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NOTE: Thisis a work in progress. At this time, the films listed are those that have been selected for viewing during the ABS film festivals from 1995-2000. A distributor code for each film is indicated at the right-hand margin, e.g., WNET. This is only a draftcopy supplied to you for your comments and suggestions.

AFRICA'S FORGOTTEN ELEPHANTS A Scorer Association production for BBC/WNET 13, 1997, (50 min.)

WNET

Despite their large, lumbering image, elephants are surprisingly adaptable and can be found in dense rainforests, parched deserts, on tropical beaches and even icy mountains. Cynthia Moss, who has spent more than 25 years in Kenya studying the elephants of Amboselli National Park, now wants to find out how elephants survive in such diverse habitats. In the rainforest of Central Africa, Andrea Turkalo has studied the small, and highly secretive forest elephants for seven years. These legendary pygmy elephants are probably nothing more than adolescent males that have developed tusks precociously early.

Cynthia joins Blythe Loutit to observe the desert elephants of the remote Skeleton Coast of south-west Africa, where the harsh life is reflected in a decreased rate of calf production. In contrast , Eve Abe reports that the elephants of the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, once reduced by 90 %, are now experiencing a noted increase in its reproductive success. Cynthia also observes the elephants of the Atlantic coast of Gabon, who use their trunks as "snorkels" when crossing mangrove lagoons, and reports on the mountain elephants of the slopes of Mount Kenya.

Producer: Brian Leith ABSSemifinalist, 1998

ANIMAL MINDS National Geographic Television, 1994(28 min.)

NGT

Pet owners have sworn for years that their animal companions are thinking and feeling. This film examines the work of scientists investigating this point of view. In doing so, some very complex and flexible behaviors among a variety of animals are shown, from an African gray parrot that solves logic problems to a chimpanzee entertaining herself by making faces in a mirror. We may not be the only creatures to solve problems with mental pictures, fashion tools, make sounds to communicate, or be creative.

Producer:John Rubin;Photographers:Michael DeGruy, Doug Bertran, & Robert Elfstom ABS Semifinalist, 1996

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ATTENBOROUGH IN PARADISE BBC Natural History Unit, 1996 (56 min.)

BBC

Birds of Paradise are often considered the most beautiful and spectacular of all creatures. Sir David Attenborough has had a passion for these wonders since he was a little boy. In this film he shows the remarkable display behavior of 14 species of paradise and bowerbirds. The result is a wonderful film which is full of color and revelation as the many elaborate courtship behaviors exhibited by these birds were so artfully captured. The rich variety courtship displays in this film are outstanding.

Producer:Paul Reddish ABS Semifinalist, 1997

BABOON TALES Tamarin Productions, 1998 (52 min.) Bullfrog Films, Distributor

BFF

The film, "Baboon Tales," examines the extensive research on the Olive Baboons of White Rocks on the Laikipia Plateau of central Kenya that has been conducted by Shirley Strum over the past 26 years. With 25 years of observations, Dr. Strum has shown that brute force wasn't the only way that adult males gained dominance. Instead the process of exchanging "favours" was another means of maintaining one's social status and keeping the peace. To show the complexities of baboon society, the film follows the early lives of several newborns, who vary in personality and in privilege through their other's social positionin the troop. Award-winning producer/director, Gillian Kovanic, and Emmy-nominated photographer, Rudolf Kovanic, combined their talents to provide a remarkable film the depicts the development of social skills in the young, the difficulties of maintaining social status in adults, and the cooperative efforts of the entire troop to defend the "sleeping" ledges of White Rocks.

Producer: Gillian Kovanic Photographer: Rudi Kovanic ABS Semifinalist, 1999

BEETLEMANIA Green Umbrella Ltd., 1996 (50 min.)

BBC

One in four kinds of animal on earth is a beetle! No other creatures begin to match their diversity, range of size, colour or form. They are built like tanks, have weapons to match, yet can still fly; but as biologists like Tom Eisner reveal, chemistry is the true secret of beetle success. In reality, they are truly remarkable and intriguing creatures. The fact that they are yielding highly promising new medicines proves a powerful reason to conserve their species and their rainforest homes.

