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These ROSCAR Award Finalist Films will be screened at the Labia Theatre in Cape Town, from 25 March until 7 April 2011.

Screening dates and times, click here. To book your tickets contact the Labia Theatre, (021) 424 5927, tickets are R25 per person.

THE MUSIC AWARD – SPONSORED BY SPESCOM

Nature's Great Event: The Great Tide - BBC
With the arrival of winter along South Africa's east coast the inshore waters cool, drawing hundreds of millions of sardines northwards. The sardine run is the world's largest marine spectacle, attracting the planet's greatest concentration of predators - an awe inspiring array of ocean hunters. Super-pods of common dolphins up to 5000 strong, thousands of sharks and huge Brydes whales feast on the sardines, as gannets rain down from above. For all these predators this seasonal feeding frenzy is the defining moment of their lives
SCREENING: Monday, 28 March @ 18:00 (59 min) and Monday, 4 April @ 12:00

Penguin Island - 360 Degree Films
The world famous Little Penguins of Australia's Phillip Island entertain half a million tourists a year with a sunset parade from the surf to their burrows. But behind the scenes, the penguins' lives are even more interesting. Penguin Island uses the latest underwater satellite tracking and Big Brother-style video surveillance to follow the lives of several penguin families who live in a colony where relationships are fraught and survival is tenuous. Over three episodes, Penguin Island follows the penguins as a dedicated team of rangers and scientists monitor and protect them through the hottest summer on record.
SCREENING: Friday, 25 March @ 14:00 (30 min) and Thursday, 31 March @ 12:00

Hidden Beauty: A Love Story that Feeds the Earth – Disney Nature
Hidden Beauty launches into the stories of selected animals characters (pollinators) - a bat, a hummingbird, a butterfly, a bumblebee and a honeybee. Their tales reveal the extraordinary importance of flowers and their pollinator partners, as well as hidden worlds of intrigue and drama, of sporadic violence and mesmerizing beauty that continually play out around us, but that we seldom notice. Peering into these diminutive realms using special cinematic techniques, we'll discover the boundless diversity and creativity of the forces of life on Earth, and this critical moment in which we find ourselves responsible to sustain that which has been sustaining us.
SCREENING: Friday, 25 March @ 16:00 (77 min); and Tuesday, 29 March @ 18:00, Friday, 1 April @ 18:00, Sunday, 3 April @ 16:00

THE CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD – SPONSORED BY NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)

Nature's Great Events: The Great Tide - BBC
With the arrival of winter along South Africa's east coast the inshore waters cool, drawing hundreds of millions of sardines northwards. The sardine run is the world's largest marine spectacle, attracting the planet's greatest concentration of predators - an awe inspiring array of ocean hunters. Super-pods of common dolphins up to 5000 strong, thousands of sharks and huge Brydes whales feast on the sardines, as gannets rain down from above. For all these predators this seasonal feeding frenzy is the defining moment of their.
SCREENING: Monday, 28 March @ 18:00 (59 min)

Natural World: Victoria Falls - BBC NHU
This is a beautiful, intimate tale of life on the Zambezi River, set against the epic backdrop of Victoria Falls. The story is told from the point of view of a local fisherman, Mr White, who has fished these waters for 69 years, and whose riverside companions are elephants, baboons, hippos and kingfishers. We follow the fortunes of these animals through his eyes, learning how their lives are ruled by the moods of the river and the rains.
SCREENING: Tuesday, 29 March @ 16:00 (49 min)

Echo: An Unforgettable Elephant - Mike Birkhead Associates
When the most famous elephant in the world dies, the timing could not be worse. The cruellest drought in living memory is devastating Echo's home under the shadow of Kilimanjaro. As head of her family, Echo carried immense experience gained by her forebears over centuries. But the final test of a matriarch is whether she passes on that knowledge.This film reflects on the life of a remarkable elephant and discovers what happens to the family, bereft of Echo's leadership for the first time in almost half a century. Will her 38–strong band of relatives overcome the loss of their leader, hunger, and poachers to survive?
SCREENING: Tuesday, 29 March @ 14:00 (59 min)

THE LIMITED BUDGET AWARD – SPONSORED BY NHU AFRICA

Groen - Homebrew Films
Groen is South Africa's first locally produced wildlife programme that focuses on the wonders of the natural world. Groen is not a programme about gnawing questions or conservation issues. Instead, Groen is a show about nature just as it is – the diversity and complexity of animals and plants, and how everything exists together in perfect balance.
SCREENING: Tuesday, 29 March @ 12:00 (24 min)

