ELEPHANTS WITHOUT BORDERS
Mike uncovers startling evidence of ancient elephant migration routes, crosses desolate salt pans and radio-tracks collared elephants from a small plane, probing the Kalahari for answers to a great elephant mystery.
Witness remarkable elephant behaviour as previously unknown science about elephant travels and complex survival strategies is revealed. See thousands of elephants on a route-march through a desert hell. Mike discovers a secret elephant meeting place and mysterious bull elephant gatherings deep in the desert.
And, finally, we come to share one man’s extraordinary vision - to bring down the barriers and lead the way for elephants into a new promised land.
Commissioned by the BBC Natural History Unit for Natural World in co-production with Animal Planet.
In another world first, Afriscreen have negotiated with the BBC for the film to be broadcast on Botswana Television for free. The negotiation allows for 6 transmissions over a five-year period.
Awards:
NaturVision Film Festival - 2nd Best in Festival
Elephants Without Borders
San Diego Zoo
NATURE'S GREAT EVENTS - THE GREAT FLOOD
AfriScreen Produced with Mike Holding filming a full one hour episode “OKAVANGO – THE GREAT FLOOD” for the BBC’s flagship natural history series “NATURES GREAT EVENTS”. Also broadcast worldwide by Discovery Channel to over 100 countries around the world.
At the peak of the dry season in the Kalahari Desert herds of elephants trek towards a life-saving event. These resourceful elephants reveal remarkable new behaviour as they try to make the most of the stagnant pools, arid woodlands and waterholes guarded by lion prides. However, their fortunes change dramatically with the annual flooding of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, which turns 4,000 square miles of desert into a maze of lagoons, islands and swamps.
As millions of animals are drawn to this wetland, including great herds of famished elephants and buffalo, the scene is set for some of the greatest clashes in nature. Employing a range of high definition filming techniques over two years, in it's production, Nature's Great Events, follows the fortunes of these animals.
Read more ...
MORE INFO AND DOWNLOADS On the BBC site
MORE INFO ON WIKI
Read our Nature's Great Event's Blog here
At the peak of the dry season in the Kalahari Desert herds of elephants trek towards a life-saving event. These resourceful elephants reveal remarkable new behaviour as they try to make the most of the stagnant pools, arid woodlands and waterholes guarded by lion prides. However, their fortunes change dramatically with the annual flooding of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, which turns 4,000 square miles of desert into a maze of lagoons, islands and swamps.
As millions of animals are drawn to this wetland, including great herds of famished elephants and buffalo, the scene is set for some of the greatest clashes in nature. Employing a range of high definition filming techniques over two years, in it's production, Nature's Great Events, follows the fortunes of these animals.
Read more ...
MORE INFO AND DOWNLOADS On the BBC site
MORE INFO ON WIKI
Read our Nature's Great Event's Blog here
PLANET EARTH and EARTH - THE MOVIE
In 2007 AfriScreen completed 2 years of intensive sequence filming and production facilitation in Botswana for the prestigious High Definition BBC / Discovery / NHK Series PLANET EARTH which enjoyed hugely publicised worldwide broadcast in 2007. According to the international press, PLANET EARTH changed the trends in natural history viewing and was the catalyst in a rebirth of the genre.
The PLANET EARTH series went on to be the top selling DVD series on Amazon throughout 2008. In 2009 the Boxed DVD sets dominated Amazon’s top 10 chart for an unprecedented period in the natural history film genre.
PLANET EARTH has won close on 100 Awards worldwide, including:
4 Emmy Awards (4) – Photography, Music, Series Award, Sound Editing
Peabody Award – Worlds’ most Prestigious International Media Award
Golden Panda, Wildscreen Festival – Cinematography – Pole to Pole
Saturn Award - Best TV Series
British Film & TV Awards (BAFTA) – Best Photography, Best Sound, Best Music
Huw Weldon Award - for Specialist Factual
Jackson Hole Film Festival – Cinematography – Pole to Pole
Broadcasting Press Guild Awards – Best Documentary Series
Missuola Wildlife Film Festival – Best Cinematography
National TV Awards UK – Most Popular Factual Programme
PGA Awards – TV Producer of the Year
Royal Television Society – Best Photography, Best Sound
TV Critics Award – Outstanding Achievement Series
TRIC Awards – Best Documentary Programme
The PLANET EARTH series went on to be the top selling DVD series on Amazon throughout 2008. In 2009 the Boxed DVD sets dominated Amazon’s top 10 chart for an unprecedented period in the natural history film genre.
