Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie has stepped into the role of executive producer for Bee Wild, an environmental documentary that debuted during the inaugural SXSW London event. The film, which puts a spotlight on the urgent threat facing wild pollinators, was screened at Curzon Hoxton and aims to raise awareness about the critical importance of pollinators for global ecosystems and food production.
Premiere Brings Pollinator Crisis to Center Stage
Ellie Goulding, Grammy-nominated artist and environmental advocate, serves as the narrator for Bee Wild and also lent her musical talents to the documentary’s score. After its world premiere screening, a live discussion took place with directors Josh and Rebecca Tickell, producer Eva Kruse, and guest Erika Thompson from Texas Beeworks, a well-known figure in the beekeeping community.
Behind the Film: Vision and Approach of the Directors
Directed by Josh and Rebecca Tickell, Bee Wild continues the filmmakers‘ tradition of producing environmental documentaries that strive for hope and actionable change. The Tickells previously found wide success with projects like Kiss the Ground and Common Ground, reaching a vast global audience by making climate issues engaging and accessible. In their words, their goal has been to establish a “niche market” for uplifting environmental stories.
The film features appearances from Angelina Jolie, Professor Johan Rockström, and Erika Thompson, offering cultural and scientific perspectives on the significance of wild bees. The documentary’s storyline explores how these pollinators are woven into the fabric of natural systems, sustaining both biodiversity and agriculture.
Educational Mission and Audience Engagement
Rebecca Tickell underscored the educational focus of their production efforts:
“All of our films – we hold back rights, and we make sure that we keep educational rights, that they can be free in schools, and that’s where we’ve seen the biggest difference.”
—Rebecca Tickell, Director
The Tickells intentionally avoid the dire tone common in many environmental documentaries. As Josh Tickell explained:
“A lot of environmental documentaries, the environmental movement itself… it’s kind of bad news cliff,”
—Josh Tickell, Director
Their hope-driven content, they have found, sometimes confounds streaming services’ expectations. Josh Tickell noted:
“In speaking to streamers, they don’t even know how to deal with the tens of millions of viewers that our things get, because they’re like, our algorithms just aren’t designed for hope,”
—Josh Tickell, Director
Documentary’s Effect on Viewers and Young Audiences
The impact of Bee Wild has already been felt among younger viewers during educational testing. Eva Kruse, producer, shared a notable experience from an advance screening:
“Half of around 25 kids broke out in tears, and they kept saying, Are we spraying with pesticides?”
—Eva Kruse, Producer
That screening triggered several conversations between parents and their children about pesticide use at home and the safety of food, highlighting the documentary’s potential to spark meaningful dialogue on environmental issues.
Collaborative Backing and Global Campaign
Bee Wild originated with backing from fashion and materials science company Pangaia. Funding came from a mix of company sponsors, private donors, and foundations, with nonprofit fiscal support provided by the Redford Center. Angelina Jolie was joined by executive producers such as Susan Rockefeller, Regina Scully, Anders & Anne Holch Povlsen, Melony & Adam Lewis, Peng Xiao, Mira Duma, and Melissa Moncada, reflecting broad-based support for the project.
Erika Thompson, whose social media reach spans 20 million followers, praised the film’s impact:
“the most powerful film about bees of our generation”
—Erika Thompson, Texas Beeworks
She went on to describe the production as “a masterpiece” with educational value for both novices and professionals in beekeeping.
Bee:wild Initiative and Future Plans
The film is part of the broader Bee:wild campaign, led by Re:wild—a nature conservation group co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio. The campaign urges action ranging from pollinator-friendly planting on city balconies to advocating for environmental policy changes.
Following the success of previous Tickell projects on Netflix and Amazon, the filmmakers now seek streaming distribution for Bee Wild. Their third soil-focused climate documentary, Groundswell, is also underway, maintaining momentum for increased public engagement in environmental causes.
By shining a light on the critical role of wild bees and amplifying voices from science, advocacy, and popular culture, Bee Wild positions itself as a timely and influential addition to the growing movement for environmental awareness—one that Angelina Jolie and the entire filmmaking team hope will inspire collective solutions to the pollinator crisis.