This film starts off with a little science fiction humor; however, it goes on to portray the remarkable diversity of species and their adaptations. Their chemical defense systems, modes of communication and reproduction, and aspects of mate competition are excellently captured via close-up and time-lapse photography.

Producer:Nick Upton ABS Semifinalist, 1997

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CORAL REEFS:THEIR EVOLUTION AND REPRODUCTION New Dimension Media/HIT Production,(27 min.)

NDM

This film covers the geological development a and history of the coral reef systems, revealing for the first time the amazing and well kept secret of the underwater reproduction process of the coral community. Until recently, the synchronous spawning phenomenon remained undiscovered. Once a year, within just a few hours, the reproduction process of numerous coral species takes place. This colorful and outstandingly brilliant program traces the sequence of reproduction events and highlights coral evolution and the survival strategies that haveenable them to create such splendid reef ecosystems.

ABS Semifinalist, 1997

CRANES AND THE CENTRAL FLYWAY Robert Horton Production, 1994(20 min.)

RHP

This film, a Jack Ward Competition entry, has been produced and photographed by Robert Horton of Omaha. Locally, he has been highly recognized; and for the past four years, he has been commissioned by Nebraska Ducks Unlimited to present his work at their annual state convention. His video production, Cranes and The Central Flyway, is without narration. However, he has so carefully captured and set to music the beauty and grace of the dancing cranes and many other varieties of water fowl that narration would only serve as a distraction.

Producer and Photographer:Robert Horton ABS/Jack Ward Memorial Film Competition (non-commercial) - Semifinalist, 1995

CROCODILE RIVER:THE TIDES OF KIRAWIRA
Survival Anglia Production,1994(50 min.)

SVA

Rain sweeps over the great herds of wildebeest on the Serengeti plains. Days later, a flash flood races along a sandy river-bed, which becomes again the living Grumeti River, a seasonal lifeline for all the creatures at Kirawira, and especially its giant crocodiles. The river will ebb away over the dry season, but the clams, crabs and fish have developed remarkable lifestyles to survive, until it floods again. But as it dries on the plains, the great herds head out towards Kirawira. When the wildebeest arrive to play their part in the seasonal drama of the drying pools - primordial carnage reigns as the desperate herds try to drink at the crocodiles' pools. However, the wildebeest will move on, leaving Kirawira in the grip of the seasonal drought.

Producers and Photographers:Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone ABS Semifinalist, 1995

DOLPHIN DIARIES BBC Natural History Unit, 1996(50 min.)

BBC

This film is the culmination of a ten year study of one group of Spotted Dolphins. The veneer of placid animals is stripped away to reveal a dolphin society which is both affectionate and violent. David Attenborough takes us into this dolphin world with scientist, Denise Herzing, Director of the Wild Dolphin Project, whose research rivals that of Jane Goodall . Extremes of dolphin behavior are depicted, e.g., a mother suckling her young, teaching it to catch fish, and reprimanding it by physically holding it down on the ocean floor. In addition, a violent dolphin fight is contrasted by the sensitive nature of their courtship and social communication. Producer:Mark Jacobs ABS Semifinalist, 1997

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EAGLE Wildlife Special, BBC Natural History Unit, 1997 (48 min.)

BBC

Literally riding on the back of the leading star, the golden eagle, this film embarks on a grand tour through 12 countries, and encounters 15 of the world's species of eagles. Fly alongside these kings of the air, thanks to filming techniques, first developed by producer John Downer, involving miniature cameras, model helicopters and gliders. In the Greek Mountains, golden eagles soar to great heights to drop tortoises like bombs to crack open these tightly sealed meals on legs. The awesome Philippine eagle stands over a meter high, is adorned with a startling crest of feathers, and captures monkeys to feed its chicks. In Australia, the wedgetail even attempts to hunt kangaroos; while in Malaysia, white-bellied Sea Eagles dive for poisonous sea snakes.

