Twelve nature documentaries—most of them national premieres—three masterclasses with internationally renowned guests, five photography exhibitions, four children’s workshops, and numerous public talks with environmental specialists and NGO representatives summarize the program of the third edition of Romania’s only nature documentary film and photography festival: LYNX Festival, starting tomorrow, June 4, in Brașov.
Full schedule: https://lynxfestival.ro/program
“With each film screened and every remarkable photograph seen by the public at the festival, I hope they take a step forward in understanding that we have only one home—this small planet we all live on. We cannot be disconnected from nature, because we evolved together, and our entire lives depend on it—from the air we breathe to the water we drink and the food we need. It’s time we become more empathetic and better educated about how this place we all call home works. That’s what we try to do at LYNX Festival—conservation through education,” said Dan Dinu, the festival’s artistic director.
Watch the LYNX Festival 2025 trailer: https://bit.ly/LYNXFestival2025
The Opening Gala takes place on Wednesday, June 4 at 6:00 PM at the Reduta Cultural Center and will be followed by the screening of Europe – One Continent, Five Worlds (dir. Christian Baumeister), the most ambitious German production about Europe’s biodiversity. A friendly discussion on the importance of nature conservation in Europe will follow with biologist Călin Hodor, who has over 20 years of experience.
On the second day, Barbara and Christoph Promberger, directors of the Conservation Carpathia Foundation, will join a Q&A session after the screening of Into the Carpathian Wild (dir. Erik Baláž), narrated by British actress Olivia Williams. Later, viewers can explore the wildlife around Bran Castle in the episode Bran Castle – In the Shadow of Predators, part of the Europe’s Wildest Heritage series. A discussion with Szilárd Bücs, bat conservation expert and Romania’s representative on the EUROBATS scientific council, follows.
One of the most anticipated premieres will be screened on Friday, June 6: the stunning Ocean (dir. Colin Butfield, Toby Nowlan & Keith Scholey), narrated by Sir David Attenborough. It will be shown ahead of its official National Geographic release at Cinema City AFI at 6:00 PM.
Day four starts at 11:30 AM with The Real Jungle Book (dir. Jeremy Hogarth), bringing to life Rudyard Kipling’s characters. A Q&A with Dan Dinu will follow, where he will share behind-the-scenes insights. At 2:00 PM, Wild Secrets (dir. Axel Gebauer) will showcase raw wildlife footage captured by 150 motion-triggered cameras over four years. Remus Munteanu will discuss the technical challenges behind such projects.
At 4:00 PM, the Safari in Kenya photo exhibition opens, followed by a masterclass with Kenyan expedition guide Elijah Wambugu and Dan Dinu. Screenings resume at 6:00 PM with A Call From the Wild (dir. Asgeir Helgestad), attended by distributor Anne Olzman, who will share her experience in documentary storytelling. The day ends with Lions of the Skeleton Coast (dir. Will and Lianne Steenkamp), followed by a Q&A with lion behavior expert Elijah Wambugu.
On Sunday, June 8, viewers are invited to Cinema City AFI at 11:30 AM for Arctic: Our Frozen Planet (dir. Rachel Scott), narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch. After the screening, meet Gavin Thurston, a veteran wildlife cameraman with over 30 years’ experience, including on BBC’s Frozen Planet.
At 2:00 PM, back at Reduta Cultural Center, My Sweden – A Changing Wilderness (dir. Zoltán Török) will be followed by a talk with Florin Hălăștăuan, a Romanian rewilding officer who also worked for 7 years as a ranger in Scandinavia.
At 4:00 PM, don’t miss Journeys in the Wild, a masterclass with Gavin Thurston. At 6:00 PM, the Closing Gala will host the Milvus International Photo Contest awards and the Audience Award for Best Film, offering attendees a chance to meet the filmmakers. The winning film will be screened again the next day at 8:00 PM.
On Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 AM, join Nature Links, informal networking meetups at Tipografia (Postăvarului Street no. 1). Entry is free, and valid ticket holders get 20% off their bill.
The final festival day, Monday, June 9, starts with four free children’s workshops at the Reduta Cultural Center (registration on-site from 9:30 AM). Activities include:
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Wild Romania Quiz at 10:00 AM
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Junior Ranger at 11:30 AM for ages 8+, with interactive games and storytelling
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Key Species and Nature Restoration through Rewilding for ages 10–15
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Bats Between Myth and Reality for ages 9+, featuring a DIY LED-lit bat house model
Lions of the Skeleton Coast/photocredit Will Steenkamp
At 2:00 PM, Zanzibar Untold will be screened in the presence of director Cosmin Dumitrache. At 5:00 PM, catch the special screening of Cactus Hotel (dir. Yann Sochaczewski), winner of the 2024 LYNX Trophy, followed by a masterclass with Yann on documentary filmmaking. The festival will end with a special screening of the 2025 Audience Award-winning film.
Throughout the festival, nature lovers can explore five photography exhibitions:
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Milvus Photocontest (finalists of Romania’s top nature photo contest)
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Safari in Kenya (works by six Romanian photographers)
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FAF’24 (monthly winners of the Photographer of the Year contest by Forona)
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Naturapolis (finalists in the urban-nature photo contest)
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Lepidoptera (a delicate journey into the world of butterflies, by Adrian Tudose)
All screenings and festival activities are free to attend. However, to secure a seat, please scan your reserved ticket 15 minutes before each screening. If you have a reservation but can no longer attend, please let the organizers know via the festival’s official communication channels so others may participate. While many online reservations are already sold out, walk-ins may still be accepted depending on availability or last-minute cancellations.