Freeborne Media is a UK based production company specialising in natural history storytelling.
We have a not-for-profit division, Freeborne Impact.
Freeborne Media
Our Back Story
Freeborne’s Creative Director James Honeyborne is a biologist by degree and a storyteller by heart. Previously Executive Producer of BBC landmark ‘Blue Planet II’, a series that broke all records in UK as the most-watched wildlife documentary series for over 20 years. With ‘The Blue Planet Effect’ becoming part of the national conversation, the series created undeniable impact in many parts of the world. More recently, with Netflix, James and his teams have won a Primetime Emmy’s for the 5-part series Our Great National Parks, narrated by Barack Obama, and the 3-part Island of the Sea Wolves, which won 4 Daytime Emmys.
Producer and Company Director Renee Godfrey was an international surfer before training as an anthropologist and journalist and then working on the acclaimed BBC series’ Tribe and Human Planet. She has produced award winning content for a range of broadcasters. Her recent credits include: Surviving Paradise for Netflix, Hostile Planet for National Geographic and previously, for the BBC: Enchanted Kingdom 3D, Wild Atlantic and Wild New Zealand.
James and Reneé established Freeborne to produce powerful and impactful nature and science documentaries and to be a voice for nature in a fast-changing world.
“Freeborne is excited to develop ideas and create new opportunities with broadcasters and platforms. Today, wildlife and wild places are facing unprecedented challenges.
There is a pressing need to tell important, surprising and inspiring stories about our world. Working with such passion, we can create game-changing documentaries that can reach and engage a huge global audience.”
Our latest series
OUR LIVING WORLD
Cate Blanchett narrates this inspiring documentary series which explores the intelligence, resourcefulness and interconnectedness of life on Earth. From angry hippos, to salmon swimming on tarmac, and reindeer grazing in the Arctic, the stories unravel the fascinating and important ways that everything is connected.
Freeborne Films
Our latest series
Island of the Sea WolVes
Freeborne Films
Our Great National Parks
We’re excited to share OUR GREAT NATIONAL PARKS, a five part series narrated by Barack Obama. Take a journey across the globe to explore nature’s wonder, beauty and mystery.
Freeborne Films
Our latest feature
We’re thrilled to see our first feature film with Netflix and Wild Space Productions released.
RUN TIME: 78 MINS
Directed by Renee Godfrey and created in collaboration with Brad Bestelink and Natural History Film Unit Botswana.
Narrated by Regé-Jean Page, Surviving Paradise: A Family Tale explores the Okavango Delta, a vast oasis, isolated from the rest of the world by unforgiving desert.
It’s also a refuge, built and maintained daily by its inhabitants; in return, it caters for their every need. Big cats may appear to reign here, but in reality, the fate of every creature, great and small, is intertwined.
This film explores the blueprints for building the perfect world, managing it sustainably, and maintaining it – despite extremes of drought, famine, and flood.
Most crucially, it spotlights those passing the secret formula on to their descendants, who will find it harder than ever before to keep their Eden intact.
Steaming now, only on Netflix.
Freeborne Films
Surviving Paradise:
a family tale
In the News
Our Slate
We have a number of series and features in development and in production as well as many more to be announced!
Click right to learn more and keep an eye on our social feeds for new announcements.
Freeborne Films
Surviving Paradise:
a Family Story
Run Time: 78 minutes
Launch Date: March 3, 2022
Read the announcement on Digital Spy
Freeborne Impact
Our award winning team bring an exciting skillset, experienced in engaging social media savvy audiences and always aiming to push the bar in delivering impact via social media storytelling.
In addition to digital production and content creation, our portfolio includes strategy work for brands, nonprofits and governing bodies. Delivering innovative impact via social media storytelling on a global scale.
We’re excited for the publication of more of our upcoming projects.
Our slate includes work with: Netflix, Higher Ground Productions, WCS, World Economic Forum, OceanX, Attitude Magazine, The European Commission, The United Nations, The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and BCW Global.
Freeborne Impact
OCEAN X LIVE SUBMARINE STREAM
Freeborne Impact
Freeborne Impact
SEA OUR FUTURE
#SeaOurFuture is a collaborative storytelling project that’s aiming to bridge the disconnect between people and our ocean. Based on communications research by Nicky Hawkins at On Road Media and in partnership with On Purpose Group.
Our first collaborative campaign with Attitude Magazine features Ru Paul’s Drag Race icon Bimini, wildlife presenter Dan O’Neill, climate activist Noga Levy-Rapoport and wildlife filmmaker Dawood Qureshi.
Set on the dystopian shores of Dungeness, the film and impact campaign explore LGBTQ+ identity; sustainability; climate change; our relationship with the ocean; environmental intersectionality and the future of our planet. Sustainability was at the heart of the editorial and production process, awarded three stars by Albert.
Freeborne Impact
Wild For All
#WildForAll is collaborative initiative between Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Freeborne Impact, and Higher Ground around Netflix series Our Great National Parks. Aiming to activate audiences around the series; to encourage stewardship for our wild spaces and to encourage important conversations about the role of the wilderness wherever we live.
As part of #WildForAll and in partnership with Netflix, Freeborne Impact set out to flip the script on what a Making Of can be with digital audiences in mind. Giving platform to new voices, turning a spotlight on local communities and encouraging more inclusivity in our industry. This series of short YouTube films covered environmental themes and issues including rewilding, marine protected areas, the illegal pet trade, deforestation and biodiversity loss.
Sustainability
The environment is at the heart of everything we do and working sustainably is important to us.
We continue to review how we’re working; to learn and to adapt how we work according to best practises and guidance from Albert.
Where possible we incorporate sustainability messaging on screen.
Work with us
We’re always on the lookout for new talent.
If you’re interested working with Freeborne Films or creating digital and impact content with Freeborne Impact, please send your CV and any showreel material to hello@freebornemedia.com. If you’d prefer to apply in an alternative format – for example a video or audio application – please let us know and we can look to accommodate. We welcome any suggestions to ensure applicants feel they have a fair way of applying for positions they’re interested in.
We are proud to have an active diversity initiative and are committed to encouraging diversity and inclusion and ensuring there is no discrimination at work. We want our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society. It is important to us that every employee and freelancer feels respected and able to give their best in a supportive environment.
Our ambition is to develop local talent and skill-sets, to strengthen local voices and tell new and important stories.