other issues. 
• Mail: 718 S. Higgins, Missoula, MT, 59801
Tel: 406.728.9380
Fax: 406.728.2881
Email: iwff@wildlifefilms.org 

               WE HOPE TO SEE YOU IN MISSOULA THIS MAY!

 
Janet Rose                                            Lisa "Kersch" Kerscher
Executive Director                                        Festival Associate

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7. Whales, Dolphins and Conservation Film-making

 
Wildeye have now finalised details for a new training opportunity: Whales, Dolphins and Conservation Film-making in Tenerife 14-21 September 2004 and are ready to take bookings.
 
This unique one week trip has multiple aims - to learn about cetaceans (whales and dolphins), their behaviour relevant to filming on the surface and their conservation, to film them from inflatable Zodiac boats, to explore the role of TV and film in conservation, and to explore the wildlife of Tenerife.
 
Tenerife (a little Spanish island - one of the Canary Islands - just off the west cost of Morocco) is one of the great whale watching centres of the world with 28 species of whale and dolphin migrating through the surrounding waters. Tenerife has a wealth of other wildlife too and over 40% of the Canary Islands' land is protected in the form of national parks and UNESCO world heritage sites.
 
Accommodation will be in the beautiful and peaceful ecological retreat centre la Hacienda Cristóforo in Playa Paraíso which has its own swimming pool. You will see a little-known side to the island which few tourists go to. We use local providers, supporting low-impact rural and ecological tourism, and observing the cetaceans in a low-impact way.
 
Places are strictly limited to ten - we advise booking asap as we expect them to go fast.
Full details and itinerary at www.wildeye.co.uk/tenerife.html.
Costs: UKP 745 per person plus flight
 
If you would like a place, initially you must check availability with at info@wildeye.co.uk, requesting to have a place held for you.

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Just a quick note before the next two news items:

There are two sides to every story and there has been a lot of interest following last month's news letter 56, (item no.7.)

I have included below responses from the Vartys and Stuart and Li (Save China's Tiger).

Obviously this is a very sensitive issue and one very pertinent (and one to watch) for the industry as a whole. On the forthcoming noticeboard/forum, there will be the opportunity to discuss issues/cases such as these and a whole lot more.

8. Right to reply- Response to previous WFN 56 (news item no.7.)

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

18 February 2004

Dear Karen

We are astounded that you have seen fit to publish slanderous and defamatory statements about us, not to mention the highly-respected Discovery Channel ("Discovery Film Proclaimed as Fraud; Broadcaster to be Sued").

We are furthermore extremely disappointed that you did not at least allow us the opportunity to respond to the allegations. Had you done so, we would have assured you that Stuart Bray has no rights to the film "Living with Tigers". Our production house, Londolozi Productions, negotiated the production and started shooting long before Bray invested in Tigermoon Sanctuary.  

We hold leases over the land used for the production and our contract is with Discovery, who funded the film on a "full commission" basis. Any statement to the contrary is a figment of Bray's fertile imagination.

We did not steal money from Bray. He invested $3,25 million in the sanctuary because he was excited by the success of the Bengal tiger rehabilitation project that was already under way. The money is fully accounted for as confirmed by the auditors of both parties. Bray has title to the land purchased with his money. He has suffered no loss.

We do not hold with Bray's description of Ron & Julie as "trash tigers that are not worthy of conservation". More than half a million Discovery viewers who have logged onto our website seem to accept that Bengal tigers are worthy of conservation efforts.

To be honest, we don't really understand what drives Bray and his partner, Li Quan.   It seems that they are obsessed with rehabilitating South China tigers to the exclusion of all else.

It is notable that they turned against the project when we refused to accept the demands of the Chinese Government that, in return for two captive born South China tigers, Tigermoon Sanctuary would be solely responsible for establishing a tiger sanctuary in China, including the costs of relocating local populations!

Fortunately, most people see their accusations against us as wacky and suggestive of paranoia and/or megalomania. Their vitriol and vindictiveness is probably due to a loss of face, or frustration at an evil plan gone wrong

With or without Bray, the tiger rehabilitation project will continue. As part of the ongoing experiment we will use DNA mapping to test the sub-species theory, i.e. do all mainland Asian tigers have the same genetic material, or (to misquote George Orwell) are some tigers better than others?

Patently, the film is not a fraud. Ron and Julie are now surviving and killing for themselves in the wild. This is a groundbreaking achievement that has been buried under the weight of the human egos involved.

Ron and Julie will be relocated to a much bigger area once the dispute with Bray has been resolved.   

The next step is to use our Bengal tigers as "instructor tigers" for other captive born tigers that will also be taught to survive in the wild. This means that Siberian, South China, Bengal and Sumatran tigers can all pass through the Ron & Julie "academy". Some may produce wild-born tigers for repatriation to sanctuaries in their home territories.  