Producer: John Downer; Photography: Michael W. Richards; Aerial Photography: Geoffrey Bell ABS Semifinalist, 1998

A FEW ACORNS MORE Oxford Scientific Films production for The National Geographic Society, 1997, (27 min)

OSF

This is the story of gang warfare, murder, cannibalism, uncontrolled greed, group sex and ethnic cleansing. It is also a story about beautiful, tender individuals and acts of selfless courage and heroism. The stars of this story are the members of a tight-knit community of Acorn Woodpeckers, as seen through the eyes of Walt Koenig, who has been studying these unusual birds for 20 years. The norm is a monogamous pair who own nothing more than the nest in which they sit. So why are Acorn Woodpeckers so different? Why are they obsessed with acorns? Why do they share sexual partners, and sometimes eat their own eggs or kill other's fledglings? And why do youngsters stay to help their parents, instead of leaving and becoming parents themselves? The answers may be both alarming and astonishing.

Producer: Sean Morris; Photographer, Keith Brust ABS Semifinalist, 1998

NA

This short video (without narration) was produced and photographed by Rosie Koch as part of her research project on naked mole-rat coloration at the University of Tuebingen. Filmed in Mero National Park, Kenya, Rosie depicts a collage of the local wildlife and some aspects of the mole-rat tagging program.

Producer/photographer:Rosie Koch

FLIGHT FOR SURVIVAL The New Explorer Series; Public Media, Inc., 1994(30 min.)

PMI

Bill Kurtis and Dr. James Grier of North Dakota State University climb an 80-foot tree in the woods of Ontario, Canada to band baby eaglets in their nest. This program examines the remarkably successful effort to repopulate the bald eagle, which nearly became extinct prior to the ban of DDT in 1972.

Executive Producer: Bill Kurtis ABS Semifinalist, 1995

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FOR QUEEN ANDCOLONY The Natural World Series; BBC Natural History Unit,1994(50 min)

BBC

The changing of the guard outside the queen's residence - a new shift of workers clock on - nurses dash from baby to baby, checking each is fed and healthy. Not scenes from a human city, but the start of another day in a colony of bees and wasps. But these sophisticated societies have their origins amongst some of the most bizarre insects in the world including parasitic wasps that highjack the living bodies of other insects and beautiful jeweled wasps that neatly trim the antennae of cockroaches. This story of the development of insect societies is told using the latest techniques in macro-photography revealing a new side to familiar insects, some of which has never been seen by scientists.

Producer:Steve Nicholls ABS Best Film Award, 1995

SVA

There are nearly 4000 known types of frogs and toads in the world. They live in nearly every types of habitat, from the tundra to the tropics, from desserts to grassy plains, from rushing streams to pockets of moisture in bromeliad cups. The variety of their shape and colour is remarkable, so too is the repertoire of songs, croaks, and buzzes, but their range of reproductive strategies is simply staggering. The film examines the role of cryptic and warning coloration, vocal communication, and various mating and parenting strategies. It also addresses the concerns about the declining number of amphibians.

Producer:Mike Linley ABS Semifinalist, 2000

HUMPBACK WHALE Wildlife Special, BBC Natural History Unit, 1997, (50 min.)

BBC

Few sounds are more beautiful or moving than the underwater songs of the humpback whale. Male whales compete with their songs, which often last for 10 minutes at a time, and can be repeated for hours on end. Whales separated by thousands of miles of sea will sing almost identical songs. Researchers have found that the songs change throughout the breeding months, following a mysterious pattern repeated across the waves. Whales also use sound to hunt. To catch herring, humpback whales release a stream of bubbles to form a shimmering, circular fishing net. Emitting a repetitive loud scream, they scare the fish into a tight ball, then lunge out of the water to swallow the shoal whole. Now it seems that the long-held image of the gentle giant must change to one of a ferocious and opportunistic hunter.