PLANET EARTH has won close on 100 Awards worldwide, including:
4 Emmy Awards (4) – Photography, Music, Series Award, Sound Editing
Peabody Award – Worlds’ most Prestigious International Media Award
Golden Panda, Wildscreen Festival – Cinematography – Pole to Pole
Saturn Award - Best TV Series
British Film & TV Awards (BAFTA) – Best Photography, Best Sound, Best Music
Huw Weldon Award - for Specialist Factual
Jackson Hole Film Festival – Cinematography – Pole to Pole
Broadcasting Press Guild Awards – Best Documentary Series
Missuola Wildlife Film Festival – Best Cinematography
National TV Awards UK – Most Popular Factual Programme
PGA Awards – TV Producer of the Year
Royal Television Society – Best Photography, Best Sound
TV Critics Award – Outstanding Achievement Series
TRIC Awards – Best Documentary Programme
EARTH - THE MOVIE
A major US release by DISNEYNATURE on Earth Day in April 2009, “EARTH - THE MOVIE” is a full-length feature film version of this spectacular series.
Earth concentrates on a few animal characters in order to take us on a rough journey from the North to the South pole over a year. There's a polar bear family, with cute fluffy cubs sliding in the snow. A herd of Kalahari elephants trudge through a drought and lions to reach water, and a humpback whale and her calf journey halfway across the world.
The film has garnered many awards and accolades.
We're very proud that Mike was one of the principal cameramen on the film.
A WILD DOG'S STORY
Award-winning 1-hour blue chip documentary commissioned by the BBC "Natural World" strand in co-production with Animal Plane, First Broadcast January 2002. Due to popular demand it is still being broadcast worldwide.
This intimate film recreates the dramatic events in the life of “Newky” - an African Wild Dog. It is a poignant tale of struggle, endurance and triumph, and of one dog’s extraordinary spirit and the will to win through against almost impossible odds. An emotionally powerful true story that highlights the challenges facing one of the world's most endangered carnivores. For more about the film and our experiences click here
The story is told by Dr Tico McNutt who has spent 2 decades in Botswana fighting for the survival of this critically endangered carnivore. For more information on Dr Tico McNutt and Botswana's Wild Dogs click here
The film garnered several awards:
To buy the film online click here for sales in South Africa, the UK, and Kenya
This intimate film recreates the dramatic events in the life of “Newky” - an African Wild Dog. It is a poignant tale of struggle, endurance and triumph, and of one dog’s extraordinary spirit and the will to win through against almost impossible odds. An emotionally powerful true story that highlights the challenges facing one of the world's most endangered carnivores. For more about the film and our experiences click here
The story is told by Dr Tico McNutt who has spent 2 decades in Botswana fighting for the survival of this critically endangered carnivore. For more information on Dr Tico McNutt and Botswana's Wild Dogs click here
The film garnered several awards:
- International Wildlife Film Festival, Missoula, 2003 - Best ‘Wildlife & Human Interaction
- International Wildlife Film Festival, Missoula, 2003 - Best ‘Newcomer’ Award”
- Royal Television Society, RTS Awards, 2002 - Nominated Finalist
- International Wildlife Film Festival, Albert, France, 2003 - Nominated Finalist
- Naturvision International Film Festival, Germany, 2003 - Nominated Finalist
To buy the film online click here for sales in South Africa, the UK, and Kenya
SWAMP CATS
1- hour blue chip film commissioned by the BBC for their "Natural World" strand, co-produced with Animal Planet. First broadcast January 2004.
The up-close and personal tale of a family of "Swamp Cats", a pride of extraordinary lions that live in the unique wetland of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. This remarkable watery world is seen through the eyes of Fulani, a tiny lion cub born just before the great annual flood. Like most cats, she doesn’t like water but she soon has to learn to swim to keep up with the rest of the pride as they hunt buffalo in the crocodile-infested swamp.
Will she survive thsoe critical first few weeks and learn the unique skills that will make her a successful Swamp Cat?
Winner of 5 merit awards - International Wildlife Film Festival, Missoula - for Editing, Narration, Photography, Script and Music
The up-close and personal tale of a family of "Swamp Cats", a pride of extraordinary lions that live in the unique wetland of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. This remarkable watery world is seen through the eyes of Fulani, a tiny lion cub born just before the great annual flood. Like most cats, she doesn’t like water but she soon has to learn to swim to keep up with the rest of the pride as they hunt buffalo in the crocodile-infested swamp.
Will she survive thsoe critical first few weeks and learn the unique skills that will make her a successful Swamp Cat?
Winner of 5 merit awards - International Wildlife Film Festival, Missoula - for Editing, Narration, Photography, Script and Music
