Birdwatch News Archive

My Life as a Turkey, David Allen's film in which an actor portrays the true-life story of biologist Joe Hutto, who acted as a surrogate parent to a family of Wild Turkeys, will be among the many films to screen at the festival. Photo: Wildscreen.

‘Green Hollywood’ hits Bristol in October

Posted on: 21 Aug 2012

Colloquially known as the ‘Green Hollywood’, Bristol is set to become host city for the first Wildscreen Fringe Festival in October.

An extension of the Wildscreen Festival, the Fringe will run from October 14 to 26, providing a chance for the public to see some of the best wildlife films from across the globe, get an insight into how they are made and experience unique collaborations between filmmakers and leading artists.

The Wildscreen Fringe Festival includes an urban pop-up safari, a wildlife quiz with top BBC wildlife presenters and a free premiere of a major television series set in the wild lands of North America. People can also enjoy free screenings of some of the best wildlife films from across the globe and budding wildlife filmmakers get the chance to learn how to film wildlife in their back gardens using the kit they have at home.

Glimpsed will offer close-up encounters with endangered animals in the heart of the city, when waterside shop windows are transformed into cinema screens, projecting luminous and moving images of rare animals that will vanish as quickly as they appear.

An exciting evening of never-seen-before and breath-taking footage from the wild lands of North America will be screened and accompanied by live music, ahead of a new eight-part television series from the Discovery and Animal Planet channels. North America is due for broadcast in the UK in 2013 but will be exclusively previewed at Colston Hall on Wednesday 17 October at 7.30 pm. Tickets are free (with £1.50 booking fee).

You’re Having a Giraffe will also feature, and is an amusing wildlife quiz featuring a panel of your favourite wildlife presenters being tested on their wildlife knowledge. This fun-filled free evening takes place at St George’s Hall on October 15 and is hosted and filmed by BBC Earth (plus £1.50 booking fee).

There will also be public screenings of wildlife films from the main Wildscreen Festival and opportunities to meet the people who made them. These will be held every day over a two week period (14-26 October) at the Watershed Media Centre.

The first Wildscreen Fringe Festival is open to the public and is part of the Wildscreen Festival, the most prestigious and influential event for the wildlife and environmental filmmaking. Every two years, Bristol plays host to hundreds of international delegates from the wildlife media industry for six days. For full details of all fringe events check out www.wildscreenfestival.org.