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Reader SurveyNew Chairman Announced for Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival
Jan 8, 2002 12:00 PM
The board of directors of the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival announced the recent election of its new chairman, William R. Grant. In his position as the director of Science, Natural History and Features programs at WNET, the New York based flagship of the U.S. public television system, Grant is in charge of one of public television’s largest documentary production departments. He was responsible for “Nature,” one of public television’s most watched continuing series, as well as several natural history mini-series. Programs produced under his supervision have won seven National News and Documentary Emmy awards and three George Foster Peabody awards.
Grant was executive producer of “Innovation” and “Going Places,” two continuing PBS series, and numerous mini-series, including “America on Wheels,” “Savage Skies,” “Savage Earth,” “Savage Seas,” “Knife to the Heart,” “Stephen Hawking’s Universe,” “On the Trail of Mark Twain,” “The American President” and the forthcoming “In Search of Ancient Ireland.” In addition to “Nature, he served as executive in charge of production for the mini-series “Savage Planet,” “Secrets of the Dead,” “Secrets of the Pharaohs,” “Warship,” “Africa,” “1900 House” and the forthcoming “Frontier House” and “The Secret Life of the Brain.”
Grant has served on the festival’s board of directors since its inception in 1991. He notes, “In the decade since it was founded, the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival has become one of the most important venues in the world for natural history producers and broadcasters. It is a market, a trade show and an educational experience -- all taking place at the foot of the Tetons. Who could ask for anything more? I am proud to have been involved with the festival from the beginning and I hope my term as chairman will build on the work of my predecessors, Wolfgang Bayer and Barry Clark, in preserving what is very special about this festival.”
Steve Burns, the senior vice president of Production at Discovery Channel and the festival board vice-chairman adds, “Bill Grant knows everyone in the business. He is a consummate broadcast programmer, and has been such an important advocate for independent filmmakers that he is the natural choice to lead the Jackson Hole Festival.”
The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival is a non-profit organization whose primary mission is, “To encourage the production of natural history programming around the world by providing nonfiction filmmakers and broadcasters with an international film forum to conduct business, test new equipment, refine program production techniques and continue to seek new and more effective ways to promote awareness and sensitivity to wildlife and wildlife habitats.” With more than 700 industry professionals participating in the biennial, weeklong festival and over 650 entrants in the film competition, the event hosted by the organization is considered the most prestigious event of the natural history filmmaking community.
"The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival has been more than a showcase for the best in its genre. It also has a strong tradition of professional seminars, symposia and demonstrations addressing key facets of wildlife film and video production and distribution. Increasingly, the festivals address a range of technical issues, emerging technologies and business trends," describes writer Carl Mrozek in TV Technology magazine.
The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival is sponsored by 25 global organizations. They range from major broadcasting corporations and production companies to post-production houses and conservation organizations. Its board of directors includes: Animal Planet, BBC Natural History Unit, Canal+, Crawford Communications, Devillier Donegan Enterprises, Discovery Channel, Dolby Laboratories, Eastman Kodak Company, ERWDA, Fujinon, Granada Wild, Hi-Vision America, Inc., LaserPacific Media Corporation, National Geographic Television, National Wildlife Federation, Natural History New Zealand, Nature/WNET, NHK/Japanese Broadcasting, NOVA/WGBH, ORF/Austrian Television, Panasonic Broadcast and Television Systems, Sony Electronics, Turner Foundation, Writer’s Guild of America, west, and ZDF Enterprises.
