Copyright Forbes
The short film category of this year’s Nature’s Best Photography contest did not disappoint. From icy oceans to remote mountain ranges, filmmakers captured extraordinary moments of life in motion, showing that nature’s stories are just as powerful in video as they are in stills. This year’s winning entries take viewers across the planet’s most fragile ecosystems. Among them, the grand prize video, Polar Bear Swimming and Playing, stands out not just for its charm, but for what it represents: a glimpse of joy and survival in one of Earth’s harshest environments. The honorable mentions continue this theme of connection and endurance, from Arctic solitude to Patagonian wilderness and tropical reefs teeming with life. 1. Grand Winner: Polar Bear Swimming And Playing Once the Arctic winter fades into summer light, polar bears can often be seen drifting near the ice edge — hunting, exploring, or, in this case, simply playing. In this video, photographer and filmmaker Florian Ledoux captures a young female polar bear (nicknamed the Grinch) as she entertains herself with an old seal breathing hole off the coast of Svalbard, Norway. Her playful curiosity is as endearing as it is revealing: even in a world defined by scarcity, moments of joy can be found. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are apex predators uniquely adapted to the Arctic’s shifting ice. Their semi-aquatic lifestyle, depending on sea ice for hunting and breeding, makes them particularly vulnerable to climate change. As the Arctic warms faster than the global average, these polar bears and other arctic critters face shrinking ice seasons and dwindling access to prey. Conservation efforts, from habitat protection to climate policy advocacy, have become critical to ensuring their survival. Ledoux’s film is more than a portrait of a playful bear; it’s a reminder that even moments of happiness exist under the shadow of urgency. MORE FOR YOU 2. Honorable Mention: Echoes Also filmed in Svalbard by Florian Ledoux, Echoes is a visual meditation on silence, resilience, and the human relationship with the Arctic. The film’s sweeping imagery invites viewers to experience stillness as a connection or a pause in which the planet speaks back. Through this quiet power, Echoes explores how humanity and wilderness remain linked, even in places where no human footsteps are visible. Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago that lies between mainland Norway and the North Pole, embodies the tension between fragility and endurance. Warming temperatures are melting glaciers, altering ocean currents and threatening the foundation of Arctic ecosystems. Yet, wildlife persists: walruses haul out on thinning ice, reindeer graze on newly exposed tundra, and seabirds adjust their nesting patterns. Echoes serves as both elegy and call to action. 3. Honorable Mention: Pumas Of Patagonia In Pumas of Patagonia, filmmaker Olli Teirila takes us deep into Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, where elusive pumas stalk the rugged terrain. Each frame captures the relationship between predator and landscape, exposing a realm where survival is earned through patience and respect for nature's rhythms. Pumas (Puma concolor), also known as mountain lions or cougars, are among the most adaptable big cats in the world. Yet, in Patagonia, their freedom depends on coexistence with humans who share the same land. Once heavily persecuted by ranchers, puma populations have begun to recover thanks to ecotourism and conservation partnerships that emphasize peaceful balance over conflict. Through Teirila’s lens, the puma becomes both spirit and symbol — the heartbeat of Patagonia's wild soul. 4. Honorable Mention: Reef Manta Rays And Whitespotted Surgeonfish In the turquoise waters of Tumon Bay Marine Preserve, Guam, filmmaker Tim Rock documents a fleeting natural phenomenon: a feeding event between reef manta rays (Manta alfredi) and spawning whitespotted surgeonfish (Acanthurus guttatus). As dusk falls and the water turns milky with released spawn, mantas glide through the currents, mouths agape, taking advantage of a brief, nutrient-rich feast that lasts only minutes. Guam’s manta rays are part of a small, resident population. Like many of their cousins across the Pacific, these mantas have adapted to the island’s deep, clear waters, finding nourishment in the fish spawns that coincide with the lunar cycle. Researchers from the Micronesian Conservation Coalition, led by marine biologist Julie Hartup, are studying these behaviors to better understand how mantas cope with habitat loss and changing ocean conditions. Classified as “at risk,” reef mantas reproduce slowly and face mounting pressure from human activity. Rock’s footage captures their grace and persistence, illuminating why protecting these giants is vital for ocean health. A Wild Reminder From the poles to the tropics, these award-winning short films remind us that nature’s beauty is felt as much as it’s seen. Each story underscores the delicate balance between life and environment, and the responsibility we share in protecting both.
