EXCLUSIVE: Appian Way has signed on as an exec producer on Snow Leopard Sisters. The feature doc premiered at SXSW and follows snow leopard conservationist Tshiring Lhamu Lama as she mentors 17-year-old Tenzin Bhuti Gurung. Set against the backdrop of an isolated corner of the Himalayas, the film is billed as a story of an unlikely yet powerful friendship between two Indigenous women.
Noah Media Group is across international sales and is now out in the market with the film. Appian Way, the environmentally-focused film and TV production company, has gotten on board with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson and Phillip Watson now exec producers.
In the film, Tshiring Lhamu Lama and Tenzin Bhuti Gurung journey through the treacherous and breathtaking Himalayas in search of endangered snow leopards. Their journey highlights the power of women’s voices in conservation, the producers said, with the hope of shaping a better future for themselves and the elusive snow leopards.
After premiering at SXSW, the film has gone on a long festival run, taking in BANFF, Boulder Film Festival, Mountain Film Festival in Telluride, the Seoul International Eco Film Festival and others. It took the Change Maker Award at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival, Best Conservation Film at the REEL WILD New York Film Festival and the Audience Choice Award at the American Conservation Film Festival.
An accompanying impact campaign was designed to bolster the snow leopard population by promoting livestock protection methods that do not harm leopards and by connecting local communities with snow leopard conservation efforts.
“The two remarkable Indigenous women at the heart of the story are redefining conservation from the ground up through their courage and unwavering commitment,” said Noah’s Head of Sales Catherine Quantschnigg. “The film is a powerful testament to resilience, stewardship, and the profound connection between people and the natural world — a call to protect what remains before it’s too late. I look forward to introducing worldwide buyers to this film.”
The directorial team on the film spanned three continents, with Sonam Choekyi Lama, an accomplished indigenous Nepalese photographer, working alongside Ben Ayers and Andrew Lynch.
The directors said in a joint statement: “We’re incredibly proud to see this film resonate with audiences and earn recognition at festivals around the globe and we are thrilled to have built a worldwide community of supporters committed to ensuring that Tshiring’s groundbreaking conservation work ensures that Nepal’s snow leopards will maintain their crucial role in the Himalayan ecosystem for generations to come.”
The doc is produced by Oscar-winner and Violet Films founder Joanna Natasegara, Ian Davies, Torquil Jones and Tshiring Lhamu Lama.