Stuart Bray has already been put on notice that his earlier defamations against us will result in a major claim for defamation. His reckless persistence is likely to result in punitive damages.

We request that this letter be given equal prominence to the media statement issued by Bray.

Yours sincerely,

John and David Varty

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9. Right to reply- response to the Varty's

Dear Karen,

Those who know well the Vartys and the facts surrounding this case will not be surprised by the Vartys' feigned astonishment. The Vartys confidently launch a barrage of blatant lies secure in the knowledge that very few people will bother to spend the time to investigate the facts. Indeed, the falsehoods in their most recent letter are too numerous to address individually here so we have addressed the main points. For those who are interested in further information, we are happy to provide documented proof of all of our claims.

First, the Vartys lie when they suggest that the ending to the documentary "Living with Tigers" is accurate, and that Ron and Julie have been released to fend for themselves in the wild.   This release has never occurred and Ron and Julie are, even today, kept in small enclosures with routine human interference.   In fact, Ron and Julie are regularly loaded into a cage barely bigger than the tigers themselves for transport from one small enclosure to another just so the scenery will change to give the impression that the tigers have been released into a larger area.   Additionally, we have witnessed canned hunts in which the film crew repeatedly chased prey into the path of the tigers just for the sake of dramatic footage.   Their letter (not surprisingly) fails to mention that Jonathan Varty has admitted, in a sworn affidavit, that the release at the end of the documentary never actually occurred and constitutes what he calls "poetic license" which he blames on The Discovery Channel and claims is inserted to make the documentary more interesting for viewers.   We feel that Discovery's viewers deserve more. They deserve to be told the truth.

Second, I am aware that the allegation of theft is a serious one.   It is not lightly made.   Far from being a "figment of Bray's fertile imagination", Deloitte & Touche concluded in a forensic audit that the Vartys have stolen more than ZAR10 million (ca $1.5 million) intended for the Chinese tiger project. Even the Vartys own auditor, PWC, have stated that, had they been shown the key documentary evidence which was originally withheld from them and which Deloitte and Touche were shown, they would have reached the same conclusion as Deloitte & Touche. And, the respected investigative news program "Carte Blanche", after reviewing all material documents, advanced the same allegations.   For a transcript of their broadcast see the following link: http://www.mnet.co.za/CarteBlanche/Display/Display.asp?Id=2203    

Third, the Vartys also lie now about their right to film on the sanctuary land: They say they "hold leases over the land used for the production".   The Vartys don't "hold the lease" over a single hectare of land in the sanctuary.   They know this, and have admitted as much in several sworn affidavits which they have filed with the South African High Court. Indeed, their claim to be entitled to film on the land is so spurious that a South African High Court Judge has already interdicted them from delivering any further footage filmed on that property.   Not surprisingly, they neglect to mention this in their letter.  

We can demonstrate that the Vartys have lied in their film, in the press, and in the South African courts.   They have lied about their tigers, about us, and about the Chinese government.   Their behavior is not only unethical, but also illegal.   Discovery has, at best, turned a blind eye. At worst, they have aided and abetted the Varty's behavior. The legal process is slow, but inexorable and the Vartys will be held accountable in the South African courts.

For further information, please contact Kate Reynolds at kate.reynolds@mailbox.co.uk

Yours truly,

Stuart and Li

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10. The WHO Media Award

WHO/Europe will be giving a Media Award to mark the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health (2004), dedicated to "The future for our children". 
http://www.euro.who.int/eprise/main/WHO/Progs/BUD/20030624_3
Entries are invited on subjects related to children's health and environment.
These could feature for example, the human stories, the science, the politics, or community action on topics such as air pollution, noise, injuries from traffic, chemicals, poor housing, radio masts/radiation, poverty, contaminated water, climate change (e.g. floods), hazardous work, unsafe food, environmental tobacco smoke, asthma or allergy, reproductive health, social issues (e.g. abandoned children). 

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11. Thought this might be of interest?

I came across this on the web (posted 3/3/04) and thought it would interest some of you out there, possibly a great opportunity to bring Wildlife and Environmental issues to a large audience?

CNBC WORLD (A JOINT VENTURE OF NBC & DOW JONES) IS LOOKING FOR INDEPENDENTLY PRODUCED DOCUMENTARIES & TV PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS INTERNATIONAL ISSUES (FINANCE / BUSINESS / INT. DEVELOPMENT RELATED A PLUS... BUT NOT NECESSARY) TO BE BROADCAST ON OUR DIGITAL NEWS NETWORK.
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE BROADCAST IN TO 18 MILLION HOMES ACROSS AMERICA.
IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS PROGRAM / AN INTERNATIONAL TOPIC THAT YOU FEEL ISN'T BEING ADDRESSED OR THAT COULD USE MORE EXPOSURE -THIS IS YOUR CHANCE.
PLEASE EMAIL HAVA.PASHAZADEH@NBC.COM FOR AN APPLICATION & DEADLINE INFORMATION.

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