Botswana's 'Okavango' picks up 5 New York Cinematography Awards

20 Mar 2020

Dereck and Beverly Joubert recently picked up five 2020 New York Cinematography Awards (NYCA) for their film, Okavango.

The New York Cinematography Awards (NYCA) takes submissions from filmmakers from around the world who demonstrate excellence in cinematography and other aspects of filmmaking. After a comprehensive evaluation process, only the best independent filmmakers receive awards.

Okavango feature film trailer from Wildlife Films on Vimeo.

Okavango is an exploration into finding the soul of the Okavango River in Botswana. The film investigates the different aspects of the river and how it affects wildlife and the ecosystems that surround it.

The film won five awards in the following categories:

Best Cinematography – Dereck Joubert and Taylor Turner
Best Documentary Film – Dereck and Beverly Joubert
Best Editing – Jolene van Antwerp
Best Sound – Beverly Joubert and Juli van den Berg
Best Original Score – JB Arthur and Sarah Class

Thanks New York Cinematography Awards!!! Such an honor to be part of this project :) @CinemaAwards pic.twitter.com/KlXjz5zORN
— Taylor Turner (@Tibidor) March 18, 2020

The Botswana-based wildlife filmmakers have expressed delight for the film's recognition at the prestigious NYCA. “Over the years of filmmaking, this is our first film to be screened at the renowned film festival, Sundance, in the US. This is an enormous achievement for us in our filmmaking career,” says Dereck.

Dereck and Beverly Joubert are National Geographic explorers, filmmakers and founders of the Great Plains Foundation, a wildlife conservation organisation operating in Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe.

Dereck and Beverly Joubert

“This has been an exciting journey for us, to be able to continue to produce films that have an impact and tell a story about our wildlife. This film brings international recognition to our country, Botswana, and we are grateful for the support we have received from the film industry. We will continue to inspire people with our films while ensuring that they continue raising awareness on important matters such as the environment, wildlife and climate change,” says Beverly.