The 2026 New York Festivals Television & Film Awards is proud to announce that Melanie Haft, Managing Director and Head of Production at nautilusfilm GmbH, Germany’s most awarded nature film production company, has joined the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards Advisory Board.
With over two decades of experience leading award-winning documentary productions, Haft brings exceptional expertise in cinematic storytelling, production leadership, and creative innovation to the Advisory Board. Her global perspective and comprehensive understanding of documentary craft will help guide the competition’s mission to honor excellence and creativity across all genres of television and film content.
“Every year, we work with our advisory board and industry thought leaders to make sure that our categories recognize the innovative content being created today world-wide across all genres and reflect our commitment to the passion of independent filmmakers,” said Rose Anderson, Executive Vice President, New York Festivals. “With Melanie’s addition to the Board, we gain insights of someone who is a recognized leader in the wildlife documentaries field.“
“I and our entire team at nautilusfilm are dedicated wildlife filmmakers and we sometimes wonder, why there are so few slots, platforms etc. focusing on this genre. Since our whole planet is co-habited by so many more species than humans, it does seem strange that there is so little space for films that feature the life of these other species. The films that are made on nature and wildlife are, however, often fantastic documentaries made by passionate people, who truly care about Planet Earth. The future will be bright for documentary filmmaking, and I hope that more channels and platforms will take on wildlife and nature content. It is timeless and the films help promote the basis of life and that concerns everyone.” – Melanie Haft, Managing Director and Head of Production, nautilusfilm
Earning more than 200 international awards, including 18 from New York Festivals, nautilusfilm shares NYF’s passion for outstanding storytelling. Melanie Haft brings that same dedication to the Advisory Board, joining fellow creative leaders committed to celebrating stories that inform, inspire, and connect audiences worldwide.
Haft studied Media and Communications at Augsburg University in Germany and has been an integral part of nautilusfilm since its founding years. She oversees the production of high-profile documentaries recognized for their cinematic beauty and environmental insight.
Under her production leadership, Nautilusfilm has been a consistent standout at the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards. In 2025, the company was honored with the NYF TV & Film Gold Award in Nature & Wildlife for “Welcome to the Forest – Mind the Gap,” part of a three-part mini-series for Germany’s ARD, ARTE, and TerraMater. Previous honors include: Gold in Environment & Ecology for “What is Wilderness?” (2023); Gold in Cinematography for “Be Wild!” (2022); Gold in Nature & Wildlife for “The Meadow – Paradise Lost?” (2021); and two Golds, one in Cinematography and one in Nature & Wildlife, for “Magical Iceland” (2020).
Her credits include more than 60 award-winning documentaries such as The Green Wonder – Our Forest, Magic of the Moors, and Wild Scandinavia, work celebrated for combining visual artistry with environmental awareness.
In the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards series Content POV, Melanie Haft shares her insights on storytelling and production excellence. Read the full interview: HERE.
As a member of the TV & Film Awards Advisory Board, Haft joins an esteemed panel of industry leaders whose expertise helps shape the future of the competition and ensures that the New York Festivals continues to honor the most compelling and creative work from around the world.
Each year, the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards celebrates global excellence in television, film, and digital storytelling. The competition recognizes innovative content from broadcasters, film production companies, and independent creators that engage, inform, and entertain audiences worldwide.
The 2025 Storytellers Gala, held virtually from New York City, showcased winning work from across the globe and honored filmmakers whose vision and creativity continue to redefine the art of storytelling. The 2026 Storytellers Gala will take place in May 2026.
The 2025 winning entries are showcased in the TV & Film Awards winners gallery.
The 2026 competition deadline is December 31, 2025. View the TV & Film Awards website and for information on entry details, competition rules and regulations, and categories visit: HERE.
All entries in the 2026 competition will be judged online by New York Festivals’ esteemed TV & Film Awards Grand Jury, a global panel of over 300 award-winning producers, directors, writers, and creative media professionals. Recruitment for this year’s jury is underway. Winners will be revealed at the 2026 Storytellers Gala and featured prominently in the TV & Film Awards winner’s gallery.