Subscriber exclusive  ·  Bonus content

Bonus content, just for you!

In our monthly ‘bonus content’ newsletter, we take a deeper look at the stories behind the films on Wild Commons - the wheres, whats, whos and hows of production, and the topics featured in the films.

We're going behind the scenes of our latest release, Diving for Rays, with a podcast conversation recorded with the production team back in 2023, production stills from the making of the film, and more information about the filmmakers and their work.

A conversation with…

Diving for Rays production team

Artwork by Jasmine Hortop, Earth to Humans Podcast

Before Diving for Rays found its way to Wild Commons, it caught the attention of the Earth to Humans podcast - a show produced by one half of the Wild Commons founding team - Wild Lens Collective.

On discovering the film, Hannah (ETH host/Wild Commons Director of Comms) was immediately struck by something she'd never encountered before in natural history film: a story about LGBTQ+ visibility within conservation. She reached out to the production team, and what followed was one a wonderful conversation about why representation in environmental science isn't just a values issue - it's a practical one.

Production stills

Dive behind the scenes

Meet the filmmakers

Angel Morris & Nova West

Angel and Nova have been making films together since 2022, premiering their first film that same year. Both having worked in the wildlife filmmaking space, they've set out to create positive natural history and queer stories, made by queer people, for queer people.

You can learn more about Angel's work here and Nova's work here.

We started Wild Commons because we believe the stories that matter most are often the ones that struggle hardest to find an audience. Diving for Rays is exactly the kind of film we built this platform for.

If you haven't already, subscribing to our YouTube channel is one of the most meaningful things you can do for the filmmakers we work with. Every subscriber tells the algorithm that these stories matter - and helps make sure the next great film finds the audience it deserves. It's free, it takes two seconds, and it makes a real difference.

And one more thing: if you know someone who would love this film - a diver, a marine biology nerd, someone who needs a good story today - please forward this email to them. Word of mouth is how independent films survive.

With gratitude,

Matthew, Kika, Hannah & Jackson

The Wild Commons Team