Wildlife Filmmakers Finalists for Best Children's Film World-wide

 
Portland, OR – October 28, 2008 -- In the Wildscreen Film Festival’s gala event held this week in Bristol, England – an event attended by leading filmmakers from across the globe – The Riddle in a Bottle was one of three finalists for the esteemed Wildscreen Children’s Choice Panda Award for the best children’s wildlife film world-wide. The coveted Panda Awards are considered one the world’s highest accolades a wildlife film can win.

"This is essentially the Oscars® of the wildlife film industry,” said an excited Laura Sams who, along with brother and co-producer Robert Sams, was at the event in Bristol, England. “With a generous grant from the Save Our Seas Foundation, we purchased camera equipment and spent two years capturing footage from Michigan to the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean,” she continued. In addition to starring in the movie, the sister/brother duo wrote and performed most of the original music and character voices.

“We are thrilled The Riddle in a Bottle, our third movie, was a finalist!” Robert Sams exclaimed. “Our second movie, Lost in the Woods: The Movie, won the Panda Award in 2006 and our first movie, Stranger in the Woods: The Movie, was one of four finalists in 2002. We’re a small company, so we’re proud just to be in the arena with the BBC, Animal Planet, and big names like that and amazed that we can come out on top,” he continued.

Wildscreen is heavily supported by the largest names in wildlife filmmaking including the BBC, Animal Planet, Panasonic, and scientific institutions such as the Natural History Museum, as well as Conservation International. The event, held every two years in association with the World Wildlife Fund (United Kingdom), applauds excellence in productions about the natural world, and increases the global public’s awareness and understanding of nature and the urgent need to conserve it.

Throughout The Riddle in a Bottle, siblings Laura and Robert Sams, called The Riddle Solvers, struggle to solve a mysterious riddle from the ocean found floating in a magic bottle on an inland lake. They receive clues from sea turtles, tide pool creatures, pond animals and even a singing pirate who share how moving water plays an important role in their lives. This lively mix of mystery, music, humor and vivid animal footage helps children understand how they are connected with oceans no matter where they live.

Bama’s Journey, commissioned by Al Jazeera International, won the Wildscreen Panda’s Children’s Choice Award.  Extreme Stars: Sports Stars, BBC Natural History Unit (UK), was the other top finalist.

About Sisbro Studios
Founded in 2001, Sisbro Studios creates award-winning high-quality movies, books, music and educational media that entertain and inspire children to learn about and explore the natural world. Sisbro Studios has been presented with over 40 international awards for its smart and entertaining product offering. Product families include:  The Riddle in a Bottle, Lost in the Woods: The Movie, Stranger in the Woods: The Movie and Bearly Alike for films, A Pirate’s Quest for books, and Lost in the Woods: The Soundtrack, and Stranger in the Woods: The Soundtrack for music. For more information about Sisbro Studios, visit www.sisbro.com.