Producers: Andy Byatt and Rick Rosenthal; Photographer, Rick Rosenthal ABS Semifinalist, 1998

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SVA

The Arctic is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is also one of the most hostile. Very few mammals can survive this icy kingdom. In the sea, a trio of whales has conquered the killing cold of Arctic waters: the snow white beluga, the sixty-foot long bowhead and the narwhal famous for its bizarre unicorn-like tusk. This film shows for the first time a pair of bowheads mating as well as incredible scenes of eleven bowheads feding in a v-shaped formation along the ice edge. Other stunning sequences include a beluga giving birth, male narwhals "jousting," amazing ice landscapes including the summer break-up in time lapse and underwaterviews of the ice pack. But what happens to the ice whales in the winter? Where they go or what they feed on remains a mystery.

Producer:Caroline Brett Photographer:Thomas Fritz ABS Semifinalist, 2000

INCREDIBLE SUCKERS BBC Natural History Unit, 1996 (48 min.)

BBC

David Attenborough narrates this remarkable film about the equally remarkable cephalopods, who are considered by some scientists as "primates of the sea." Using "Homeboy," a remotely operated submersible, film-maker Mike deGruy has photographed nautilus, as never seen before, in the depths off the coast of Guam. In addition, he has captured many of the colorful display patterns used for communication during social interactions among cuttlefish, squid and octopuses. See the "vampire squid from hell" which has never before been filmed alive and red octopuses that leave water to hunt.

Producer/photographer:Mike deGruy ABS Semifinalist, 1997

KANGAROOS - FACES IN THE MOB Green Cape Wildlife Films, 1992 (58 min.)

GCW

This is an engaging true story of life within one group of wild Eastern Gray Kangaroos. Theirs is a rich, dynamic society, more sophisticated than ever imagined. Behind every face there is a personality. Follow the destinies of two youngsters, Sunshade and Jaffa, who belong to a mob of sixty kangaroos living in a valley of magical beauty on the east coast of Australia. Learn how they cope in wind, fire and rain. During the course of a year, see everything from birth to the dramatic and sometimes deadly contests between the males who fight their way up the hierarchy and jostle for mating.

Producers:Jan Aldenhoven & Glen Carruthers;Photographer:Glen Carruthers ABS Semifinalist, 1996

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LIVING WITH CHIMPANZEES:PORTRAIT OF A FAMILY Flavia Fontes Productions, 1995 (52 min.)

FLD

Hereis the entertaining story of an unusual nuclear family, Roberta and Phil and the two chimpanzees they have adopted, Charlie and his half sister Casey. It shows the joys and challenges of life with our closest primate relatives. It investigates their adaptive abilities when removed from their natural habitat, their amazing mental abilities and the bonding love that exists between chimpanzees and humans when they share such intimate space. They dine at the table, watch television, play ball games, and throw kisses to a familiar voice on the telephone. But mostly it is the intimate, affectionate interaction of man and chimp in day to day life that will intrigue animal behaviorists as well as general audiences.

Producer & Photographer:Flavia Fontes ABS Semifinalist, 1996

MASK OF THE MANDRILL Thirteen/WNET, 1996(50 min.)WNET

Like painted warrior, the bright blue and scarlet faces of mandrills peer from the rain forests of West Africa. These large, impressive monkeys live among forest elephants, buffaloes,bushbabbies, and surprising societies of spiders. This film portrays the family saga of a mandrill troop, and the struggle for power between its two top-ranking males.

Producer: Bernard Walton ABS Semifinalist, 1997

THE NEW CHIMPANZEES National Geographic Television, 1995 (50 min.)

NGT

Strategic thinking...the practice of non-reproductive sex...active learning by youngsters...distinct cultures that vary from place to place...possible use of medicinal herbs...emotional displays of sadness, compassion, and fury are all depicted in this film showcasing chimp societies. From the dense, tropical Tai forest of Africa's Code d'Ivoire to the steep, grassy slopes surrounding Lake Tanganyika thousands of miles southeast, National Geographic examines the work of the latest generation of men and women in the field studying our closest relatives and leads us into the chimpanzee mind as the search for clues to our own past--and future--quickens. Aspects of the flexible and varied behaviors exhibited by chimp cultures are shown through the studies of Gombe's monkey-hunting chimps, the "make love, not war" society of bonobos, and the nut-cracking chimps of the Tai forest. The scenes depicting a group's remarkable show of respect for a dead member and a chimpanzee mother's wrenching good-by to her stricken baby lead us to conclude that, if we are not deprived of the opportunity, there is much left to learn from these forest relations.

