Wildlife Conservation Film Festival (16)

Début du Festival: 18 septembre 2026      Fin du Festival: 18 septembre 2026

The Wildlife Conservation Film Festival (WCFF) is a global film festival that showcases and supports independent films dedicated to the protection of wildlife and the conservation of Earth’s biodiversity through interactive and engaging events.

Founded in 2010 by award-winning filmmaker Christopher J. Gervais, the festival brings together an international community of films, filmmakers, advocates, and scientists committed to preserving wildlife and global biodiversity.

It provides a platform for hundreds of filmmakers to connect and engage in meaningful discussions with attendees from the global conservation, education, wildlife film, and travel industries.

Our mission is to inform, engage and inspire audiences about the upmost need for and importance of the protection of global biodiversity. We do this through the annual film festivals around the world, including New York, Los Angeles, Naples, Florida, and Monterrey, Mexico.

This year we will have a four day non-competitive event (June 11th-14th, 2026) at the Cape May Point Arts and Science Center, in Cape May, New Jersey, USA showcasing a selected number of nominee films before the finals event that will take place at the beautiful and prestigious Elite Cinema Theater in the City of Monterrey, Mexico (September 15th-18th, 2026).
Moreover, WCFF continues its strategic alliance with Ecoflix, the first not-for-profit streaming channel dedicated to protecting animals and the planet. This partnership offers filmmakers the optional opportunity to participate on the online Ecoflix platform, providing increased global access to submitted films and the potential to generate income through online ticket sales.

Location (2026):

● Festival Film Screenings: First stage (non competitive): The Cape May Point Arts and Science Center, Cape May, New Jersey, USA. Finals: Elite Cinemas, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
● Attendance at either venue is voluntary
● Premiere Requirements: None

All submitted films should explore themes related to wildlife and biodiversity, such as their beauty and wonder, the science behind them, human interactions, conservation needs, and actions.

We welcome filmmakers from around the world to submit their films to this international festival.

All submissions are evaluated by an expert jury committee, consisting of experienced wildlife documentary filmmakers, conservationists, scientists, and celebrities with awards presented across multiple categories.

"Best of" and "Laurels" will be awarded in the following sub-categories.
Award Categories:

● Short (Under 30 mins)
● Feature (30-75 mins)
● Extended Feature (Over 75 mins)

Award Subcategories
.
A) SUBJECTS
● Birds
● Conservation
● Ecosystems
● Education
● Endangered Species
● Humans and nature
● Freshwater and the water cycle
● Aquatic ecosystems
● Marine ecosystems
● Terrestrial ecosystems
● Animation
● Fiction and docu-fiction

B) TECHNICAL
● Best cinematography
● Best Nano (Budget under $3,000)
● Best Micro (Budget under $15,000)
● Student

Submission of a film constitutes acceptance of these Entry Rules & Regulations, by you and your agents (Please review this section carefully).

We receive movies from all the regions:

● The Americas
● Europe
● Asia
● Africa
● Oceania
● The oceans

All languages are accepted.

All films should be submitted with a separate (not embedded) working English SRT subtitle file (Technical Specs on how to submit films found below). Failure to do so may result in film submission status regarded as Incomplete, and/or disqualification after the call for entries deadline.

Film Producers receive:

The opportunity to promote your film using the official WCFF selection designation and, if awarded, the corresponding laurels. Additionally, the optional chance to collaborate with Ecoflix to reach a broader audience and potentially generate income.

A) Awards & Prizes

● No cash prizes are awarded by the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival (or Ecoflix). All awards are given to highlight and promote quality wildlife and conservation films.

● Unless otherwise agreed by the festival in writing, laurels and diplomas will be given to the winning film director (as identified in the Festival Subscription form) on behalf of the film. Awards will be available only 2 to 4 weeks after the closing date of the WCFF 2025. Except for award-winning attendees who will receive their diplomas/awards during the ceremony.

● Award eligibility is subject to any restrictions or conditions imposed by applicable laws and regulations (international, federal, state or otherwise), and the award recipient is responsible for all applicable taxes, customs, tariffs, insurance and similar charges or costs (if any).

B) Technical Submission Details.
The WCFF is a global festival welcoming submissions in all languages. For films selected to be screened, the following materials are required:

● A high-quality film HD version (e.g. mp4, .mov, Adobe Stock 4K DCI with Audio [40 Mbps] or equivalent).

● A high-quality trailer for films over 30 minutes in length.

● An English-language SRT subtitle file for all films, including those originally in English. Failure to do will result in an “incomplete film submission status”, and exclusion from the screening process during the festival.

● A vertical film poster in JPG or PNG format (4000 x 6000, 2:3) with a maximum file size of 10MB.

● A horizontal film poster in JPG or PNG format (3840 x 2160, 16:9) with a maximum file size of 10MB (optional).

● Five digital-still-images from the film (optional).

● A profile photo of the filmmaker (optional).

These materials should be submitted promptly upon notification of selection or nomination.

Failure to provide the required files, film assets, SRTs and artwork in a timely manner may result in the exclusion of the work from the award and screening process during the festival.

If a film is selected for showcasing at the event, all non-optional required film files, assets and screening copies must be submitted to WCFF by August 31, 2026 (Except for extended deadline submissions).

All festival entries are non-exclusive, meaning films previously broadcast on television, cable, or any VOD platform (AVOD, SVOD, TVOD) or those with an international theatrical release are eligible.

All entrants certify that they have secured full rights to use all music included in their films.
The Wildlife Conservation Film Festival reserves the right to modify any stated information, eligibility and submission guidelines, terms and conditions of entry, and entry details without prior notice.

Ecoflix Participation: Participation with Ecoflix is optional, and filmmakers can choose whether or not to take part in this aspect of the festival.

C) Screenings:

We receive more than 200 exceptional films each year and wish we could screen them all during the live festival. Unfortunately, due to time and space constraints, not all ‘Official Selections’ can be included in the festival screenings.

Films nominated by at least two of three judges to compete in specific award categories may receive a “Best Of” award or a Laurel. All “Best Of” award-winning films in the three main categories (feature, short and extended) will be screened, and selected Laurel winners may also be featured during the festival.

Additionally, other selected films may be made available for viewing on the Ecoflix platform if the filmmaker chooses to participate with our partner, Ecoflix.

All official selections, except for extended deadline submissions, will be publicly listed on the festival billboard on the WCFF website 15 days before the festival begins.

Awards and Laurels may not be included on this billboard if final decisions are still pending or the competition is ongoing.

Once Awards and Laurels have been announced, all nominees, award-winning and laurel-recognized films will be listed on the WCFF website within the next week after the award-winning ceremony.

D) Filmmakers can also decide to participate in the following with Ecoflix:

1. Permission to Stream: Filmmakers must grant Ecoflix permission to feature their film on the platform via the film submission form.

2. Ancillary VOD Platforms: Filmmakers have the option to provide Ecoflix with non-exclusive rights to showcase their film on their partner non-revenue ancillary VOD channels such as airlines, ship, hotel, educational and institutional platforms.

3. Marketing and Distribution: Filmmakers can also opt to allow Ecoflix to market their film for non-exclusive distribution under a revenue-sharing agreement, whereby one-third of the revenue is allocated to the filmmaker and one-third to WCFF.