OTF adds WaterBear documentary originals to sales catalogue

Animal trade exposé doc Not a Pet

European producer and distributor Off the Fence has added original documentaries from streaming platform WaterBear Network to sales catalogue.

Both companies share a founder in Ellen Windemuth, who executive produced Netflix’s Oscar-winning feature doc My Octopus Teacher.

Founded in 2020 and dedicated to content about the natural world, WaterBear outlined its content needs to C21 earlier this year. Its library of originals includes five-part climate change doc The Breakdown, animated short series So Hot Right Now and ocean plastic documentary Mother of the Sea.

Other shows include Africa’s Hidden Sea Forest; An Eye For Detail, a documentary on a young wildlife photographer with autism; exotic animal trade exposé Not a Pet; and The Whale Who Saved Me.

WaterBear Network’s content will feed into Off the Fence’s catalogue of content focusing on the impact of humans’ relationship with the planet.

The distribution deal comes after WaterBear and Netherlands-based Off the Fence teamed up with conservation group the WWF to launch a multimedia initiative in April.

Off the Fence head of acquisitions Loren Baxter said: “There has been a rise in popularity of impact-led content in the past year, which was largely brought about by the pandemic. People are becoming more aware of the ever-changing world around them and wish to create a better future for the planet.”