Earth Elders

Logline

Earth Elders follows a council of indigenous Elders from across the world as they seek to fulfil an age-old prophecy: a world where humans and all life can flourish together.

Impact Statement

“Earth Elders aims to reframe the ancestral wisdom and knowledge of Original Peoples and Nations as a living foundation for safeguarding nature and the cultures that protect it for future generations. The film supports the Earth Elders’ call for the protection of biocultural territories, sacred sites, and ancestral knowledge, and for environmental justice, by amplifying Elders’ leadership within cultural, educational, institutional, and policy-facing spaces. Beyond the film, the project safeguards living Indigenous knowledge systems and collective memory by supporting Indigenous-led storytelling and media training. Rooted in reciprocity, respect, and collaboration, the impact strategy translates spiritual responsibility into sustained dialogue, advocacy, and action beyond the screen.”

Partners Attached

TBA

Goal at Take on Film & Impact

“At Movies That Matter, the project seeks to connect with impact partners, human rights organisations, advocacy groups, and institutions working on Indigenous rights, protection of biodiversity, movements for the rights of nature, education and environmental justice. The goal is to strengthen the film’s impact campaign, support policy-facing screenings and dialogues, and translate the film into sustained advocacy and accountability beyond the festival circuit.”

Participants

Syed Jazib Ali is a Pahari-Kashmiri documentarian, producer, and writer from the Indigenous Pahari tribe of the Pir Panjal mountains. He is the founder of Amsterdam-based Mudland Studio, where his work bridges cinema, impact, and advocacy. Drawing on lived experience from borderlands and conflict-affected regions, his practice explores land, identity, and power, amplifying Indigenous and underrepresented voices through international collaborations at the intersection of culture, politics, and climate justice.

Leslie Knott is a BAFTA-, Oscar-, and Emmy-nominated documentary producer and co-founder of Tiger Nest Films. Her work explores identity, belonging, and resilience across borders, with credits for BBC, ITV, Netflix, and NDR. Leslie’s producing practice is grounded in reciprocity, co-creation, and ethical storytelling, with a strong focus on Indigenous collaboration, narrative sovereignty, and cultural memory.

Melanie Pyne is a multidisciplinary researcher, artist, and filmmaker working across ecological justice, cultural memory, and decolonial futures. As Creative Director and DOP on Earth Elders, she brings an ethnographic and visual research-driven approach to storytelling. Her work spans film, sound, and collaborative research, and has appeared in international cultural and media platforms.

Contact: Syed Jazib AliWatch the teaser trailer