UWE Bristol wildlife filmmaker wins 2025 Student Academy Award

Tatiana McCabe, a UWE Bristol MA Wildlife Filmmaking graduate has won a 2025 Student Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for her documentary which follows a local hero protecting coastal wildlife in Uruguay.

AMPAS celebrates filmmaking through renowned awards for cinematic achievement, including the Oscars. The Student Academy Awards were established to provide a platform for emerging global talent by creating opportunities within the industry to showcase their work.

Fourteen winners of the 52^nd Student Academy Awards were chosen from 3,127 entries submitted by 988 colleges and universities worldwide. Tatiana, who graduated from UWE Bristol in July, has become the university’s first ever winner of an AMPAS Student Academy Award.

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.

Tatiana said: “I met Richard when I was visiting a friend in Uruguay. His deep commitment to Uruguay’s marine life was powerful and I was inspired to tell his story as part of my final documentary on the MA Wildlife Filmmaking programme.

“Richard’s story is still ongoing, his centre is facing the threat of being moved to a smaller location or even shut down, so I hope I can continue to tell this important story through film in the future.”

She continued: “When I found out I was a semi-finalist in the Student Academy Awards, I felt like I’d already won so this feels incredible. I’m so thrilled to know that people care about Richard’s story and it’s touched people in ways I’d hoped. That’s the greatest part of this.”

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: “Bristol is an amazing place for networking in wildlife filmmaking and UWE fosters a great network on the course. I learnt a lot from my fellow students. Everyone went off to different ends of the world to film and came back with incredible stories to share. It was great to see what we all accomplished.”

Tides of Life has also been named a finalist in the Jackson Wild Media Awards, often referred to as the nature equivalent of the Oscars, in the People & Nature – Short Form category, and in the Short category at the Wildscreen Panda Awards 2025, part of Bristol’s world renowned Wildscreen Festival.

Tides of Life is now also eligible to compete in the 98th Oscars in the Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film or Documentary Short Film category.

Peter Venn, programme leader for MA Wildlife Filmmaking at UWE Bristol said: “This is a tremendous win for Tatiana. Her film has an effortless style and enormous heart. Richard’s work, his extraordinary compassion and his commitment are captured beautifully. Recognition at these prestigious awards is richly deserved.”

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.