We have had lion kings in the savannah, blue-blooded cattas in Madagascar, flying elephants in the circus or even entire metropolises full of human-like animals. But Red Pandas are still relatively rare on the screen – which is surprising given the fact that there is even a superhero named Red Panda.

BAMBOO INSTEAD OF POPCORN

That makes the idea of dedicating a small film festival to the Red Pandas in April all the nicer. The Bijou Art Cinema in Eugene in Oregon (USA), the city in which the Red Panda Network is based, was chosen as the US premiere cinema for two top-class productions. The new Red Panda documentary film by German filmmaker Dr. Axel Gebauer is marketed in the USA with the addition “world’s cutest animal”. A fitting title, as Dr. Gebauer accompanies panda mother Tashi and her adorable offspring through the first months.

GOOD FILMS, GOOD PURPOSE

The second highlight is “The Firefox Guardian” by Gunjan Menon. The short documentary gives an insight into the work of the “Forest Guardians” in Nepal and portrays Menuka, one of the few women who practices this profession despite all resistance – and fights for the survival of the Red Pandas in Nepal directly on the spot.

The proceeds of the Red Panda Film Mini-Festival go to the Red Panda Network.

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The Red Panda Film Mini-Fest will take place on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at Bijou Art Cinema in Eugene.

An interview with Dr. Axel Gebauer and his documentary can be found here:

“The Red Panda is one of the most difficult mammal species to film”

We also interviewed Gunjan Menon about “The Firefox Guardian”:

The Firefox Guardians: A Film full of Love for Red Pandas

You can watch the film in full length here!