Karina, Wild on Safari: Lion Charge! - Goddunnit Promotions
Karina Holmes, a well known UK model is guided by the intrepid Craig Van Zyl who treats her to some incredible animal encounters in the Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe. Her lion charge encounter in this episode will remain etched in her mind forever!
SCREENING: Tuesday, 29 March @ 12:00 (24 min)

South 70 - Urban Brew Studios
South is 5 part series that travelled South, 10 degrees at a time until it reached the South Pole.. South of 70 celebrated the journey that scores of South Africans have undertaken, for over 50 years, to man the South African National Antarctic base, (SANAP). It explores the journey undertaken to get there and highlights the milestones in the development of the Antarctic base over the 50 year period. Recent science research and threats facing the Antarctic are also covered in the epsisode.
SCREENING: Friday, 25 March @ 14:00 (48 min) and Monday, 28 March @ 12:00

Nature of Life – Foster Bros. Productions for NHU Africa
So far all we have heard is that climate change is the biggest ever environmental crisis and that it has been caused by our unsustainable approach to living. The Nature of Life is an epic documentary feature film that will provide solutions to humanity's greatest challenge yet - Global Climate Change. This documentary sets out as an inspired clarion call to humanity, telling us that there is hope and that there are ways to adapt to and overcome this crisis. It encapsulates a vision of hope that stems from the heart of Africa and expands globally, highlighting ground-breaking examples of sustainable development all over the world, inspired by the examples of Africa and the natural world. The microcosm of the "cradle of civilization", Africa, will spill into the entire world, introducing the audience to a group of extraordinary humans and companies who are challenging past models of sustainability and creating a new legacy of elegant design, technology, and rediscovered indigenous wisdom.
SCREENING: Monday, 28 March @ 16:00 (52 min)

THE BEST CHILDREN'S NATURAL HISTORY PRODUCTION AWARD – SPONSORED BY SPIER

SCREENINGS of FINALISTS: Saturday, 26 March @ 12:00; 16:00; Sunday, 27 March @ 12:00; 16:00

SCREENING OF WINNER: Monday, 4 April @ 16:00

THE BEST ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTION AWARD

The End of the Line - The Fish Film Company
In The End of the Line, we see firsthand the effects of our global love affair with fish as food. The film examines the imminent extinction of bluefin tuna, brought on by increasing western demand for sushi; the impact on marine life resulting in huge overpopulation of jellyfish; and the profound implications of a future world with no fish that would bring certain mass starvation.
SCREENING: Friday, 25 March @ 18:00

Echo: An Unforgettable Elephant-Mike Birkhead Associates
When the most famous elephant in the world dies, the timing could not be worse. The cruellest drought in living memory is devastating Echo's home under the shadow of Kilimanjaro. As head of her family, Echo carried immense experience gained by her forebears over centuries. But the final test of a matriarch is whether she passes on that knowledge.This film reflects on the life of a remarkable elephant and discovers what happens to the family, bereft of Echo's leadership for the first time in almost half a century. Will her 38–strong band of relatives overcome the loss of their leader, hunger, and poachers to survive?
SCREENING: Tuesday, 29 March @ 14:00 (59 min); Sunday, 3 April @ 14:00 and Thursday, 31 March @ 18:00

Gaia's Choice - Alvaro Mendoza Films
The combined weight of all the ants on the planet is equal to the combined weight of all humans. If ants disappear, a wave of extinction would take place worse than the one caused by that great meteorite that spelled the end for the dinosaurs. What would it happen if the human race suddenly went extinct? Which are the differences? According to an interesting theory by Dr. James Lovelock, the behaviour of this planet is metaphorically similar to that of a living being, In the last five decades we humans have done something that could end up being critical not only for nature, but for our own way of life. We could be causing Gaia´s fever to soar. Are we like some sort of virus? All we do is consume, without offering any kind of compensation. Shouldn't we make an effort, so that GAIA does not take the Choice of getting rid of the blackest sheep the family?
SCREENING: Saturday, 2 April @ 18:00 (50 min)

