The Panda Awards, often dubbed the ‘Green Oscars’ of the natural world filmmaking industry, have announced the nominees for its 2025 edition, with this year’s line-up showcasing a compelling breadth of talent, scale and storytelling ambition.
For the first time in their history, the prestigious awards will take place annually, adding a new rhythm to the documentary calendar and cementing Wildscreen’s reputation as a global hub for wildlife filmmaking.
I had the chance to attend last year’s Panda Awards, and it was an incredible evening that capped off an already inspiring Wildscreen Festival in Bristol. What struck me most, in addition to the caliber of the work, was the sense of shared purpose in the room.
These awards represent the best of the best in nature filmmaking. They are as inspiring as they are humbling, a celebration of creativity, dedication, and reverence for the natural world.
Drawn from submissions spanning roughly a quarter of the world’s countries, this year's shortlisted titles compete across 17 categories, ranging from cinematography and music to emerging talent and in-country production.
It underlines the creative and cultural diversity within the field, celebrating everything from sweeping cinematic spectacles to intimate, character-driven stories from remote corners of the globe.
Among the most prominent nominees is Ocean with David Attenborough, a comprehensive, blue-chip production that appears across several major categories, including Cinematography, Music, and Impact.
Produced by Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios, it features contributions from an array of collaborators, including the National Geographic Society, Revive Our Ocean and The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, reflecting both its epic scale and its urgent environmental message.
Also making a strong showing is The Birds, which appears in the Cinematography, In-Country Production and Independent Film categories. Elsewhere, My Otter Diary, produced in India by Aranya Parva and Oxford Scientific Films, highlights the growing strength of in-country wildlife productions, with nominations for both Music and In-Country Production.
Several high-profile broadcasters and streaming giants feature throughout the nominations. National Geographic, Disney+, Netflix and the BBC all have titles in the mix – though smaller independent studios also hold their ground, particularly in categories such as Emerging Talent and Independent Film, where projects from India, Canada, Australia and the USA sit alongside UK productions.
Also notable this year is the Leica Short Award, appearing for the first time at the Panda Awards. This new category highlights the growing impact of short-form storytelling in wildlife and environmental filmmaking. As demand rises for shorter, more agile formats, especially across digital platforms, this category feels especially timely.
Among the nominees are Tides of Life from the University of the West of England, Life (Cycle) of a Hong Kong Newt from China’s Frigatefilms, and H5N1: Conservation in Crisis, an Austrian production exploring the complexities of avian flu.
It’s a category I’ll be following closely, as short-form work continues to gain recognition for its ability to deliver urgent, powerful narratives with immediacy and creative freedom.
As ever, the Panda Awards serve as a mirror to the changing face of wildlife filmmaking, where technological innovation, shifting audience expectations, and a renewed urgency around conservation continue to shape the stories being told. Whether it’s through breathtaking cinematography, bold new voices or compelling local perspectives, the 2025 nominees represent an industry that is evolving in both form and purpose.
The winners will be announced at the Panda Awards Ceremony on October 22, hosted at Bristol Harbour Hotel and streamed online, with tickets now available. The evening will bring together filmmakers, producers, and industry leaders to celebrate the year’s most outstanding natural-world storytelling.
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If you want to capture the natural world, I recommend checking out our guides to the best cameras for wildlife and the best camera for filmmaking.
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