Something We Are Proud Of
A new chapter.
A wealth of experience.
Years in the making.
Primal Films brings together filmmakers whose experience spans some of the world’s most ambitious natural history productions. We’ve helped shape these stories as directors, cinematographers, and producers, bringing intimate knowledge of wildlife and places to international screens.
The films below feature work our team members undertook throughout their individual careers. They represent the craft, relationships, and experience we now bring together at Primal Films.
BBC ASIA
Release: BBC October 2024, BBC Worldwide
Episodes - Ep2 above the clouds, Ep3 the Frozen North, Ep4 Tangled worlds
A Tibetan fox hunts for pika on the roof of the world
Asia, Series 1, Above the Clouds
High on the Tibetan Plateau, a mother fox uses cunning to catch food for her hungry pups.
WATCH EPISODE 2 - ABOVE THE CLOUDS
BBC ARTICLE - OUR MOTHER FOX
Speed vs endurance on the Tibetan Plateau
Asia, Series 1, The Frozen North
A lone wolf uses its incredible endurance to chase down fast and powerful chiru antelope.
MARCH OF THE ELEPHANTS
March of The Elephants is an epic journey of a herd of elephants migrating from their homeland Xishuangbanna, in Yunnan, China, travelling northward over 1,300 kilometers for almost a year and half.
This film reflects the complex relationship between humans and elephants as locals guide and support the majestic creatures through forests, farms, roads, viaducts, and the boundaries between nature reserves and human settlements. The elephants' responses and behaviour provoke contemplation about humanity's responsibility to protect wildlife and biodiversity. We witness humans expressing goodwill and building trust with the elephants as they help them find food, water, shelter, and survival. This documentary underscores the importance of coexisting with nature and respecting the creatures that share our planet.
Credit: Olivia Chen - Director/Producer
Availability: Available on Off the Fence
Awards and Nominations:
WILDSCREEN FILM FESTIVAL 2024·OFFICIAL SELECTION
JACKSON WILD 2023·WORLD WILDLIFE DAY FILM SHOWCASE
CHINA DOCUMENTARY ACADEMY AWARDS·WINNER : JURY PRIZE
SPOTLIGHT DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARDS 2022·WINNER : SILVER AWARD
CHINA'S HIDDEN KINGDOMS
Release: NatGeo WILD, BiliBili, February 2020
CHINA'S HIDDEN KINGDOMS (The Hidden Kingdoms of China) takes audiences into the secret wilds of China to reveal the beauty of its hidden kingdoms
From its highest mountains and plateaus, to its thickest jungles and bamboo forests, CHINAS HIDDEN KINGDOMS will reveal the wild side to China that few knew...
Nominated for 2021 News and Documentary Emmy® Awards - Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary
A SONG FOR LOVE - AN APE WITH AN APP
Blind Date for apes?
Follow the bold experiment and meet the extraordinary contestants and their families! Filmed over two years in one of the world’s most challenging locations, ‘A Song for Love – An Ape with an App’ is a wonderful tale of hope, and features never before seen behavior of the elusive Skywalker Gibbon.
Credit: Olivia Chen - Director/Producer
Available on Terra Mater Factual Studios
Awards and Nominations:
US INTERNATIONAL FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL 2020·WINNER : NATURE & WILDLIFE
NATURVISION FILM FESTIVAL 2020·WINNER : BEST STORY
CANNES CORPORATE MEDIA & TV AWARD 2020·WINNER : SILVER DOLPHIN IN NATURE & WILDLIFE
NEW YORK FESTIVAL TV & MEDIA AWARD 2021·WINNER : SILVER WORLD MEDAL IN NATURE & WILDLIFE
PANDA GOES WILD
We know pandas almost entirely from zoos, and little about their behaviour in the wild. Their mountainous home in China covers a huge area of dense bamboo forest, and discovering how wild pandas live has proved almost impossible. Yet that information is vital if this beautiful species is to survive.
For three years, award-winning cameraman Jacky Poon and his team of scientists and rangers have had unprecedented access to the Qin Mountains. Not only have they found wild pandas, they have filmed amazing new behaviour: males confronting each other, females held hostage, and mating. It is a breakthrough in panda filming, and a landmark in our understanding of wild pandas.