A Thousand Suns - Global Oneness Project
'A Thousand Suns' tells the story of the Gamo Highlands of the African Rift Valley and the unique worldview held by the people of the region. Shot in Ethiopia, New York and Kenya, the film explores two interrelated threats to the Gamo Highlands: 1) the evangelistic aspirations of the protestant church that are destroying the Gamo's indigenous spirituality and governance systems; and 2) the efforts of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), a Western aid organization which is spending hundreds of millions of dollars bringing chemical pesticides, fertilizers and so-called improved seeds to the continent.
SCREENING: Friday, 25 March @ 12:00 (27 min)

THE EXPEDITION/ADVENTURE AWARD

River Monsters: Demon Fish - Icon films
Jeremy Wade journeys up the infamous Congo River in Central Africa in search of the notorious Goliath Tiger Fish - a terrifying beast that preys on the unsuspecting.This creature combines the strength, speed and ferocity of all the river monsters Jeremy has ever encountered, creating the most horrific yet perfect freshwater killing machine anywhere in the world. With some of the biggest teeth of any freshwater fish, its ferociousness is the stuff of nightmares. This mysterious monster predator pushes Jeremy to his physical and mental limit. It is going to take all of his skills and some supernatural help from the local witch doctor to catch one.
SCREENING: Monday, 28 March 14:00 (43 min)

Into the Dragon's Lair – Foster Bros. Productions for NHU Africa
Didier Noirot, a diver with Jacques Cousteau on over 5000 dives, now dives with a giant Nile crocodile, the last predator which views humans as prey. He has battled overwhelming fear, poor visibility, and diving partners too terrified to back him up.In the clear waters of the Okavango Delta, he had one fleeting encounter with a giant crocodile that disappeared into a huge underwater cave; it became his obsession to explore the mystery of the dragon's lair. Didier and his diving partner encounter terrifying black outs, deadly hippos, and crocodiles who attempt to eat them. They then discover, deep in the darkest lair, a 14 foot crocodile that accepts their presence and allows them to bring back footage that defies belief. These men use the strength of their beliefs and their intimate knowledge of animals to bridge the ancient interface between man and reptile.
SCREENING: Sunday, 27 March @ 16:00 (52 min)

Iceman – Foster Bros. Productions for NHU Africa
Lewis Pugh has 10 seconds before he plunges into the freezing Arctic Ocean, where he swims a kilometre across Antarctica, wearing nothing but a Speedo and a swimming cap, a feat never thought possible. 'Ordinary' humans would probably die within minutes in this icy water! How can his naked body cope with these conditions for so long? And why on earth would anyone want to do such a crazy thing? This documentary provides a visual experience of Lewis as he swims to draw attention to the oceans and raise awareness about climate change. Ice Man documents the extraordinary physiological and psychological journey of Lewis's long distance swims in the freezing waters of both the south and the North Pole. With the support of cutting edge science and an incredible ability to believe in himself he unifies the potential of mind and body. He has gone where no one has gone before and achieved a new understanding of the human body.
SCREENING: Friday, 1 April @ 16:00 (52 min)

THE SHORT FILM AWARD

The Guardian – STEPS and SANBI (South African Biodiversity Institute)
The Guardian follows a young environmental ambassador with a tangible enthusiasm for birds, conservation and education. Tribute "Birdie" Mboweni lives in solitude on Dassen Island in order to protect and study the largest colony of African Penguins in Africa. Her work is vital to the survival of this species which could be facing extinction within only 10 years and her story, is one of inspiration as she seeks to "plant the seed" of conservation in others. As one of the finalists of the Bayer Young Environmental Envoy, her role as a conservation ambassador has recently been realized with a trip to Canada to represent SA at the G8/G20 Youth Summit May 2010.The documentary explores Tribute's unique role on the island as well as, her own personal journey of discovery and guardianship. Tribute guides the audience through her experiences as a conservationist, illuminating with her quiet passion what it takes to truly connect with nature and the importance of preserving the beauty of this world.Today only 25262 breeding pairs of the African Penguin remain. The Guardian is produced by African Renaissance Productions for STEPS and SANBI.
SCREENING: Friday, 25 March @ 12:00 (14 min)

MY Pantanal – Andrea Heydlauff,Panthera
'My Pantanal' is a film about a boy named Aerenilso, who lives on a ranch in the Pantanal, the world's largest and wildest wetland, in Brazil. Aerenilso shows us what it is like to be a Pantaneiro (a cowboy), riding his horse, doing his chores, and exploring this incredible landscape that is teeming with wildlife, including the jaguar. Sadly, jaguars have been hunted by people but Aerenilso's ranch is different. He lives on a conservation ranch where the cowboys and biologists are working together to show that ranching and jaguars can coexist in this magical place.
SCREENING: Friday, 25 March @ 12:00 (11 min)

