Fall 2023 WINNERS



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In order to ensure that each film is studied and rated on an individual basis, NWBFF has instituted a system where entries do not compete against each other, but instead are recognized for their own individual merits.
For all intents and purposes, they compete against themselves:  each entry is judged on individual merits and scored on an inherent value system.

The judges focus is on your film when it is your turn to be evaluated, not on all the other films that are in cue: this insures that they will not have comparisons going on in their minds when they should be focusing entirely on YOU.

Judges score entries on a performance scale and winning entries are recognized and awarded not only for Best of Festival &  Best of Show, but also for two Awards of Excellence levels,two Awards of Merit levels, a Kudos Endeavor Award, or no award.

Best Of Festival & Best of Show honors are granted to the top scoring entry/entries for each season;  Awards of Excellence are granted to entries with truly exceptional artistic and technical achievements; and Notable achievements are recognized at the  Merit and 'Kudos' award levels.

The number of awards granted at any given level will fluctuate based on the total number of entries received for each competition deadline.



Awards below Best of Show

Your winning title is shown in the left column.
You won the award under the main award heading, i.e., Outstanding Excellence.
The right column shows any additional awards won, if any.





We select  two Best Of Festival Award Winners for
Domestic and Foreign in various categories, if available.



Ocean Life Documentary



    The Whaler
Director Philippe Blanc
in Ocean Life Documentaries
Switzerland

In 2022 Iceland killed 160 Fin whales. The second largest animal in the world. Yet the IWC, the international whaling commission, considers it an endangered species and has therefore banned its hunting worldwide. A crew from Swiss television intercepted Icelandic whaling ships and documented the cruel methods of this hunting.



Philippe Blanc is a director and journalist. He works for Swiss public broadcasting television and deals on international investigative documentaries. He has worked in different parts of the world including Europe, Africa, America and the Middle East.

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Harvest to Home (Solving the World’s Food Deserts)
in Environmental
United States 		 BEST OF SHOW 


KANGAL: A LIVESTOCK GUARDIAN
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
Slovakia 		 BEST OF SHOW 

Visions in the Dark
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries, Original Song (subcat), Editing (subcat)
United States		 BEST OF SHOW
OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE: Original Song (subcat), Editing (subcat)







Almost Ancestors
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
United States 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Creatures of the Kaleidoscope
in Ocean Life Documentaries
United Kingdom 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Cutting the Line
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries, Environmental
Namibia 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
The Disconnection
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
Canada 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Earth Beneath a Dark Lid
in Environmental
Slovenia 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
The Erie Situation
in Environmental
United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Exxtinction Emergency
in Environmental, Editing (subcat), Direction (subcat)
Iceland 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Fanel and Chablais de Cudrefin - When nature takes back its right
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
Switzerland 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Fields of Devotion
in Environmental
United States 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Flyways: the untold journey of migratory shorebirds
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
Australia 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
The Forest Growing From the Sea
in Environmental
China 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
JAWAI
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
United Kingdom 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Learning to Condor
in Ornithology Documentaries
United States 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Life of Mohéli
in Environmental
Slovakia 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
MONGOLIA, VALLEY OF THE BEARS
in Environmental
France 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
One Million Fish: Reviving China Lake Outlet Stream
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Planet Soil
in Environmental
Netherlands 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
RELENTLESS
in Environmental
United States 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Resurrecting Eden: The Coralfighters of Curacao
in Environmental, Ocean Life Documentaries
Germany 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Salted Earth
in Geological Documentaries, Cinematography (subcat)
United States 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Shifting Gears: Coral Reef Restoration
in Ocean Life Documentaries
United States 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Through The Looking Glass
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries, Environmental, Music Video, Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment, Viewer Impact: Entertainment Value (subcat)
United States		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE
EXCELLENCE: Music Video, Environmental 
THE URGENCY OF NOW
in Environmental
United States 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
For Tomorrow
in Environmental
Canada 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
THE TRAP
in Narrative Feature Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
Bulgaria 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Voyage of Discovery - The Blue Belt Expedition
in Oceanography Documentaries
United Kingdom 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
WOLVES - BORN TO REWILD - Director's cut
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
Netherlands 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
You Just Can't See Them From The Road
in Environmental 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 








32 TRILLION GALLONS: California's Deadly Month-Long Storm
in Meteorology Documentaries
United States 		 EXCELLENCE 
The Bee
in Environmental, Entomology Documentaries, Content/Message Delivery (subcat)
United States 		 EXCELLENCE 
CREMANTIQUE
in Music Video, Viewer Impact: Entertainment Value (subcat), Original Concept (subcat)
United Kingdom		 EXCELLENCE

