The Utah Film Center

BIWFC supports projects that are aligned with the Institute’s mission to advance the use of effective, sustainable fertility control methods to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts and promote coexistence worldwide. The Utah Film Center received a BIWFC grant in 2020 to create the short film “Project Coexistence.”

Project Coexistence

“Project Coexistence,” which is being produced by Journalist Lucy Noland and Film Producer Abigail Rodriguez, is a 30 to 50 minute cinematic short film showcasing the role of contraception in wild species around the world to foster human-wildlife coexistence. From native wildlife such as deer in America and elephants in Africa, to invasive species like feral hogs and re-introduced species like wild horses on Assateague Island and in the American West, contraception is a vital conservation tool, but one that is surrounded by misinformation and misunderstanding. In following the deer, elephant and wild horse elements of their story, Noland and Rodriguez will focus on PZP. The audience will go on a journey across continents and time, from the origin story of the vaccine to its success in reducing inhumane and ineffective culling methods and the decades-long bureaucratic challenges it continues to face.