North Eastern Diaries - Felis Creations
Join Sandesh Kadur as he goes on a mission to document the natural and cultural of the Eastern Himalaya. For years this region was considered too volatile, too dangerous, to allow outsiders. As a result, very little was known of the wildlife and people of this region. In this series of short films, Sandesh Kadur a wildlife photographer and filmmaker with a passion for conservation explores these remote regions on a quest to document some of the rare inhabitants from golden langurs to clouded leopards in a hitherto unseen region of India.
SCREENING: Saturday, 2 April @ 12:00 (15 min)

My Father's Garden - Mirko Faienza
In the short film I document how much life you can find in a very small (100 square meters) house garden.
SCREENING: Sunday, 3 April @ 12:00 (6 min)

THE PRESENTER AWARD – SPONSORED BY NGCI

Jimmy and the Honey Hunters of Nepal - BBC NHU
Jimmy Doherty, of 'Jimmy's Farm' and 'Jimmy's Farming Hero's', is a pig farmer from Suffolk, and a keen amateur naturalist with a passion for bees and honey. He keeps bees and has always been blown away by the sheer variety of honey flavours, appreciating a good honey like others enjoy a fine wine. So when he heard about an ancient group of people in Nepal who are willing to risk their lives to taste their local honey, he knew he wanted to share the experience. As a 'honey hunter' Jimmy must scale a massive cliff home to more than two million giant bees. Dangling 200ft up he must take away the bee's honey- the risks are extreme! If successful the reward is not only learn more about these amazing bees, but also to taste one of nature's finest bounties, beautiful wild honey
SCREENING: Wednesday, 30 March @ 14:00 (49 min)

Deadly 60: Baja - BBC
On a trip to Mexico, presenter Steve Backshall takes to the water in search of a monster of the deep seas. It's so potentially dangerous he has to wear chain mail like a medieval knight in case it rips him to shreds. He then takes to the deadliest desert on the planet searching for the biggest wasp in the world, before setting off in search of his favourite deadly animal – snakes – and ones at that!
SCREENING: Wednesday, 30 March @ 12:00 (29 min)

Animals Under Pressure - Homebrew Films
Eugene Cussons – James Bond meets Ross Kemp – will visit a variety of places in Africa to continue with his quest to save primates, but also to find out why and where primates (and other endangered species) are under pressure! Cussons is hard wired to do anything and everything to deliver primates from the threats of abuse, neglect and ultimately extinction, but now he will also extend his interest to other endangered animals feeling the pressures of human expansion. Repeatedly putting his own life on the line, Cussons won't stop until his closest cousins and their wild friends have a better future ensured in Africa
SCREENING: Wednesday, 30 March @ 12:00 (24 min)

Good Morning Kalimantan - Mike Birkhead Associates
In Indonesian Borneo -or Kalimantan- there's a rather unusual radio station run by Chanee Brulé. A DJ with a difference, he's on a one-man mission to save the region's wildlife. In episode 1 Chanee rescues 'Big Bear' from a life of misery; saves a 13 foot king cobra from certain death and continues his everyday work match-making gibbons in his rehabilitation centre ready for release into the forest. Ten years ago Chanee left France to pursue a childhood passion for gibbons. Now he's engaged in a constant battle…against loggers, poachers and the illegal pet trade… using his radio station, 'Radio Kalaweit', to spread his message to the people of Borneo.
SCREENING: Friday, 1 April @ 12:00 (30 min)

THE ALTERNATIVE BROADCAST AWARD

Life and Wonder of Odanata - Veldkijker
This is a film on horsebiters, mosquito hawks and other devil's darning needles. It a story about the life and wonder of Odonata. They are known as insects that hang about in gardens, near pools and streams. Many people have seen them around, but know nothing about them. In this film we look deep into the world of Odonata, and discover their story of life: from appearance, general morphology, reproduction, egg laying, to the hidden life below the water surface.
SCREENING: Sunday, 3 April @ 12:00 (11 min)

