Shells – Shaped By Nature Wins Awards!

Shells – Shaped by Nature has won two awards at international film festivals!

Directed by Barend van der Watt and Henk Ekermans, Shells – Shaped by Nature is a tribute to the splendour of Africa’s seashells, celebrating the intricate marvels that grace the continent’s marine realms. And at festivals around the world, audiences are delighting in the film’s presentation of these natural works of art.

At the PAF Tachov Festival in the Czech Republic, Shells – Shaped By Nature took home the Grand Prix Award, the festival’s largest prize!

And at the International Ocean Film Festival in San Franciso, USA, the film took home the Jury Award!

The story of these shells begins in the unfathomable depths of the ocean far removed from tides and rolling waves where a myriad of molluscs manifest shells in every conceivable form. Molluscs include everything from oysters to octopuses. They all have soft, moist bodies, so many species create firm shells for structure and protection.

Shells – Shaped by Nature’s journey around festivals doesn’t end there – it has made the 2026 Shortlist for the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards in the Documentary: Nature & Wildlife category.

And at the AFO International Festival of Science Documentary Films in the Czech Republic, the film is an official selection for their programme.

We’re delighted to see this film receiving this praise, and our congratulations to the team that made this film possible.

Shells – Shaped By Nature is a Terra Mater Studios / Rooted Media production in co-production with ARTE G.E.I.E.