A National Geographic documentary short film produced by James Cameron will premiere on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day called Akashinga: The Brave Ones, directed by Maria Willhelm of the Avatar Alliance Foundation.
What’s Happening:
- National Geographic Documentary Films will release a new short film called Akashinga: The Brave Ones on April 22nd, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
- The short film will premiere at the EarthxFilm Festival, which is happening virtually this year from April 22nd-27th.
- Akashinga: The Brave Ones follows an all-female anti-poaching group in Zimbabwe
- The short documentary film is executive produced by Academy Award winner James Cmeron, who is currently workly on sequels to 20th Century Studios Avatar.
- Executive Director of the Avatar Alliance Foundation, Maria Wilhelm, directed Akashinga: The Brave Ones.
- Akashinga: The Brave Ones will also be screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and will premiere on National Geographic later this year.
What They’re Saying:
- Producer James Cameron: “While we battle with an increasingly powerful viral enemy, the poaching wars rage on. The Akashinga are front-line warriors — fiercely committed to protecting Africa’s most vulnerable species and to securing a positive future for their communities. They fight to ensure nature wins.”
- Director Maria Wilhelm: “At a time when we need to be brave, the proud and courageous women of Akashinga have lessons to teach us all — about the unique power of sisterhood, the importance of collaboration and the essential nature of community. The question is whether we’re willing to learn the lessons they have to teach.”
- Executive Vice President of National Geographic Documentary Films Carolyn Bernstein: “For more than 132 years, National Geographic has been a steward of this planet. We are honored to partner with our friend and National Geographic Explorer James Cameron to shine a light on the Akashinga, the brave women on the front lines of the poaching crisis, who are transforming their communities and changing the face of conservation.”
- Founder and CEO of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation and Akashinga Damien Mander: “The illegal trafficking of wildlife is one of the world’s largest criminal industries, linked to terrorism and, some evidence suggests, to the pandemic we’re struggling to stop. Wildlife trafficking must be stopped at the source. This is the job of wildlife rangers like the Akashinga. They’re the first and last line of defense not just for nature, but also for humanity.”