Graduate wins second industry award for breakthrough film

Media Relations Team, 27 October 2025

See all news

A woman wearing a shiny dress smiles at the camera, while holding an award — Tatiana McCabe at the Wildscreen Festival Panda Awards (credit: Justin Yockney)

Tatiana McCabe, a UWE Bristol MA Wildlife Filmmaking graduate, has won a Wildscreen Panda Award for her documentary which follows a local hero protecting coastal wildlife in Uruguay.

Taking the top spot in the Short category at Bristol’s world renowned Wildscreen Festival, this is her second award in two months after winning a Gold 2025 Student Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) In August.

Tatiana’s documentary ‘Tides of Life’ tells the story of Richard Tesore, an entrepreneur who turned his love for wildlife into action by founding S.O.S Rescate de Fauna Marina, Uruguay’s first centre for marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation.

Two individuals wearing green waders stand on a wooden pathway outdoors. The person on the right is holding a camera with a large microphone attached. They are surrounded by lush greenery and stone walls, with buildings visible in the background. — Richard Tesore and Tatiana McCabe in Uruguay during the filming of Tides of Life. (Credit: Tatiana McCabe)

With a background in filmmaking and animation, Tatiana moved from New York to Bristol to study on the MA Wildlife Filmmaking course to follow a childhood dream of working for the likes of National Geographic.

She said: “Two years ago, I took a chance and left New York City for Bristol to study wildlife filmmaking and find out what the natural history industry in the UK was all about, and winning this award is proof that it was the right move.

‘I’m sincerely grateful to the University of the West of England and the BBC Natural History Unit for creating a program that empowers students to tell stories that matter, and the incredible Bristol community that constantly inspires me to get out there and do it.

“I’m incredibly honoured to have my work recognised by the wildlife film community in Bristol. I’m excited for what’s to come!”

The Panda Awards, or the ‘Green Oscars’ of the international wildlife film and TV industry, have sat at the heart of the Wildscreen Festival since 1982. They celebrate the very best in the natural world storytelling craft and remain the highest honour in the industry.

UWE Bristol’s MA in Wildlife Filmmaking was co-designed and is accredited by BBC Studios Natural History Unit and 94% of its graduates find employment each year.

Watch the trailer for Tides of Life here.

This relates to:

School of Art, Design, Culture and Media Skills Creative Industries