The Lost Kings of Bioko | NDR Naturfilm
The first time drills have been filmed for broadcast television
2019 Documentary, 50 min
Off the coast of Central Africa lies an isolated island, covered by primeval rainforest and surrounded by dark ocean waters, inhabited by a greater variety of species than nearly any other place on Earth. This terra incognita is called Bioko. The ruler of this realm is one of the world's least known primate species, the drill. This film explores their secret lives and their island home which includes the nesting grounds of various sea turtles and the rugged caldera. We follow Motuku, an alpha male, and his family with the arrival of their newest member to the group, little Sipoti. Over the next few years he will learn the intricacies of the drill society – something researchers will be learning with him as little is known about this monkey species. Perhaps he’ll someday become an alpha and rule over his own rainforest kingdom on the island.
"Bioko - Afrikas Insel der Affen" for NDR. Festival version "Herrscher einer vergessenen Welt - Biokos Drills". Awards: Green Screen - Best of Festival NaturVision - German Wildlife Film Award WCFF / New York Wildlife Conservation Film Festival - Best Feature Film 2019 Gulo Film / Drill Films / Doclights / NDR Naturfilm in association with NDR, WDR, ARTE, ORF, SVT and Smithsonian Channel
Other Projects
Monkeys of Bioko
Smithsonian Channel
July 29th, 2020 the documentary Monkeys of Bioko will air for US audiences on the Smithsonian Channel. Drill Films and Gulo Films Productions worked on Bioko Island for a combined 12 months to create this first ever look at wild drills in their natural habitat. Monkeys of Bioko is the Smithsonian Channel’s version of Lost Kings of Bioko which aired in Europe late in 2019.
Primates
BBC Studios
Primates is a BBC Studios production that broadcasted April 26th 2020 and follows groups of our closest relatives from around the world. For us, most importantly, we get to see DRILLS!
From silverbacks in the Congo, to the newly described Tapanuli orangutan of Sumatra, Primates is a culmination of two years of filming to bring rare, if ever seen before images, to a global audience.
Planet Earth III
BBC Studios
In episode 4, Freshwater; we see the rock climbing gobies of Bioko undertake one of the most amazing migrations of the animal Kingdom.
Filmed for the first time by Justin Jay and Tania Escobar Orihuela, this sequence showcases this tenacious species of fish as they navigate the waters of their island home.
Festival Screenings and Awards.
The Lost Kings of Bioko has been the finalist at international film festivals for a total of 43 times and has recieved over 39 awards, special mentions or nominations. Full list below.
1. IWFF Missoula, International Wildlife Film Festival, April 2019, U.S.A.
(1. Nomination for Broadcast Feature Award)
2. International Nature Film Festival Gödöllő, May 2019, Hungary
(2. International Film Review – Nature Films: 2nd Prize)
3. Accolade Global Film Competition, May 2019, U.S.A.
(3. Best of Show, 4. Award of Excellence: Nature/Environment/Wildlife)
4. European Cinematography Awards, May 2019, The Netherlands
(5. Best Nature/Travel Film, 6. Best Documentary Cinematography, 7. Best Sound)
5. Best Shorts Competition, June 2019, U.S.A.
(8. Award of Excellence Special Mention: Documentary Short, 9. Award of Excellence Special Mention: Nature/Environment/Wildlife)
6. NaturVision, International Nature and Wildlife Film Festival, July 2019, Germany
(10. German Wildlife Film Award, 11. Nomination for NaturVision Film Music Award)
7. Impact DOCS Awards, July 2019, U.S.A.
(12. Outstanding Achievement Award: Documentary Feature)
8. Animal Behavior Society Film Festival, July 2019, U.S.A.
(13. First Runner Up Best of Festival)
9. Green Screen, International Wildlife Film Festival, September 2019, Germany
(14. Best of Festival, 15. Nomination for sh:z Audience Award)
10. Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards, September 2019, France
(16. Gold Dolphin Award in Category Nature, Environment & Ecology)
11. Darßer Naturfilmfestival, October 2019, Germany
(17. Nomination for Deutscher Naturfilmpreis 2019)
12. WCFF – New York Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, October 2019, U.S.A.
(18. Best Feature Film)
13. Virgin Spring Cinefest, October 2019, India
(19. Best Film on Nature/Environment/Wildlife: Gold Award)
14. IndieFEST Film Awards, November 2019, U.S.A.
(20. Award of Excellence Special Mention: Nature/Environment/Wildlife, 21. Award of Excellence: Direction, 22. Award of Excellence: Editing, 23. Award of Excellence: Cinematography, 24. Award of Excellence: Original Score)
15. Oniros Film Awards, November 2019, Italy
(25. Best Nature Film, 26. Best Cinematography, 27. Best Natural Scenography, 28. Honorable Mention for Editing, 29. Nomination for Best Documentary)
16. Sondrio Festival, November 2019, Italy
(30. Nomination for 1st Prize: “Town of Sondrio”, 31. Nomination for “Stelvio National Park” Award)
17. Golden Galaxy Awards, December 2019, India
(32. Nomination for Best Nature/Environment/Wildlife)
18. Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, December 2019, India
(33. Outstanding Achievement Award in Category Nature/Environment/Wildlife)
19. Cult Critic Movie Awards, December 2019, India
(34. Outstanding Achievement Award in Category Nature/Environment/Wildlife)
20. A Show For A Change Film Festival, December 2019, U.S.A.
(35. Cinematography Award)
21. IndieFEST Film Awards – 2019 Humanitarian Award, January 2020, U.S.A.
(36. Grand Prize)
22. Golden Fox Awards, January 2020, India
(37. Nomination for Best Film on Nature/Environment/Wildlife)
23. United Nations Development Programme (UNEP)/CITES/Jackson Wild World Wildlife Day Film Showcase: Biodiversity, 3rd March 2020, United Nations Headquarters in New York City, U.S.A.
(38. Nomination for Best Film in Category "Web of Life")
24. Jean Luc Godard Awards, September 2020, India
(39. Nomination for Best Film on Nature)
Finalist at following festivals:
25. T-Film Ostrava, May 2019, Czech Republic
26. International TV Ecological Festival “To Save and Preserve”, June 2019, Russia
27. WIIFF – Wolves Independent International Film Festival, August 2019, Lithuania
28. Matsalu Nature Film Festival, September 2019, Estonia
29. Innsbruck Nature Film Festival, October 2019, Austria
30. Ekofilm, October 2019, Czech Republic
31. Festival International Nature Namur, October 2019, Belgium
32. SunChild International Environmental Film Festival, October 2019, Armenia
33. Festival de Ménigoute, October / November 2019, France
34. Mountainfilm Graz, November 2019, Austria
35. Bansko Film Fest, November 2019, Bulgaria
36. China International Green Film Week, December 2019, China
37. F.I.F.A. Albert, 14th – 22nd March 2020, France
38. NatureTrack Film Festival, 20th – 22nd March 2020, U.S.A.
39. New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, 21st April 2020, U.S.A.
40. Ökofilmtour – Festival des Umwelt- und Naturfilms, 21st January – 24th April 2020, Germany
41. Academia Film Olomouc – International Festival of Science Documentary Films, 28th April – 3rd May 2020, Czech Republic
42. Caorle Film Festival, 5th – 9th May 2020, Italy
43. IFF Ekotopfilm – Envirofilm, 11th – 15th May 2020, Slovakia