Wrapping Up 2024: A Year of Milestones, Sustainability, and Impactful Storytelling

As 2024 comes to a close, we at Terra Mater Studios are reflecting on an incredible year filled with groundbreaking productions, prestigious awards, and exciting special projects. Here’s a look back at what made this year so remarkable:

Productions that Inspire and Educate

• Wild Vienna Earns the Austrian Eco Label This year, Wild Vienna captured the wild biodiversity within the heart of a vibrant city while following all the steps of sustainable filmmaking. From public transport to battery-powered equipment, our team made every effort to tread lightly on our planet. Winning the Austrian Ecolabel for sustainability reaffirms our commitment to eco-conscious storytelling. The film premiered in November on ServusTV.
• Dethroned Premiered Online and in Vienna Audiences joined us for the premiere of Dethroned, following Aaron Gekoski’ s journey to understand humanity’s complex relationship with big cats. With packed screenings in Vienna and online, we continue inspiring people to reflect on this critical topic.

Dethroned Premiere in Vienna, Austria

• San Diego: America’s Wildest City This year, San Diego: America’s Wildest City premiered on PBS Nature, showcasing how wildlife adapts to human-dominated landscapes. From seals birthing on man-made beaches to hummingbirds thriving in backyard gardens, the documentary celebrates nature’s resilience amid urbanization.
• T.M. Wissen: Fighting for Science In October, we proudly launched T.M. Wissen, the rebranded science program on ServusTV. With fresh ideas and engaging topics, it’s a celebration of knowledge and a stand against anti-science sentiment.

Awards and Nominations

• Emmy Nominations We celebrated two Emmy nominations for The Hummingbird Effect and Soul of the Ocean, spotlighting biodiversity and marine ecosystems.
• Rising Industry Recognition We’re thrilled to have climbed the ranks in the factual productions’ world, securing a spot in the Realscreen Top 10 list! We’re incredibly proud of this achievement and of being the only non-American or British company on the list!
• Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards Three of our productions shined at Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards:
  Dethroned (Gold and Silver)
  Nature’s Change (Silver and Black Dolphin for Best Music)
  On the Precipice – The Alps (Silver)

• Wildscreen Triumphs Orca – Black & White Gold earned the Programmer’s Prize at Wildscreen, while Raptors – A Fistful of Daggers took home the Behavior Award. In a heartfelt gesture, we donated the prize money to the Captain Watson Foundtation to protect our oceans.

Terra Mater Studios’ Executive Producer, Wolfgang Knoepfler, and CEO, Walter Koehler, announce the donation during Wildscreen festival.

Special Projects: Exploring New Frontiers

• Hera Space Mission and the Space Companion In collaboration with European Space Agency – ESA and NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration , we’ve developed together with Impact AI and Microsoft the Hera Space Companion, offering real-time interaction with Hera Spacecraft, which is in a planetary defense mission. Check it out at hera.space.
• Mindcollider: Innovation Meets Sustainability Introducing Terra Mater Mindcollider—a workshop series in collaboration with IdeaSquare – the innovation space at CERN , where businesses discover groundbreaking problem-solving methods inspired by scientific giants like CERN and NASA. Sustainability is more than a commitment for us; it’s our guiding principle for ensuring a thriving future for our planet and businesses alike.

Last Mindcollider Workshop day at IdeaSquare.

Sustainability Milestones

• Natur im Garten Certification Our office earned the Natur im Garten certificate for eco-friendly gardening, emphasizing biodiversity in urban spaces. By investing in green initiatives, we continue reducing our environmental footprint.
• CO2 Emissions Milestone Since 2019, we’ve reduced CO2 emissions by 44%. Through green mobility choices, energy-efficient systems, and solar power, we’re making strides toward our 50% reduction goal.
• Impact Storytelling: Driving Change – Patrick and the Whale Dominica has announced the world’s first sperm whale reserve to protect its vulnerable population. Patrick and the Whale played a key role in raising awareness.
• Team Life: Supporting Wellness Twice-weekly fresh fruit deliveries boost team energy, focus, and health. Alongside our fully vegan and vegetarian catering, we’re promoting wellness in the workplace.
• Jackson Wild Festival Jury Member We were invited to join the prestigious jury for the Jackson Wild Festival’s Innovation in Green Production Award. It’s an honor to help spotlight excellence in nature storytelling.

Behind the Scenes Patrick and the Whale

Looking Ahead

As we gear up for 2025, our mission remains clear: sharing stories that inspire, educate, and drive action for a sustainable future.

Here’s to another year of impactful storytelling and positive change! Happy Holidays and New Year from all of us at Terra Mater Studios!