Wildscreen has revealed the full programme for its highly anticipated Wildscreen Festival Botswana, taking place in Maun, from the 12-13th June 2025. This two-day celebration of natural world storytelling will feature two African premieres, an industry pitch competition, and a packed line-up of speakers representing some of the most exciting voices in wildlife filmmaking today from across Africa and internationally.
BBC Studios Natural History Unit is Headline Sponsor, with Steve and Maggie Lansdown, majority shareholders in Mashatu Game Reserve and long-time conservation advocates in Botswana, championing sustainable tourism and key wildlife corridors, kindly supporting the Festival. Botswana Ignite, is the events in-country partner. Building on the two previous editions in Kenya and Tanzania, the Botswana edition continues Wildscreen’s mission to centre African storytellers and create a more equitable global wildlife film industry.
The full programme will include two packed days of panel discussions, lightning talks, and masterclasses spotlighting both African and international talent.
Confirmed speakers include:
Brad Bestelink (Natural History Film Unit Botswana), Sreya Biswas (BBC Studios NHU), Roy Conli (Disneynature and Walt Disney Animation Studios), Jeff Wilson (Silverback Films), Vanessa Berlowitz (Wildstar Films), Jigar Ganatra (AFRISOS), Afentse ‘Fenny’ Lekolwane (Botswood), Diana Kanweri (Filmmaker), and Rufusiah Molefe (Wildlife Conservationist and Filmmaker).
Session topics include: Collaboration across Continents; Development 101; Anatomy of a Production Company; Participatory Storytelling; Cinematography Masterclass and The Sliding Scale of Broadcast Productions.
The festival will be hosted by Reatile Schulte to Brinke and Seetsele Nthomiwa, both award-winning Batswana wildlife cinematographers and on-screen presenters on BBC Studios NHU’s Big Cats 24/7.
The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Honourable Wynter Boipuso Mmolotsi and Assistant Minister for State President, Honourable Maipelo Mophuting, will attend Wildscreen Festival Botswana 2025.
African Premieres
Audiences will be treated to two powerful African premieres, both filmed in Botswana’s incredible wilderness, these films are being shown for the very first time.
On Wednesday 11th June, delegates and members of the public from in and around Maun will watch Disneynature’s ‘Elephant’, sponsored by Wildstar Films and Wildstar Academy. Filmed in Botswana over three years, “Elephant” follows Shani and her spirited son Jomo as their herd travels through the Kalahari Desert on the world’s longest elephant migration. Led by Gaia, the matriarch, they encounter lions, crocodiles and brutal heat on their epic journey through the Okavango Delta and across the Zambezi River. The film, originally narrated by Megan Markle, has been translated into Setswana, with voice over performed by Botswana radio personality, Jazzelle Kebakile. The screening will be followed by Q&A with Roy Conli from Disney Studios and Vanessa Berlowitz from Wildstar Films.
Closing the festival on Friday 13th June will be the African premiere of Mashatu: Land of Leopards, produced by ZED for France Télévisions, National Geographic & RTS. Filmed in the hidden gem of Botswana, Mashatu Game Reserve – an unfenced, privately conserved wilderness area fostering vital wildlife corridors for free-roaming leopards – Land of Leopards is a gripping animal tale that follows the destiny of a family of felines impacted by climate change and forced to adapt, leading to dramatic interspecies clashes and never-before-filmed behaviours. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with wildlife filmmakers Wim and Magdel Vorster from Wild Web Africa.
WildPitch
The festival will host WildPitch, a live pitching competition showcasing six emerging African storytellers competing for funding, mentorship, and industry exposure. The event is designed to unlock opportunities and forge connections between filmmakers and decision-makers. The successful pitchees will present to a panel of judges at the festival, featuring industry professionals, and will have the chance to win a share of a total prize pot of £9,000.
National Broadcast Season with BTV
In the run-up to the festival, Wildscreen has partnered with Botswana Television (BTV), the country’s national public service broadcaster, to deliver a season of wildlife films made in Botswana or by Batswana. This initiative aims to raise awareness and celebrate the country’s rich heritage of wildlife storytelling and provide wider public access to the stories told within Africa to Africans.
Wildscreen Festival Botswana will welcome delegates from leading production companies including: BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Wildstar Films, Earth Touch, Afriscreen, Disneynature, Silverback Films, and Natural History Film Unit Botswana, making the event a must-attend for filmmakers, producers, and commissioners across the continent and beyond.
Additionally, as part of BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s ‘Project Songbird’ initiative, to promote a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive global wildlife filmmaking industry, there will be community screenings from hit series Big Cat 24/7, translated into Setswana, across Gaborone, Maun and several local communities around the Okavango delta leading up to the Wildscreen event.
Jonny Keeling, Head of BBC Studios Natural History Unit, said: “We are thrilled to be headline sponsors for Wildscreen Festival Botswana. This is a great opportunity to bring together programme makers from across the African continent to share new ideas and new opportunities. And it’s also a great chance to screen BBC content to some of the communities living around where the footage was shot.”
This year’s event underscores the importance of Botswana’s contribution to global natural history filmmaking – not only through its breathtaking biodiversity and storytelling legacy, but also via its growing production sector, supported by Botswana Ignite and the Government of Botswana.
