CINEMATICALLY STUNNING DOCUMENTARY “TURTLE WALKER” SHARES THE MOVING LIFE STORY OF INDIA’S FATHER OF SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION AND PREMIERES AT DOC NYC ON NOV 17
CINEMATICALLY STUNNING DOCUMENTARY “TURTLE WALKER” SHARES THE MOVING LIFE STORY OF INDIA’S FATHER OF SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION AND PREMIERES AT DOC NYC ON NOV 17
Submarine Boards Sales for Documentary, third collaboration with Oscar-nominated HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
NEW YORK, N.Y., October 15, 2024, - HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, the award-winning studio behind Oscar-nominated ALL THAT BREATHES, Tiger Baby and Emaho Films announced today the world premiere of their latest film, TURTLE WALKER, at Doc NYC on Saturday, November 17. TURTLE WALKER tells the story of Satish Bhaskar, an Indian pioneer in the field of sea turtle conservation who dedicated his life to the protection of these beautiful but endangered animals. The feature directorial debut of Taira Malaney, TURTLE WALKER just won the Grand Teton Award. This is the highest honor bestowed by the Jackson Wild Media Awards, known as the Oscars of nature and conservation filmmaking. Submarine Deluxe has taken sales rights of the film.
In the late 1970s, Satish Bhaskar embarked on an epic journey along India's spectacular coastlines, living alongside rare sea turtles to unravel the mysteries that surround them – and set out to save the enigmatic sea creatures from extinction.
In addition to the 2024 Grand Teton Award, Director Taira Malaney has received many accolades for TURTLE WALKER including the “Best Natural History and Wildlife Pitch” at Sunny Side of the Doc, 2019; and the “Emerging Filmmaker Award (India)” and “Griffith Film School residency Award (Australia)” at DocEdge Kolkata, 2018.
“Satish Bhaskar shared a deep wonder for the marine world”, said Emaho Films founder, Taira Malaney. “As human beings we all have this innate curiosity to explore. It is what leads us to inquire, to learn, to experience a sense of awe, and eventually feel empathy for the living world around us. By presenting Satish’s story on a global stage, we aim to inspire meaningful dialogue about our shared oceans, mobilizing audiences to participate in its exploration and conservation.”
TURTLE WALKER is written and directed by Taira Malaney. Produced by Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Angad Dev Singh, Vikram Malaney and Taira Malaney. Krish Makhija is the associate director and head of cinematography. The film is co-written and edited by Sam Rogers, and executive produced by Isabelle Couture, James Reed, Jared Lipworth, Sean B. Carroll, and Nikita Mamik. 1
“We are thrilled to introduce Taira and her beautiful film to the documentary community at DOC NYC with our partners Submarine,” said Head of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios Jared Lipworth. “We know audiences around the world are going to be captivated by the stunning cinematography and the moving story of this incredible man and his impact on our planet.”
Submarine is a hybrid sales, production and distribution company run by brothers and co-founders Dan Braun and Josh Braun. The company has been involved with the sale of six of the last twelve Academy Award winning documentaries: AMERICAN FACTORY, CITIZENFOUR, 20 FEET FROM STARDOM, MAN ON WIRE, THE COVE and SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN. HHMI Tangled Bank Films handled by Submarine include ALL THAT BREATHES, the first documentary ever to premiere at both Sundance and Cannes, and WILDING, a moving film about the rewilding of a 400-year-old farm in the UK created in partnership with PASSION PICTURES.
About Turtle Walker
In the late 1970s, Satish embarked on an epic journey along India's coastlines and the spectacular Andaman and Nicobar islands, where he uncovered the vital nesting beaches of sea turtles. During his death-defying quest, he unravels mysteries surrounding these enigmatic ocean creatures – and sets out to save them from extinction. After a devastating tsunami strikes in 2004, Bhaskar grapples with a pressing question: What happens to sea turtles when their nesting beaches disappear?
For more information on the film, please visit https://theturtlewalker.com/.
About HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
HHMI Tangled Bank Studios is a mission-driven production company that seeks to shine a light on some of the most significant scientific challenges and breakthroughs of our time. Recent films include Blue Carbon, Every Little Thing, Wild Hope, Hunt for the Oldest DNA, Wilding, Blue Whales: Return of the Giants, and Oscar-nominated All That Breathes, the only film to win best documentary at both the Sundance and Cannes film festivals. Other notable films include Emmy Award-winners The Serengeti Rules and The Farthest – Voyager In Space; Emmy-nominated My Garden of a Thousand Bees, Battle to Beat Malaria, and Nature’s Fear Factor; and Peabody Award-winner Inventing Tomorrow. To extend the reach and impact of each film, the studio undertakes educational and public outreach efforts in partnership with purpose-focused organizations. For more information, please visit WWW.TANGLEDBANKSTUDIOS.ORG.
About Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Tiger Baby
Tiger Baby, a production house founded by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, aims at telling stories that shape our narratives and address our social context.
Zoya’s work as a writer, director and producer has earned her an Emmy nomination, a NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film, a world premiere at both Festival de Cannes and Berlinale, and India's official entry to the Oscars. Zoya’s most recent directorial, ‘The Archies’ is the first ever feature film of the globally revered comics. Known for her singular voice in Indian cinema, Reema has garnered acclaim for her celebrated directorials. Her project 'Dahaad,' made history as the first ever Indian web series to premiere at Berlin International Film Festival in 2023, where it was nominated for the Berlinale Series Award. Reema's most recent directorial, 'Superboys of Malegaon' premiered at TIFF in September, receiving an overwhelming response from audiences.
This year, Tiger Baby is focusing on unscripted storytelling, with exciting projects underway, including a nature documentary ’Turtle Walker’ – an inspiring story of a turtle conservationist and his indomitable spirit, ‘In Transit’, a series that follows the lives of 9 transgender individuals from the heartland of India, and the recently released ‘Angry Young Men’, a series that celebrates Salim- Javed, a writing duo that revolutionized Indian cinema in the 1970’s.
About Emaho Films
Emaho Films is an impact-driven media and production company founded in 2016 by writer and director Taira Malaney. The company’s vision is to create cinematic nonfiction films that share stories of people, places, and brands in a fascinating way. ‘Emaho’ is a Sanskrit expression of wonder and amazement. Their films tap into the human’s natural sense of curiosity. They want their audiences to experience that moment of awe when discovering something new. At the heart of their films is strong character driven storytelling. Emaho has produced several award winning short films, including A Living Legacy (2017) and The Call Of Pashmina (2018). Their first feature documentary, Turtle Walker, just won the Grand Teton at the Jackson Wild Media Awards and is set to release in 2024.
PRESS CONTACTS: Lee Meltzer | Lee Meltzer Consulting
Lee@LeeMeltzerConsulting.com
Anna Irwin | HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
irwina@hhmi.org