LIVE SAFARI - WildEarthTV
Live 3D Safari' is a daily 3 hour LIVE, presenter led, 3DHD African safari distributed on TV, the internet and mobile. This incredible experience transports a global audience to Africa and immerses them in the sights and sounds of the bush in real time. Viewers can ask questions of the presenters in real time and receive action alerts on their mobile phones. HD archives can be mashed and shared into your social stream in real time. Daily 3 minute diary podcasts cut down from the safari are available on iTunes, DailyMotion, and a myriad of other portals.
SCREENING:

Wildlife Podcast - Earth-Touch
Earth-Touch has been operating online for almost three years, producing high-quality, weborientatedHD wildlife media. We're passionate about exposing modern global digital audiences to authentic and unique nature content every day of the year. Since we started out, we've distributed tens of millions of HD wildlife podcasts on a wide variety of platforms and channels. We've focused on distributing our content through all the major online video sites as well as through our own website. Our current estimate of total podcast audience across all our channels is around 1.5 million actual viewers each month (based on server hits of over 6 million a month and 2.3 million podcast subscribers each month), with the bulk of viewers watching our Weekly Highlights show followed by the Marine podcasts and Lions of Moremi podcasts.
SCREENING:

THE EDITING AWARD – SPONSORED BY e.tv

Shark Night - Off The Fence
Lost at sea... what's your worst nightmare? Exposure? Exhaustion? Or... sharks? One man will live out one of our greatest primal fears. Mike Rutzen will experience our worst nightmare. He will abandon himself in three shark hotspots, with one ultimate goal... to survive a night in the water with the Great White sharks. Helping him, a crew will be tested to the max, on a journey out to sea, a journey deep into fear.
SCREENING: Saturday, 26 March @ 18:00 (52 min); Wednesday, 30 March @ 16:00

THE BEST SCRIPT AWARD – SPONSORED BY IDC

Sex, Drugs and Plants - Parthenon Entertainment
"Sex, Drugs and Plants" gives an insight into the fascinating world of plants. The plants which we have taken for granted are beginning to make themselves noticed.By "feeling", "hearing", "smelling" and "tasting", these plants continue on their journey through the undergrowth, in a bid for survival.With the latest time lapse, high speed and HD footage, the most fascinating secrets of the world of plants are uncovered, with pioneering experiments revealing the truth about "Sex, Drugs and Plants".
SCREENING: Thursday, 31 March @16:00 (50 min)

Natural World: Clever Monkeys - BBC NHU
David Attenborough's entertaining romp through the world of monkeys has a serious side: for when we look at monkeys we can see ourselves. From memory to morality, from 'crying wolf' to politics, monkeys are our basic blueprint. Pygmy Marmosets 'farm' tree sap; Bearded Capuchins in Brazil develop a production line for extracting palm nuts; White-faced Capuchins in Costa Rica tenderly nurse the victims of battle; and in the Ethiopian highlands a deposed gelada baboon has got the blues. Cheating, lying and bare-faced murder is all there too. The latest revelations of simian science, combined with captivating photography, makes this outstanding film about monkey business our business.
SCREENING: Saturday, 2 April @ 16:00 (49 min)

THE BEST SERIES AWARD – SPONSORED BY OFF THE FENCE

The Pack - Krupakar Senani Features
'The Pack' is an action-packed account of one of the most fascinating hunters in the Indian forest - dhole or wild dogs. A young female wild dog chooses to leave her natal pack to form a family of her own under difficult circumstances. It proves to be an extremely dangerous journey. Filmmaker Senani, on her trail to study and film her every move, discovers some of the most amazing facts that have never been observed before. Hitherto little known pack dynamics, unusual behaviour and extraordinary interactions are just one facet of this beautifully told story. This film is based on 15 years of passionate research on dhole, in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve of south India.
SCREENING: Friday, 1 April @12:00 (30 min)

South Pacific - BBC NHU
SOUTH PACIFIC – one ocean,20,000 islands, and a quarter of the water on our planet. Our six-part series was created to give a definitive portrait of a vast area, its extraordinary wildlife, history and culture – rarely seen and even more rarely filmed – partly because of the vast distances involved. On the face f it, an archetypcal paradise, but from the shores of Hawaii to Easter Island and a thousand tiny remote islands, the South Pacific ocean also holds some bizarre and intriguing surprises. Erupting undersea volcanoes, tiger sharks that swim hundreds of miles to an island just a mile wide to catch albatross chicks, giant crabs that can open coconuts. The series reveals how the islands' isolation has helped evolve flesh-eating caterpillars, vampire bugs with antifreeze in their veins and strange nocturnal parrot with a mating call like a bull frog. More than just the wildlife, the series also profiles the story of the ocean's people whose ancestors journeyed thousands of miles, and who even now fish with spider webs and kites – in the Solomon Islands, and the Pentecost land divers who leap 25 metres from wooden scaffolds to mark their harvest.
SCREENING: Saturday, 26 March @16:00 (59 min)