Awards and Nominations:
International Nature Film Festival Gödöllö 2021 (Gödöllö, Hungary): 1st Place (Category: International Film Review - Nature Films)
US International Film & Video Festival 2020 (Redondo Beach, USA): Gold Camera (Category: Nature, Wildlife)
Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards 2021 (Cannes, France): Finalist (Category: Environment, Ecology & Sustainability)
FINN - Festival International Nature Namur 2021 (Namur, Belgium): Official Selected
Darßer NaturfilmFestival 2021 (Darß, Germany): Nomination (Category: Outstanding International Film Productions)
AFO Academia Film Olomouc 2021 (Olomouc, Czech Republic): Official Selected (Category: International Competition)
Sondrio Festival 2020 (Sondrio, Italy): Official Selected
Goethe Science Film Festival 2020: Official Selected
NaturVision Filmfestival 2020 (Ludwigsburg, Germany): Nomination
IWFF - International Wildlife Film Festival 2020 (Missoula, USA): Official Selected (Category: Wildlife Conservation)
RARE SURVIVORS: CHINA’S ICONIC WILDLIFE
From snow leopards to wild horses, and from alligators to elephants, China’s iconic wildlife is a lot more than just pandas.
Mist swirls around the base of Shanghai’s skyline. From the city, tigers and monkeys seem as unreal and distant as dragons and mermaids emerging through the mist. Yet they do exist, as rare survivors in an extraordinary and diverse landscape.
Some are well known and much loved, and others important and iconic animals filmed for the first time. They are all charming, fascinating, and fragile.
Credit: Olivia Chen - Producer
Available on Terra Mater Factual Studios
Awards and Nominations:
NATURVISION FILMFESTIVAL 2021·NOMINATED
GREEN SCREEN - INTERNATIONALES NATURFILMFESTIVAL ECKERNFÖRDE 2021·NOMINATED
WFFR - WILDLIFE FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM 2021·NOMINATED
MAFF - MATSALU NATURE FILM FESTIVAL 2021·NOMINATED
WIND TALK - NIO x Discovery
Wind Talk is an immersive documentary jointly produced by NIO and Colorful Nature Films at Clean Parks' first European project site in Skovsgaard, Denmark.
Wind, a participant in nature and civilization, witnesses the changing relationship between humans and nature.
The wind's journey, like life itself, is a continuous cycle, reflecting the Taoist view that "all things are born of being, being is born of non-being."
Credit: Olivia Chen - Producer
Awards and Nominations:
TELLY AWARD 2024·WINNER : NATURE & WILDLIFE GOLD
TELLY AWARD 2024·WINNER : CRAFT DIRECTING GOLD
TELLY AWARD 2024·WINNER : PEOPLE'S TELLY GOLD
ODYSSEY SFA 2024·WINNER : THE BEST SUSTAINABILITY FILM - Environmental Protection & Biodiversity Film Award
FOREST TALK - NIO x Discovery
Forest Talk is an immersive audio-visual production created through a collaboration between CNF, NIO, and Discovery. Shot in Hainan Island, it utilizes Dolby Atmos technology to cater to various platforms such as car cockpits, AR glasses, VR glasses, and large screens.
This captivating content showcases the unique flora and fauna of Hainan along with their enchanting sounds. It takes viewers on a journey through Hainan's tropical rainforests, wetlands, and marine ecosystems, offering a timeless dialogue between mountains and seas. The film is available for panoramic sound playback on the global NIO platform and has been released in Europe and the United States via the Discovery Channel. It has been honored with the prestigious 2023 Telly Award.
Credit: Olivia Chen - Producer
Awards and Nominations:
TELLY AWARD 2023·WINNER :SOUND DESIGN SILVER
FIRE NOMADS
ONLINE AND DIGITAL MEDIA COMMERCIAL FOR RED DIGITAL CINEMA, 2019
Shot entirely by natural light during sunrise/sunset, ‘FIRE NOMADS’ takes you on a romantic and poetic journey of two people coming together because of the passion for fire, at the same time demonstrating the beauty and charm of the fire dance.
The elements that define the styles of the two performers: masculine vs feminine; man-made structure vs nature; Yang vs Yin; finally joined together in a romantic duet that blends fire and the nomadic way of life into one harmonious swell.
Director / Producer / Editor: Fan Di Instagram- @fanxiaoba
Producer / Cinematographer: Jacky Poon
Assistants / BTS: Wong Kei Cheong, Carolina Rodrigues
Starring: Fire NoMads - Bertrand Pignet (France), Jingwen Zhao (China)
Music: ’Lantern’ by Pablo Love, Campbell E Browning, Jean-Yves Prieur ‘Nylon’ by Giovanni Antonio Parricelli
Working Together
The right team for your story
Some projects begin with a director and an idea. Others need a cinematographer in the field, an experienced local producer, or a team to support an international shoot.
We bring together the experience each project needs, with close collaboration between the people shaping the story and those making the production possible.
Let’s Talk About Your Project
Tell us what you’re developing, where you want to film, or the expertise you’re looking for.
Email: info@primalfilms.tv