Wildlife filmmakers and storytellers, mark your calendars as the Wildscreen Panda Awards 2025 is now open for entries. For the first time in its 43-year history the awards will become an annual event, reflecting the fast-evolving nature of wildlife storytelling and its pivotal role in addressing global environmental challenges.
Organized by Wildscreen, the UK-based not-for-profit behind the world-renowned Wildscreen Festival, the Panda Awards celebrates outstanding achievements in wildlife filmmaking and television. This year the competition introduces several exciting changes, including the addition of new categories designed to celebrate short-form storytelling, elevate independent productions, and foster more inclusive filmmaking practices.
One exciting addition this year is the Short Panda Award, which welcomes productions under 20 minutes in length. This category reflects the shift in how audiences consume media, particularly younger viewers who increasingly engage with shorter-form content on platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Short films are an art form in themselves, requiring storytellers to craft impactful narratives within a condensed runtime. Unlike previous years, this category opens the door for smaller creators and independent filmmakers who might not have access to studio budgets but possess compelling, important stories to tell. It's an opportunity for creators on a tight budget to reach a global audience and have their work celebrated alongside industry giants.
"Every other year, since Wildscreen was founded in 1982, the Panda Awards have celebrated the human endeavor, commitment, and unique storytelling skill that it takes to connect global audiences with nature," explains Wildscreen CEO, Lucie Muir.
"For the first time, we are moving to annual awards, reflecting the evolution of the industry and the shift in pace, platforms, storytellers, and audiences in the content landscape. We also need to push and platform the vital role storytelling has in connecting global audiences with nature to drive action in tackling the climate and biodiversity crises."
In addition to the Short Panda Award, the Independent Film Panda Award, and In-Country Production Panda Award offer two new opportunities. These categories recognize both productions made on lower budgets with less studio involvement and those made on location in-country with at least 50% of the production team being in-country nationals. This continues to foster more inclusive practices in the industry.
Having attended the 2024 Panda Awards, I was in awe of the caliber of work on display. The coveted Golden Panda Award, given to the overall best production, went to Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story, written and directed by acclaimed photographer and visual storyteller Charlie Hamilton James. Now streaming on Disney+, this poignant documentary encapsulates the delicate bond between wildlife and humanity, underscoring the urgent need to protect our natural world. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it.
The 2025 Panda Awards feature 17 categories, with all nominated films eligible for the prestigious Golden Panda Award. Submissions are now open, and early bird entries will receive a discounted fee until 25 February 2025. The final deadline for submissions is 17 April 2025, and entries can be submitted via FilmFreeway on the Wildscreen website.
The awards ceremony will take place in Bristol, England, on October 22 2025, alongside a brand-new industry summit hosted by Wildscreen. Further details about the summit and Wildscreen’s growing international presence, including its 2025 African event, will be announced in the coming weeks.
As the Wildscreen Panda Awards transition to an annual event, it is not just recognizing outstanding wildlife filmmaking, through these films, the awards connect audiences to nature, inspire action, and foster a global community dedicated to preserving our planet.
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