Terra Mater Studios Touts Natural-History Edge

With a focus on the nature, science, history and conservation spheres, acclaimed production house Terra Mater Studios arrives at Sunny Side of the Doc with a rich and diverse slate of upcoming projects it is actively seeking co-production partners on. The lineup promises a vibrant mix of stories from different regions and perspectives.

Among the highlights is Barren Beauties, a two-parter exploring Europe’s unexpected deserts, from Spain to Iceland, where life adapts and innovates in the face of climate extremes. Mallorca—Beyond the Beaches is a one-off that reveals the island’s hidden side. Urban National Parks explores wildlife thriving in cities like Singapore, Nairobi and Rio de Janeiro. Also focused on urban nature, Wild Cape Town is a two-parter that showcases charismatic city-dwelling wildlife thriving alongside 5 million people. Wild Boreal is a one-off cinematic journey into the heart of the vast Boreal Forest. Rift Valley—In the Line of Fire travels along Africa’s most dramatic geological fault line, where tectonic activity shapes unique ecosystems filled with iconic wildlife. Wild Souls follows iconic wildlife and the passionate people working to protect them. Lemur Diaries offers a humorous and emotional look into the lives of Madagascar’s most beloved primates. All share a cinematic approach and a commitment to strong storytelling rooted in the natural world.

Natural history content remains a consistently strong performer across traditional broadcast and streaming platforms. For broadcasters, natural history offers dependable scheduling value—content that is evergreen, visually compelling and easily localized for international markets. For streamers, it’s a genre that supports binge-worthy long-form programming and performs well in ad-supported and subscription models.

“We continue to see stable and growing demand for natural history titles,” notes Sabine Holzer, head of specialist factual at Terra Mater Studios. “In times of uncertainty, these programs offer viewers a powerful combination of escapism and education. They entertain but inform—and that dual role makes them uniquely valuable.”

Long-form natural history content is also flourishing on YouTube, Holzer notes, where it aligns seamlessly with the platform’s core strengths: global discoverability, visual storytelling, retention-focused algorithms and increasing living room viewership.

“With YouTube becoming a major player in living room viewing, our documentaries cater perfectly to this lean-back behavior, offering immersive experiences that truly captivate viewers,” says Berend Dreier, director of co-productions and sales. “The ability to experience our films in 4K/UHD means audiences can fully appreciate the cinematic visuals. They also love the compelling storytelling, as we see in the many comments we receive. This has been key to keeping viewers engaged on our channel, which now has over 500,000 subscribers and has surpassed 92 million views.”
 
The appetite for premium natural history content is also growing across CTV platforms. Terra Mater WILD, its FAST channel launched in partnership with Autentic in November 2023, has seen a strong start in German-speaking markets and recently expanded to the U.K., with additional territories to follow.

“Platforms and audiences alike appreciate the channel’s clear editorial focus, curated programming and ongoing optimization,” Dreier adds. “Autentic has done a tremendous job bringing Terra Mater WILD to all major platforms in the DACH region, where it’s performing strongly across all key metrics. With this momentum, we’re beginning our international rollout.”

Technological innovation continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in natural history filmmaking. Tools such as drones, remote camera traps, satellite imagery and ultra-high-definition formats—including 8K and 360-degree filming—deliver more intimate, immersive storytelling than ever before. These advances enhance visual impact and enable filmmakers to capture rare behaviors and hard-to-reach environments with unprecedented clarity and minimal disruption.

As the tools of the trade continue to evolve, the challenges and opportunities lie in using them to elevate the genre, without losing sight of the core mission: to reveal the natural world with clarity, integrity and wonder.

Terra Mater Studios has been at the forefront of driving inclusive storytelling perspectives. A prime example is Leopard Dynasty: The Rise of Rana, a landmark production, distributed by Autentic Distribution, that was created by a predominantly female crew. “This film is the product of a collaborative effort by an outstanding team of women,” says Holzer. “We believe diverse perspectives lead to richer, more empathetic storytelling, and Leopard Dynasty embodies that philosophy beautifully.”