Producers:Catherine McConnell and Cynthia Moses;Photographer:Neil Rettig ABS Best Film Award, 1996

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Films, 1999(56 min.)

BFF

Producer and Photographer: Richard Smith ABS Semifinalist, 2000

PYGMY CHIMPANZEE: THE LAST GREAT APE Wildlife On One, BBC/BBC Worldwide, 1997 (28 min.)

BBC

Pygmy chimps or bonobos are our closest living relatives but surprisingly, until now, there has never been a complete film on them. They look more like us than common chimps, have an incredible variety of facial expressions, chatter incessantly and are the sexiest of all apes. This remarkable program, shot in the remote forests of Zaire, follows an orphaned young bonobo called Shijimi through the trials of growing up in bonobo society.

Producer: Karen Bass; Filmed and Directed by Martyn Colbeck ABS Semifinalist, 1998

A RATTLESNAKE'S TALE BBC Natural History Unit in association with the Discovery Channel, 1997 (28 min.)

BBC

Follow the "incredible journey" of one of nature's most feared creatures, the western diamondback rattlesnake, as it travels into Arizona's Sonoran Desert as part of its yearly migration to and from its wintering den. Once born, the snakeling is entirely on its own and must survive the scorching heat and cold nights of the desert, the hazards of human misunderstandings and highway crossings, and such ever-present natural predators as red-tailed hawks, giant centipedes, and king snakes. Experience the drama of the hunt and the enchantment of the ritualized courtship behavior of this southwestern reptile. Using thermal imagery, the film depicts how rattlesnakes find their way each year to specific summer feeding grounds and then back to the same den where they spend each winter for 16 years.

Producer: Andy Byatt; Photographers: ABS Semifinalist, 1998

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THE REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR OF THE RAINBOW CICHLID, Herotilapia multispinosa. Gary Quick (a Jack Ward Competition entry) (14 min.)

GQ

This video is intended for use both by students of ethology and advanced cichlidophiles. many of the behaviors are reproduced in a similar manner by many other species of cichlids (especially substrate brooders), so this can be used as a generic guide to cichlid reproductive behavior. The color patterns are obviously unique to the rainbow cichlids. The video is divided into four sections: the Introduction (which is narrated by Gary Quick), the Natural History (again narrated), Color Patterns, and Action Patterns. The latter two sections are not narrated so that viewers can concentrate on seeingthe subtle intricacies of each color pattern and action pattern.

Producer/photographer:Gary Quick ABS/Jack Ward Memorial Film Competition (non-commercial) - Best Film, 1997

THE RIDDLE OF THE SANDS Green Umbrella Ltd., 1995 (49 min.)

BBC

Cursed by ancient land, and battered by frequent gales the Ythan estuary in North-East Scotland teems with life. But what is the attraction of this bleak place for the hordes of eider ducks, wading birds, fish and seals that live here? The most detailed study of its kind anywhere has revealed that a thriving microscopic world within the tidal sands and mud provides the lure, and has shown how all species here are linked in a complex "web of life".

Producer:Nick Upton; Photographers:John & Mary-Lou Aitchison, & Steve Downer ABS Semifinalist, 1996

THESCIENCE OF WHALES Bullfrog Films, 1998 (56 min.)

BFF

Incorporating excellent underwater photography, animation, and information gained through the use of formerly top secret technologies, this film reveals aspects of the behavior and physiology of whales that was not possible just a few years ago. With the declassification of anti-submarine sonar technologies by the Navy, scientists have been able to unlock some of the secrets of the underwater life of the whales, especially those related to communication. whale vocalizations are carried thousands of miles underwater and are being studied to provide information about their migratory routes, means of navigation, communication methods, and cooperative hunting and feeding behaviors.

Producers: Bo Boudart & Elizabeth O'Connell Photographers: Bo Boudart and Louis Prezelin ABS Best Film Award, 1999

SHARKS ON THEIR BEST BEHAVIOUR The Natural World Series; BBC Natural History Unit, 1994(50 min.)

