One of Germany's best known film festivals was held last week - the NaturVision Filmfestival.

We are proud to announce three awards for three films from our catalogue:

ON THIN ICE (52' UHD) by Altayfilm received the "German Conservation and Sustainability Award". The jury concluded:

The images in this film open up our view well beyond the fate of the Nenets and their reindeer. No less clever are the text and the choice of original voices, which create their own narrative level. Sparingly used graphics and sensitively chosen music optimally complete the composition. [...] The camerawork is exceptional, but above all, the film makes us understand ecological relationships. [...] The film takes an isolated region to illustrate the unmitigated tragedy of climate change and warns us how incredibly important it is to stop it. It’s not just the reindeer that are on thin ice...

BANQUET OF THE BEASTS (52' UHD) by Marco Polo Film won the "German Biodiversity Award":

In detailed, unadorned – but also highly aesthetic – pictures, “Festmahl der Tiere” [Banquet of the Beasts] shows how the dead animals are utilised, how they give rise to new life and what great benefit they have for biodiversity. Thanks to the playful use of music, the clear language, the fascinating information and the gripping story, any initial aversion is soon forgotten. The filmmakers had the courage to tackle a supposedly unpopular subject and have managed superbly to extract a new and fascinating dimension from the subject of death and decay.

WILD HEART OF EUROPE (52' & 90' UHD) by Lisa Eder convinced the Youth Jury of the festival and was awarded the Prize of the Youth Jury:

This film is well realised down to the smallest detail. The impressive camera and sound recordings of landscape, animals and plants allow the forest to come alive on the screen and make the viewers feel they are close to the action. This – and the calm, very fitting music – support the meditative mood of the film. It helps us to appreciate our native nature, opens our eyes to its incredible beauty and awakens our desire to go outside and experience it for ourselves. It also inspired us to reflect on our own attitude to the forest: We help it not through human intervention – it’s much better to let nature be nature.

Our heartiest congratulations to the directors and their talented crews!