People

WildBear Entertainment, one of Australia’s leading producers of factual programming, is delighted to announce that Dr Chadden Hunter, wildlife biologist and multi-award-winning producer, director, writer and presenter, has joined its growing business as an executive producer.

Hunter has had a long and distinguished career in natural history filmmaking with both the BBC Natural History Unit and National Geographic, amongst others. Most recently, for the BBC he was a producer/director/writer on Seven Worlds, One Planet and Planet Earth 2, as well as series producer on Wild Arabia and principal director on Frozen Planet. For National Geographic his credits include Hunter & Hunted and Cliffhangers, both of which he also presented. His projects have won 12 Emmy Awards and eight BAFTAs.

As an executive producer at WildBear Entertainment Chadden will be working with the team to deepen its slate of ambitious blue-chip natural history content and films about the natural world, secure new commissions, and run productions.

In addition to the company’s expertise in history, science and engineering, and arts programming, WildBear already has an impressive track record in creating natural history content for both domestic and international broadcasters. Recent titles include Bushfire Animal Rescue for PBS Nature, ZDF/ARTE and SBS and Dino Bird for National Geographic and ZDFE. However, it is the much-acclaimed Playing with Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story, officially selected for the 2021 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition, that has shone the international spotlight on WildBear’s wildlife credentials this year.

“There is a tremendous appetite for beautifully produced natural history at the moment, especially if it takes us to new worlds and shares unique stories, as with Playing with Sharks”, comments Michael Tear, WildBear Entertainment’s CEO. “We are thrilled to welcome Chadden to the team. His appointment not only gives us an additional resource to capitalise on this current demand but also, more importantly, he brings extraordinary expertise from working all over the world at every stage of the creative process, from operating cameras to directing, producing and presenting. And he knows his stuff: Chadden’s enviable production credits are underpinned by impressive academic qualifications in zoology and ecology.”

Dr Chadden Hunter adds: “I am super excited to be joining forces with WildBear Entertainment for the next stage of my career. I’ve been a fan of their work for years and it’s great to be back on home turf in Australia. I can’t wait to get stuck in with the team to enhance WildBear’s natural history output still further. We’ll be working on ambitious new programmes for new outlets, to be enjoyed by audiences all over the world.”