Toronto (October 22, 2012) – The Wildscreen Festival is a prestigious and influential event in wildlife and natural history filmmaking, often referred to as the “Oscars” of the natural history world. The 2012 submission list included a record-breaking number of entries from over 46 countries. The jurors expressed that although the competition was stiff they were deeply impressed with the caliber and quality of the submissions and the ultimate nominees, showcasing not only great talent, but pointing towards a positive future for natural history/wildlife filmmaking. The judges awarded Alex & Tyler Mifflin, aka The Water Brothers, the BBC Earth Panda Award for Best Newcomer based on their youthful energy, enthusiasm and talent, while exploring the serious topic of the planet’s water resources.
Jonathan Barker, CEO of SK Films, Executive Producer of The Water Brothers TV series and a world leader in 3D nature documentary production accepted the award on behalf of Tyler and Alex. “The Water Brothers are in the middle of filming the exciting second season around the world and in Canada. They worked so hard on this series and are so passionate about water, they are garnering an excellent international reputation amongst water scientists and advocates. It is great to have TVO supporting emerging documentary filmmakers and then to have David Attenborough say how thrilled he is that there is such filmmaking talent and commitment in the next generation; is very rewarding. This group is so much more knowledgeable and savvy about our environment and they want to hear from, and be inspired and entertained by, their own generation including practical solutions within our reach.”
“We’d like to congratulate Tyler and Alex on this prestigious honour, and we are thrilled to have played a role in helping them share their passion for environmental issues with Ontario viewers,” says Nancy Chapelle, TVO’s Managing Director of Content and Programming. “TVO’s role is to inform and engage people in the issues that matter, and we saw in The Water Brothers an excellent vehicle for raising awareness about the many concerns surrounding water. We look forward to broadcasting the second season of the series on TVO in March 2013.”
Season 2 of The Water Brothers is currently in production, and the brothers will embark on many adventures such as sailing across the Pacific Ocean looking at ocean plastic and travel to destinations including Africa, India, Bangladesh and around North America. To stream episodes from the first season of The Water Brothers visit: http://ww3.tvo.org/program/171737/the-water-brothers
The Water Brothers are currently climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for an episode covering the topic of Women and Water for their upcoming Season 2. This “Climb For Life” initiative also raises awareness and funds for Canadian charity WaterCan to help combat water scarcity and potablity on a global level.
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For Media Inquiries contact:
Amber Hawtin – Director of Sales & Marketing
SK Films Inc.
ahawtin@skfilms.ca
416-367-0440 ext. 3033
About the Water Brothers:
The Water Brothers is an eco-adventure television series that airs on TVO, starring, directed and produced by real-life brothers, Alex & Tyler Mifflin. They are currently in production on their second season, which will take them on many adventures like sailing across the Pacific Ocean looking at ocean plastic to Africa, India, Bangladesh and around North America.
The Water Brothers also created a mobile app called QUENCH to help cut down on plastic water bottle consumption and use. The app is available within the GTA and is downloadable from www.thewaterbrothers.ca and TVO’s App store and is sponsored by Brita.
About SK Films:
SK Films Inc. is a Toronto-based, multi-platform entertainment content provider and a leader in 3D film production and distribution. The company was founded in 1998 together with the late Robert Kerr, the visionary co-founder and CEO of Imax Corporation. Its nature film Flight of the Butterflies 3D is currently playing on IMAX / Giant Screens in select markets. For more information, visit skfilms.ca
About TVO:
TVO is Ontario’s public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO’s vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and is a registered charity supported by sponsors and thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.
