Filmmakers describe "great honour" of NYC Awards' win

27 Jun 2019

At a time when Africa is facing an unprecedented onslaught against environmental conservation, films like Birth of a Pride are critical to raising awareness of the fragile ecosystems in Africa and elsewhere on the planet.

Wildlife and conservation filmmakers, Beverly and Derek Joubert.

The film is about the extraordinary journey of lions returning to a reserve in Botswana as they grow from a single female and her cub into a fully formed, majestic hunting pride.

“It is a great honour to be recognised with three awards at the New York Cinematography Awards,” said Dereck Joubert, founder and CEO of Great Plains Conservation. “We are excited to be able to share our passion for filming and love for wildlife with the world. This film brings international recognition to our country by showcasing Botswana internationally and contributing positively to tourism,” said Joubert.

Dereck and Beverly Joubert are ardent ambassadors for Botswana and through the award-winning photography and cinematography, are showcasing the beauty of the country. “It is becoming increasingly evident that we are so close to breaking point on all the environmental issues facing our planet, so it is an excellent time for the film to be recognised. It is vitally important to get this issue recognised by a global audience” said Beverly Joubert, reflecting on this most recent win.

Their company, Wildlife Films, focuses on conservation and has produced over 40 wildlife films. They have received; eight Emmy Awards, one Peabody, two Wildscreen Panda’s and an Outstanding Achievement Award at Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.

A pride destroyed. A pride reborn.
Birth of a Pride coming to @natgeowild soon. #birthofapride pic.twitter.com/ktsdKRS3vb
— Dereck Joubert (@dereckbeverly) November 23, 2018

Birth of a Pride is set to garner more awards as the film catches the attention of filmmakers across the world. The recent production has already received widespread recognition at several international film festivals. These include:

Winner Best Cinematography of a Documentary Short Film, Asian Cinematography Awards April 2019
Winner Best Cinematographer of the Month, Asian Cinematography Awards April 2019
Winner Best Editing, Asian Cinematography Awards April 2019
Winner Best Documentary Cinematography, European Cinematography Awards April 2019
Winner Best Sound, European Cinematography Awards April 2019
Winner Best Editing, European Cinematography Awards April 2019
Winner Best Film on Nature, Environment, WIldlife, Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, Kolkata, West Bengal, India 2019
Winner Best Cinematography, Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, Kolkata, West Bengal, India 2019
Winner Best Sound Design, Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, Kolkata, West Bengal, India 2019
Winner Best Editing, Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, Kolkata, West Bengal, India 2019
Winner Best Documentary Film FESTPRO Film Festival, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Penza and Vladimir, Russia 2019.

Birth of a Pride, has also been nominated under the Wildlife Film category at the NaturVision Film Festival, taking place from 11 – 14 July 2019 at Ludwigsburg, in Germany and will be screened on Friday, 12th of July at 6 PM CET.