BBC

Surrounded by gray reef sharks, underwater-photographer MIKE deGRUY lines up for a shot. The flash gun fires, and in an instant one of the sharks sinks its teeth into Mike's arm and tries to rip it from his body. Re-created for this film, that attack of thirteen years ago, spawned for biologist deGruy a strange passion for sharks. Since then he has filmed sharks the world over in a personal quest to understand more about their fascinating behaviour and their great diversity. From mighty whale sharks to tiny deep sea dogfish; from bonnet-head mothers to electric rays which can stun a man- if you thought all sharks were like Jaws you're in for a surprise. Producer:Michael DeGruy and Mimi Armstrong ABS Semifinalist, 1995

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BFF

Coral reefs are the jewels of the ocean. Communities of organisms as rich and diverse as any above or below the surface of the planet, they encircle the tropics liek an azure necklace. Silent Sentinels was filmed in three oceans, on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and remote Scott Reef in the Indian Ocean, in the Madives, the Red Sea, the USA and the Carribean. While1998 was designated "International Year of the Oceans," it also marked the year in which the most unprecedented mass bleaching swept the world's tropic oceans, in places leaving hundreds of miles of coral coastline severely damaged. This program revealsdisturbing evidence that even if coral can survive continually rising temperatures, they may not be able ot escape the chemical effects of high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which in turn appears to be coming more acidic. The film addresses reproductive strategies and adaptive processes for predation, dispersal, and development.

Producer/photographer:Richard Smith ABS Semifinalist Award, 2000

SVA

The great expanses of the cypress swamps of the South Eastern United States ar the home of the American Alligator. Faced witht he prospect of extinction because of overn hunting, alligator numbers have been steadily increasing since they were officially protected in 1967. Alligators are the keystone species in the swamp ecosystem. Their behavior as predators, nest builders, and parents influences the lives of many su species aroung them. The film follows the life history of the American Alligator through the seasons and examines the complex relationships that exists with other wildlife and with each other.

Producer:Mike Linley Photographer: Doug Bertran ABS Semifinalist Award, 2000

SVA

Based upon the African fable that the god Mongu created the tides so that all animals could visit to feed, but none might stay too long, the film portrays a cast of animals that use the shore over the cycle of tides and depend upon the crabs as a dietary staple. It is set on the remote storm beaches and in the mangrove forests of northern Kenya. A variety of foraging behaviors are depicted. As the tide falls, a striped hyaena feeds on a shark and tussles with an porcupine, a caracal hunts monkeys and an octopus strands itself to catch crabs. Crabs are the currency, and from giant monitor lizards, predatory groupers, crab plovers and jumping fish - everybody eats them. As the tide comes in giant whale sharks enter the mangrtoves to feed, moray eels fight with octopus, and predatory snappers and squid hunt in the drowned forest.

Producers and Photographers:Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone ABS Best Film Award, 2000

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THEY CAME FROM THE SEA Wildlife on One Series; BBC Natural History Unit,1994(30 min.)

BBC

They are coming; marching armies of bizarre creatures, tearing up vegetation and smothering the ground with their sheer numbers - LAND CRABS. You thought that crabs lived in the sea; in reality, some are making a bid for the conquest of land and there are places which are completely overrun by crabs. From the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, land crabs are spawning in their millions.

Producer:Steve Nicholls ABS Semifinalist, 1995

ULTIMATE GUIDE:DOGS Taurus Productions, 1997(50 min.)

TRP

While portraying the wide variety of breeds of the domestic dog, "The Ultimate Guide: Dogs" examines the evolution, behavior, and physiology of various species of the canid family. Besides exploring one of the oldest cases of domestication, the film also examines the genetic and social relationships amongst canids as well as the special human-canid relationship that has formed over 12,000 years. As highly social animals in the wild, canids have developed extraordinary levels of cooperative behavior, much of which has facilitated their unusually complex relationship with people. With their acute sense of smell, dogs can be trained to find termites, sniff-out drugs or signs of arson, and even detect malignant melanoma.