Penguin island - 360 Degree Films
The world famous Little Penguins of Australia's Phillip Island entertain half a million tourists a year with a sunset parade from the surf to their burrows. But behind the scenes, the penguins' lives are even more interesting. Penguin Island uses the latest underwater satellite tracking and Big Brother-style video surveillance to follow the lives of several penguin families who live in a colony where relationships are fraught and survival is tenuous. Over three episodes, Penguin Island follows the penguins as a dedicated team of rangers and scientists monitor and protect them through the hottest summer on record.
SCREENING: Friday, 25 March @ 14:00 (30 min)

Lost Land of the Volcano - BBC
A new series combining stunning wildlife with high octane adventure as a team of scientists and wildlife filmmakers from the BBC's Natural History Unit explores in one of the last great unspoilt jungle wildernesses on earth. New Guinea is a rugged tropical island that is home to some of the strangest creatures on the planet. The team is based at the foot of Mount Bosavi, a giant extinct volcano covered in thick and largely unexplored rainforest. With the help of trackers from a remote tribe they aim to search for the animals that live there - and they make amazing finds. Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan discovers the nest of the world's smallest parrot, insect expert Dr George McGavin finds a talking beetle, the scientists identify types of frog, gecko and bat that are completely new to science, and adventurer Steve Backshall has to live and sleep underground as he explores a cave system flooded with white water. The cameras follow the team every sweaty step of the way as they search for the evidence that may help preserve this last great jungle forever.
SCREENING: Thursday, 31 March @ 14:00 (60 min)

THE BEST SOUND DESIGN FOR A NATURAL HISTORY PRODUCTION AWARD

Wild Japan - Studio Hamburg DocLights NaturFilm
Japan… Most of its 126 million human inhabitants live squeezed into dense urban hotspots… This is the Japan we know; skyscrapers rise above the bright lights of a technological wonderland; trains run at 300kmph; a 24/7 lifestyle with a total dedication to work. But just outside the city limits lies a rough and wild Japan…………… Located on the Pacific ring of fire, Japan has been born out of volcanic eruptions. Its chain of 6852 islands stretches almost 3000km kilometres - with climates ranging from temperate in the North to subtropical in the south, it is a country of volcanic mountains, of rolling landscapes, of sun baked beaches and even rainforest. The geographical diversity leads to spectacular animal diversity. Wild Japan highlights the multiplicity of life on these shores as it takes you from hot spa bathing Macaques in the North, via Brown Bears and Raccoon dogs to the fiddler crabs and mud skippers in the mangrove swamps of the South; an Island hopping adventure around this vast and varied country.
SCREENING: Wednesday, 30 March @ 18:00 (90 min)

Into the dragon's Lair – Foster Bros. Productions for NHU Africa
Didier Noirot, a diver with Jacques Cousteau on over 5000 dives, now dives with a giant Nile crocodile, the last predator which views humans as prey. He has battled overwhelming fear, poor visibility, and diving partners too terrified to back him up.In the clear waters of the Okavango Delta, he had one fleeting encounter with a giant crocodile that disappeared into a huge underwater cave; it became his obsession to explore the mystery of the dragon's lair. Didier and his diving partner encounter terrifying black outs, deadly hippos, and crocodiles who attempt to eat them. They then discover, deep in the darkest lair, a 14 foot crocodile that accepts their presence and allows them to bring back footage that defies belief. These men use the strength of their beliefs and their intimate knowledge of animals to bridge the ancient interface between man and reptile.
SCREENING: Saturday, 2 April @ 14:00 (52 min)

Life on Fire: Ash Runners - Saint Thomas Productions
Miles around Tavurvur volcano, on the remote island of New Britain, animals and plants have learned to live with the sporadic anger of the Earth. In this apocalyptic realm, when the ash created by volcanic eruptions invades their habitat, the choice is simple: leave or… stay and face the unknown. From the tiny vine seeds to the giant flying fox, this film follows the incredible destiny of emblematic animals. Using a wide range of innovative and sophisticated filming techniques over three years, this tale offers a unique and intimate account of an unprecedented natural hazard.
SCREENING: Sunday, 3 April @ 12:00 (52 min)

