William W. Warner Beautiful Swimmers Award
For Reflecting a Spirit of Reverence for the Natural WorldEstablished in memory of William Warner by the Warner/Kaempfer family for the 2015 Festival, the William W. Warner Beautiful Swimmers Award recognizes a film that reflects a spirit of reverence for the natural world. William Warner was the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Beautiful Swimmers, a study of crabs and watermen in the Chesapeake Bay. The award includes a $10,000 cash prize.
2023 Winner
Delikado
Within the idyllic Philippine tourist destination of Palawan, forests and wildlife are being destroyed by illegal loggers and President Duterte’s cronies. Despite extreme mortal danger, a small troop of environmental crusaders risk their lives to catch the culprits in the act and prevent the thieving and destruction of their homeland.