Nat Geo WILD Gears Up for Wild to Inspire Film Contest

In partnership with the Sun Valley Film Festival (SVFF), Nat Geo WILD has launched the seventh annual Wild to Inspire short-film contest, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

This year, the contest is seeking short films inspired by the day’s milestone anniversary. Entries should celebrate the natural world, inspire viewers to work toward a planet in balance in the 21st century and draw a connection to the Earth Day anniversary.

The grand-prize winner will receive an all-expenses-paid excursion to one of the far corners of the globe to find out firsthand what it’s like to be a National Geographic filmmaker. Past winners have traveled to Africa and Peru.

U.S. residents are invited to submit a short film of three minutes or less using the submission platform Submittable™. Up to three finalists, announced in early March, will receive an invitation to attend SVFF, which unites filmmakers and industry insiders from around the world, in Sun Valley, Idaho from March 18 through 22. At SVFF, the finalists will screen their films for festival attendees and before a panel of judges that includes Nat Geo WILD executives. The grand-prize winner will be announced at the festival’s closing ceremony.

The submission period is active now through Feb. 2, 2020.

“National Geographic has always been at the forefront of storytelling excellence, having redefined the natural history genre throughout the decades,” says Chris Albert, executive VP of global communications at National Geographic and Nat Geo WILD. “Which is why it’s so relevant to inspire the next generation of filmmakers who are eager to put our planet in the spotlight and encourage guardianship and sustainability through heightened awareness of our living, breathing and dynamic planet.”

“Sun Valley is committed to bringing together the best and brightest in filmmaking while also celebrating the aspiring creators whose work deserves our attention,” says Teddy Grennan, executive director of the Sun Valley Film Festival. “Screening Wild to Inspire finalists during our annual festival is just one way this contest helps foster new talent.”

“Wild to Inspire is an incredible opportunity for the wider filmmaking community,” says Michael FitzGerald, CEO and co-founder of Submittable™. “We’re proud our application management software can support National Geographic in its mission to grow our understanding of the natural world while also celebrating the legacy and future of Earth Day.”