THE BEST NEWCOMER AWARD – SPONSORED BY THE WILDLIFE FILM ACADEMY

Sea Otters: A Million Dollar Baby – Emma Napper, BBC NHU
The trials and tribulations of a sea otter pup growing up on the coast of California. The California Sea Otter is one of the rarest – and cutest – animals in the world. So when a sea otter mum decides to have her pup amongst the yachts of a millionaire's marina it is a unique event. The mum must teach her baby how to dodge the boats and find the food in this busy harbour. However the arrival of a tough male sea otter signals disaster for the family. When mum is attacked, he poor pup is left on her own and must fight for survival.
SCREENING: Sunday, 27 March @ 18:00 (59 min)

Life and Wonder in Odanata - VeldKijker
Thi si a film on horsebiters, mosquito hawks and other devil's darning needles. It a story about the life and wonder of Odonata. They are known as insects that hang about in gardens, near pools and streams. Many people have seen them around, but know nothing about them. In this film we look deep into the world of Odonata, and discover their story of life: from appearance, general morphology, reproduction, egg laying, to the hidden life below the water surface.
SCREENING: Sunday, 3 April @ 12:00 (11 min)

Love in Cold Blood – Jane Adcroft & Carla Braun-Elwetr
Love in Cold Blood is the story of the long-running courtship between two captive thatara at the Southland Museum in Invercargill, New Zealand. Despite dramatic love triangles, rival suitors, and medical mysteries, the pair become official in 2009 – after a nearly 40 year wait. 111 – year old thatara Henry and his mate, 80 year old Mildred were finally caught in the act by their patient keeper Lindsay Hazley. Henry and Mildred's success adds to the fantastic results of New Zealand's thatara captive breeding program.
SCREENING: Thursday, 31 March @ 12:00 (25 min)

Peace for Seals - Dvanact opic Ltd.
The relationship between humans and animals is undergoing a profound change.In 2002, 'Gaston', a Cape fur seal, escaped from the Prague Zoo during the floods and managed to swim to German. Gaston became a hero but died after being re-captured. The second story took place 50 years earlier and tells the life story of a seal named Ulysses, caught in Sardinia by a Milan photojournalist who tossed the animal into the famous Di Trevi fountain. Patellani - a friend of Federico Fellini's and a specialist on film stars - was fined for his action. The reason, however, was not the killing of a baby seal but the pollution of water in the fountain. We may be approaching a time when it will be impossible to see animals in their natural habitat. Is it acceptable that instead of seals on the beaches of the Mediterranean there are now sun-tanning tourists? Will every animal one day be domesticated? And what is the domestication of people?
SCREENING: Sunday, 3 April @ 18:00 (87 min)

THE AFRICAN FILMMAKER AWARD – SPONSORED BY CAPE FILM COMMISSION

The Last Lioness - Aquavision TV Productions
A lone lioness wanders the Liuwa Plain. She roars, calling out for mates, other prides, anyone. There is no answer, there hasn't been for years. Her name is Lady Liuwa, and she alone survived the scourge of poaching and prey shortage that wiped out lions in Liuwa Plain. For five years wildlife cameraman Herbert Brauer watched her lonely life unfold through his lens, until gradually the lonely lioness began to reach out to him for companionship. An extraordinary relationship blossomed between them, but despite Herbert's uncanny connection with the lioness, he realised that she needed the company of her own kind. Finally, in May of 2009, plans to reintroduce two male lions to Liuwa came to fruition. For the first time in more than five years, Lady Liuwa heard the call of her own kind, and her desperate isolation ended at last.
SCREENING: Saturday, 2 April @ 12:00 (50 min)

South 70 - Urban Brew Studios
South is 5 part series that travelled South, 10 degrees at a time until it reached the South Pole.. South of 70 celebrated the journey that scores of South Africans have undertaken, for over 50 years, to man the South African National Antarctic base, (SANAP). It explores the journey undertaken to get there and highlights the milestones in the development of the Antarctic base over the 50 year period. Recent science research and threats facing the Antarctic are also covered in the epsisode
SCREENING: Friday, 25 March @ 14:00 (48 min) and Monday, 28 March @ 12:00


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