EXCEPTIONAL MERIT: Music Video
Dust
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries, Environmental, Narrative Feature Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment, Direction (subcat), Cinematography (subcat)
United States 		 EXCELLENCE 
End of Trip - Sahara
in Narrative Feature Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
Spain 		 EXCELLENCE 
Fish With A Story
in Ocean Life Documentaries
South Africa 		 EXCELLENCE 
Heroines of the savannah
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
Spain 		 EXCELLENCE 
Hurricane Ian - Ground Zero
in Meteorology Documentaries
United States 		 EXCELLENCE 
India's Leopard Attacks
in Environmental
United Kingdom 		 EXCELLENCE 
Island Lobsterman
in Environmental
United States 		 EXCELLENCE 
Keeper of the Bay
in Environmental
United States 		 EXCELLENCE 
THE LIQUID GOLD 1: THE OLIVE GROWING HERITAGE
in Environmental
Portugal 		 EXCELLENCE 
Living with Landslides
in Geological Documentaries
United States 		 EXCELLENCE 
Maa-yiem, the extraordinary story of Jordi Sabater Pi
in Biography
Spain 		 EXCELLENCE 
Mojave Roads
in Environmental 		 EXCELLENCE 
Mussel Grubbing: A Citizen Science Treasure Hunt
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
United States		 EXCELLENCE 
Organic Soil – Organic Soul
in Environmental
Luxembourg 		 EXCELLENCE 
Rewilding the Riverbank
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
United Kingdom 		 EXCELLENCE 
Right Over the Edge: The Search for the North Pacific Right Whale
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries, Environmental, Ocean Life Documentaries, Narrative Feature Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
United States 		 EXCELLENCE

EXCEPTIONAL MERIT:   Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
Save Me
in Music Video
United States		 EXCELLENCE 
Saving Gentle Giants
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
United Kingdom 		 EXCELLENCE 
Sparrow Street
in Narrative Feature Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment, Original Score (subcat), Actress: Supporting (subcat)
United States 		 EXCELLENCE

EXCEPTIONAL MERIT: Actress: Supporting (subcat), Narrative Feature Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
Stay Wild
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
Canada 		 EXCELLENCE 
Twin Oaks
in Environmental
United States		 EXCELLENCE 
Wild Territory
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
Australia 		 EXCELLENCE 







Aliquam 3 - New Zealand
in Ocean Life Documentaries
Australia 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Amplifying Feedback Loop
in Animation
United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
The Bat Couple
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
Nigeria 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Biopixels
in Music Video, Original Concept (subcat)
United States 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT

MERIT: Original Concept (subcat)
Broken Worlds: The Island
in Environmental, Editing (subcat)
United States 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT

MERIT: Editing (subcat)
Cacaoistas
in TV Show or pilot, Original Concept (subcat)
United Kingdom 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Cactus, Love, Mountains: A Psychedelic Journey with Huachuma
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
Israel 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
D O W N W I N D
in Environmental
United States 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Eroding History
in Environmental
United States 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
The Garden of Absolute truths
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
United States 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Grading Animals w/ JKAPS
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment, Viewer Impact: Entertainment Value (subcat), Content/Message Delivery (subcat), Original Concept (subcat)
United States 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT

MERIT: Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment, Original Concept (subcat), Content/Message Delivery (subcat)
Horseshoe Crab Moon
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
United States 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Making Space for Nature
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
United Kingdom 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Mekong Apocalypse
in Environmental
Canada 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Other Kohinoors, the Rocks of Hyderabad
in Geological Documentaries, Original Song (subcat)
India 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT

MERIT: Original Song
Paddling the Margins
in Environmental
United Kingdom 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
The Planet Earth Kit
in Environmental
Australia 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
The Red Creek Sessions
in Geological Documentaries
United States 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Shaakuntalam
in Narrative Feature Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment, Original Score (subcat), Direction (subcat),
Cinematography (subcat)
India 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Snap Away: The Search for the Opalescent Arctail
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
United States 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Talking Hands - Leitmotiv of Gold
in Environmental
Colombia 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
The winter walk of a filmmaker of our time
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
Spain 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT







Cactus Safari
in Flora Documentary
Canada		 MERIT
Druid
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
Ireland 		 MERIT
HERE FOR NOW
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
Australia 		 MERIT
Invader and Defender
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
Hong Kong 		 MERIT
Legendary skies
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
France 		 MERIT
The Mimic
in Entomology Documentaries
United States 		 MERIT
Músika
in Animation
United States 		 MERIT
Water
in Music Video
United States 		 MERIT
Wekweètì and Ekwǫ̀ (Wekweètì and Caribou)
in Wildlife/Nature Documentaries
Canada 		 MERIT
We're All Going To Die
in Environmental
Germany 		 MERIT






Back To Earth
in Narrative Short Film Centered on Animal, nature or environment
United States 		 KUDOS
Inner Compass Signals
in Environmental
Canada 		 KUDOS


SUB-CATEGORIES

33 Acres, The Legacy of a Donation
in Content/Message Delivery (subcat)
United States		 MERIT
Axis Mundi
in Original Concept (subcat)
United Kingdom 		 MERIT
Documentation of a Mole
in Original Score (subcat)
Canada 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Life on the Edge - Exploring New Jersey's Coastal Ecosystems
in Research (subcat)
United States 		 EXCELLENCE 
The Next Pandemic
in Content/Message Delivery (subcat)
United States 		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Not Broken
in Original Concept (subcat), Direction (subcat)
United States		 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT
Tidal Variance
in Original Score (subcat)
United States 		 OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE 
Water, Star Medicine
in Viewer Impact: Entertainment Value (subcat)
United States 		 MERIT