“Broken Tail” claims grand prize at Jackson Hole

October 11, 2011 by Kelly Anderson

Broken Tail

Broken Tail claimed the Best of Festival Grand Teton Award at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, while programs from the BBC, Discovery Channel and PBS ‘Nature’ numbered among the award winners.

The Wyoming wildlife film fest, which ran from October 3-7, saw a jury comprised of producer/directors Caroline Brett, Natalie Cash, Liesl Clark, and David Elisco, and photographer/author/conservationist Harvey Locke select the winners of the Festival Film Competition from 800 entries.

The Grand Teton Award went to Broken Tail, from Crossing the Line Films, IFB, RTÉ, CBC, SWR, ZDF, ARTE, MEDIA, ‘Nature’ for WNET New York Public Media and the BBC. The doc, which follows tiger cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson as he pieces together the journey one of the world’s most famous tigers, was also the winner of the best conservation program and the best hosted or presenter-led program awards.

The best animal behavior program award went to Life: Reptiles and Amphibians, from the BBC Natural History Unit, Discovery Channel, SKAI Open University and BBC Worldwide, while another BBC and Discovery copro, Human Planet – Rivers: Friend and Foe, was named the best people & nature program. BBC Wales, the BBC Natural History Unit, Discovery Channel and BBC Worldwide are credited with the win. Human Planet was also named the best limited series.

Programs appearing in PBS’ ‘Nature’ strand were also multiple award winners, with Radioactive Wolves from EPO Film for ORF/Universum, NDR and Nature for WNET New York Public Media named best wildlife habitat program, and Elsa: The Lioness that Changed the World from Brian Leith Productions, The Natural World, BBC & Nature for WNET New York Public Media winning the Conservation Hero prize.

Decoding Immortality from December Films, Pemberton Films and Smithsonian Networks was named the best science & nature program, while the best earth sciences program nod went to Sea Rex 3D: Journey to a Prehistoric World, from N3D Land Productions & Mantello Brothers Productions.

Other content awards went to best 3D program winner Flying Monsters 3D from National Geographic and Atlantic Entertainment for Sky 3D; the Marian Zunz newcomer award winner Helgoland: Island in the Storm, from Robert Morgenstern and Studio Hamburg DocLights Naturfilm; best theatrical program winner The Last Lions from Wildlife Films and National Geographic; and One Ocean Interactive, which took the best interactive/new media program title.

In the craft categories, Life: Challenges of Life claimed the best cinematography award, while best editing and best original music score went to The Last Lions.

Best sound honors went to Serengeti, from Studio Hamburg DocLights/NDR Naturfilm, Universum Film, and Intervist; and the best writing nod went to My Life As a Turkey, from Passion Pictures, Nature for WNET New York Public Media and BBC.

Special jury awards were also given out to three films: Disneynature Productions’ African Cats, Darlow Smithson Productions and Discovery Channel’s The Story of Everything, and Gulliver Media Australia’s Worm Hunters.

Tags: BBC Natural History Unit, Broken Tail, Decoding Immortality, Discovery Channel, Elsa: The Lioness that Changed the World, Flying Monstersr 3D, Human Planet, Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, Life, My Life as a Turkey, Nature, Radioactive Wolves, Sea Rex 3D, WNET