Run time: 89 minutes
Role: Cinematographer & IMPACT TEAM MEMBER
Synopsis: Drawn in by the haunting specter of the Florida panther, National Geographic Explorer Carlton Ward Jr. and a coalition of biologists, ranchers, conservationists, and Indigenous Peoples find themselves on the front lines of an accelerating battle between forces of renewal and destruction that have pushed the Everglades to the brink of ecological collapse. This odyssey of hope and heartbreak is the culmination of more than five years of field research, 500,000 still images, and over 800 hours of ultra high definition camera trap footage. Against all odds, wild panthers have been stunningly captured in their native ecosystem, as they've never been filmed before. The film is the cornerstone of the ‘Path of the Panther' project, supported by the National Geographic Society and many other partners that inspired the passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act – the first legislation of its kind and a blueprint for addressing habitat fragmentation and species extinction across the globe.
Impact: This film and associated education campaign played a pivotal role in the unanimous bipartisan passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act in 2021, a critical step to secure Florida’s unique wild places and the animals that call them home. This milestone was the result of an extensive, strategic communications campaign by Wildpath and partners. Special screenings of the film were held for the Florida Legislature, followed by a theatrical release in more than 40 theaters across the state in 2023. The book, “Path of the Panther: New Hope for Wild Florida” — which won the Florida Book Award in 2023 for nonfiction — was also distributed to every state lawmaker. A series of photo exhibits held in Florida and Washington, D.C., a feature-length article in National Geographic magazine, and a K-12 education curriculum designed for students further helped grow the movement to protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor; in 2023, Florida committed $1billion to land protection within the corridor. The Florida Senate also recognized April 22, 2025 as Florida Wildlife Corridor Day.
Awards: 2024 News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Nature Documentary; 2022 WINNER Best Ecosystem (Long Form) award at Jackson Wild; 2023 WINNER AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST FEATURE at the FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL; 2022 WINNER IMPACT and PRODUCTION TEAM AWARD AT THE WILDSCREEN PANDA AWARDS; 2022 WINNER GOLDEN CONCH - BEST FEATURE AT THE KEY WEST FILM FESTIVAL; WINNER AUDIENCE AWARD - ACTIVE CINEMA AT THE MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL; WINNER AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST DOCUMENTARY AT THE NAPLES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL; WINNER BEST CONSERVATION FILM AT NEW YORK WILD; WINNER AUDIENCE AWARD AT THE WILDLIFE FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM
