Reel Wild

Film Festival

April 9 - 12, 2026

The REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival brings compelling, award-winning films on wildlife, wild places, and the people fighting to save both to New York City. The festival aims to uplift wildlife filmmakers, inspire audiences to action, and achieve measurable conservation impact.

Join us in 2026 for another packed year of screenings and Q&As with filmmakers, conservationists, and wildlife experts. Stay tuned for updates on social media @reelwildfilmfestival.

Film Festival

April 9 - 12, 2026

The REEL WILD™New York Film Festival brings compelling, award-winning films on wildlife, wild places, and the people fighting to save both to New York City. The festival aims to uplift wildlife filmmakers, inspire audiences to action, and achieve measurable conservation impact.

Join us in 2026 for another packed year of screenings and Q&As with filmmakers, conservationists, and wildlife experts. Stay tuned for updates on social media @reelwildfilmfestival.

About the Festival

History & Mission

REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival is New York City’s premier conservation film festival dedicated to showcasing stories on wildlife and wild places. The festival’s mission is to amplify the work of filmmakers and experts in the field who are at the forefront of conservation’s most pressing issues, with the understanding that film as a medium has the power to inspire audiences in a way that impels to action.

The inaugural festival took place April 3-5, 2025 at AMC Lincoln Square 13 and the Lotte Palace New York. Over three days, the festival brought together filmmakers from around the world (from South Africa to Missoula; St. Louis to Siberia) and tri-state audiences for film screenings, panel discussions, Q&A sessions, a Disneynature film premier, post-screening receptions, and a Family Day, sponsored by Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.

For its second year, REEL WILD is pivoting to a juried festival structure. All submitted films are eligible for award consideration, as determined by the jury. The festival accepts documentary and narrative films as they pertain to wildlife and wild places, particularly in connection with pertinent issues surrounding conservation, climate change, and affected communities.

A Wildlife Conservation Society Project

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) combines the power of its zoos and an aquarium in New York City and a Global Conservation Program in more than 50 countries to achieve its mission to save wildlife and wild places. WCS runs the world’s largest conservation field program, protecting more than 50 percent of Earth’s known biodiversity, in partnership with governments, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and the private sector. Its four zoos and one aquarium (Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and the New York Aquarium) welcome more than 3.5 million visitors each year, inspiring across generations to care for nature. WCS was proud to serve as a founding partner of the New York WILD Film Festival, connecting people to nature through impactful nonfiction storytelling. Now, WCS is excited to launch the first juried edition of the REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival, a festival showcasing films that shares Wildlife Conservation Society’s commitment to conservation.

We stand for wildlife

Meet the Board

Here is our committed team of leaders guiding Wildlife Conservations Society’s mission to conserve nature and protect biodiversity for future generations.

Patrick Michaels

Patrick Michaels

Executive Producer, FOX

An Emmy Award-winning producer with extensive experience in tv production, creative direction, and editorial oversight. He previously led ABC’s The View for 15 years and held senior roles in syndication and development, earning recognition for his work across major networks and events.

Jesse Dylan

Jesse Dylan

CEO, Wondros

Jesse works across the globe on a wide range of projects—from health, science, and education to social justice and human rights. He founded Wondros to inspire, engage, and motivate people to take action in areas where people are working toward positive change.

Nancy Rosenthal

Nancy Rosenthal

Founder, New York WILD Film Festival

Nancy founded the New York WILD Film Festival to create a platform for films that celebrated our relationship to the natural world and highlighted critical issues facing the planet. A member of The Explorers Club, she has produced award-winning films for National Geographic.

Sponsors & Partners

We are proudly supported by sponsors and partners who share our passion for storytelling, and bringing impactful wildlife and conservation films to life.

Turtle Walker - Satish Bhaskar

“Rising temperatures threaten sea turtles by skewing hatchling sex ratios, as warmer sands produce more females, risking future population balance. Additionally, rising sea levels and stronger storms erode nesting beaches, endangering eggs and reducing hatchling survival. Protecting nesting sites and addressing climate change are vital for their survival.”

“Rising temperatures threaten sea turtles by skewing hatchling sex ratios, as warmer sands produce more females, risking future population balance. Additionally, rising sea levels and

stronger storms erode nesting beaches, endangering eggs and reducing hatchling survival. Protecting nesting sites and addressing climate change are vital for their survival.”

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