Wild Earth Oceania (WEO), Australia's first ever international wildlife film festival, and Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), a global leader in conservation providing hope to Australia's wildlife, are proud to announce a joint partnership in support of Australian wildlife conservation through the power of film and storytelling.
Both organisations are driven by the same mission of saving our precious Australian wildlife. Australia is one of the most important nations on Earth for biodiversity with wildlife found nowhere else in the world such as the Koala portrayed in WEO's logo. Australia has the worst rate of mammal extinction in the world, including the now extinct Lesser Bilby illustrated in AWC's logo. The long-term vision of WEO is to bring Australia from the bottom rung of the ladder for species extinction to the top. WEO and AWC share a common concern for the current wildlife crisis in Australia and are working at speed to recover species from the risk of extinction.
To address these critical issues, AWC deliver a conservation model through which large areas of land are acquired and managed – informed by world-class science through partnerships with Indigenous groups, government, and private landholders. From one property in 1991, AWC has since grown to deliver and influence effective conservation across more than 12.9 million hectares across sanctuaries and partnership sites in iconic regions of Australia.
In supporting the exceptional work of AWC, the mission of WEO is to connect People with Wildlife through Storytelling for Impact. The Wild Earth Oceania Film Festival will take place in Sydney, September 8th to 20th this year, and will showcase 50 films in Wildlife, The Environment, Indigenous Culture, and Natural History with avid Q&A panels following the film screenings.
Wayne Lawler/AWC WEO Director Jacquie Pohl states: "For the past 30 years, Australian Wildlife Conservancy's work has helped protect some of the nation's most iconic and endangered wildlife and reintroduce endangered species to their former habitats. We are honoured and privileged to have AWC as a significant Partner and grateful for their generous support as allies ongoing to deliver the Wild Earth Oceania Film Festival as a Call for Action to honour and preserve our irreplaceable and precious Australian wildlife."
AWC Chief Executive Officer Tim Allard states: "Wild Earth Oceania is offering a unique stage to raise awareness of our wonderful Australian wildlife through the power of cinematic storytelling. We are incredibly pleased to have teamed up with them and to be able to share the story and work of our foundation with a large public to help turn the tide of wildlife extinction."
