ESCAPE Foundation, Inc., and Mays Entertainment are proud to announce their collaborative movie, War of Space, won best Elephant Micro Movie at the International Elephant Film Festival on March 3, 2016.
The International Elephant Film Festival was organized by the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to raise awareness of the various challenges facing the African and Asian elephants, as a highlight of UN World Wildlife Day celebrated on March 3. The winners were announced at the Headquarters of the United Nations in NYC.
There were over 250 movies entered into the competition, each being reviewed by over 75 preliminary judges over a six-week period before finalists were announced. The final judging panel included six notable conservationists including Inger Anderson (Director General of International Union for Conservation of Nature), Ian Craig (Director of Conservation, Northern Rangelands Trust, Kenya), Li Bingbing (Actress, Singer and Conservationist, China), Edna Molewa (Minister of Environmental Affairs, South Africa), Catherine Novelli (Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, USA) and John E. Scanion (Secretary General of CITES).
War of Space highlights human-elephant conflict in the Mara and the innovative technologies and techniques Mara Elephant Project has introduced to combat this crisis. You’ll see real-time tracking in use at MEP Headquarters as well as chili fence assembly, flying drones and our rangers in action both in the bush and community. Narrated by Saba Douglas-Hamilton, BBC personality and special projects director of Save The Elephants, her father’s organization, War of Space also features MEP CEO Marc Goss and other MEP partners: Wildlife Direct CEO Paula Kahumbu, Deputy Director of Species Conservations Kenya Wildlife Service Patrick Omondi and Area Chief Joseph Nabala. We are also proud to say that MEP Board Member Trey Fehsenfeld produced the video featuring animation from the BrainTwins and Courtney Fehsenfeld. Make sure to head over to the JH Festival website to check out an interview with the owner of Mays Entertainment, Matt Mays, about his inspiration for War of Space.
Courtney Fehsenfeld and Matt Mays accept the award from Executive Director of the Jackson Hole Film Festival Lisa Samford and Secretary-General of CITES John Scanlon.
Supermodel Gisele Bundchen was also in attendance to bring awareness to World Wildlife Day.
Sex and The City actress and conservation activist Kristin Davis spoke during the 2-hour ceremony.
So, without further ado, please enjoy War of Space.