In recent years, natural-history storytelling has increasingly embraced more emotionally resonant narratives, placing the connection between humans and animals at the heart of the story. These relationships offer powerful entry points for audiences, deepening empathy and raising awareness about conservation in ways that pure observation often cannot. A compelling example is Pangolin—Journey to Freedom, a Terra Mater Studios production that follows the extraordinary bond between a rescued pangolin and the dedicated conservationists fighting to return it to the wild. “What makes this story so powerful is its emotional authenticity,” says Holzer. “It’s not just about a species at risk—it’s about the people who care for these animals, the quiet acts of devotion and the hope that compassion and science combined can lead to real change.”

Environmental awareness has always been a core pillar of Terra Mater’s editorial mission. Despite the urgency of the climate crisis and the public rhetoric around sustainability, interest from broadcasters and platforms doesn’t always translate into concrete financial support, Holzer notes.

“Many partners say they want content that tackles environmental themes, but when it comes to budget commitments, the enthusiasm often fades,” says Holzer. “These projects are notoriously difficult to co-produce. It’s a frustrating gap between stated priorities and actual investment.”

But that hasn’t stopped Terra Mater from pursuing these stories, including Dethroned, created in partnership with Four Paws; Our New World; and Ice Nomads. “We’ll keep fighting for these stories,” Holzer adds. “They may be harder to finance, but they’re too important to ignore. We just hope more clients will begin to put their money where their mouths are.”

When continuing to develop the Terra Mater slate, the company is leveraging innovative technologies and storytelling techniques to present nature stories in a more impressive and immersive way. This includes cutting-edge 4K up to 8K camera technology. Additionally, it is using drones and specialized cameras to showcase hard-to-reach habitats and animal behaviors from new perspectives. The company’s goal is to convey the beauty and urgency of nature in innovative ways and to raise awareness for conservation while entertaining audiences around the globe.

The company is finding significant interest in co-productions, but broadcasters’ and platforms’ financial commitments have not kept up with rising production costs.

“There’s a clear appetite for high-end natural history, but increasingly, broadcasters and platforms prefer to acquire finished content rather than co-finance it,” says Sven Westphal, director of co-productions and portfolio management at Terra Mater Studios. “It’s the cheapest way to fill a slot, but it doesn’t help fund the creation of the kind of content they ultimately want to buy.”

Nonetheless, Terra Mater Studios has established strong ties with the likes of PBS, ARTE, National Geographic, Doclights/NDR Naturfilm, WDR and ServusTV, who understand the value of long-term collaboration and continue to invest in high-end factual content. These trusted relationships have been essential in maintaining Terra Mater Studios’ production output, even in a tough market.

While classic co-production remains the cornerstone of its business model, it has diversified its financing strategies to adapt to today’s market realities. Public funding plays an important role, particularly for select projects with strong cultural, scientific or environmental relevance. Where appropriate, the company also collaborates with tourism boards or NGOs. These partnerships can offer financial support and valuable access, especially when the storytelling aligns with a region’s conservation goals or public education mission.

“It’s never one-size-fits-all,” explains Westphal. “Each project has its own DNA, and the funding strategy has to reflect that. But in the end, classical co-production funding remains the backbone of how we bring our stories to life.”

This flexibility allows Terra Mater to deliver high-end natural history content, even as traditional funding avenues become more competitive. It’s a dynamic approach that balances long-term co-production partnerships with project-specific collaborations that reflect editorial and financial synergies.

The company aims to continue its current production pipeline, delivering around 20 new shows a year and expanding its presence on YouTube and FAST. It has also put green production at the heart of its strategy. By adopting eco-friendly methods, the company aims to minimize its ecological footprint and make a positive contribution to the planet.

It also continues to work with distribution partner Autentic, which is rolling out Mara: Rebirth, The Whale Jail, Oslo—The Wild Heart of Norway, Shells—Within a Sheltered Spiral, Riddle in the Wind and The Nature of Christmas.

From hard-hitting investigations to heartwarming wildlife stories, Terra Mater Studios continues bringing cinematic stories to screens worldwide.