SAN FRANCISCO, CA

We’re thrilled to announce the winner of the 2026 Nature Connection Pitch: Kristy Hyunsoo Choi and her film Sing Peak!

Presented in partnership with DC/DOX, the Nature Connection Pitch supports emerging short documentaries that explore how people and communities are reconnecting with the natural world. Following a live pitch event held in Washington, DC on June 13, 2026, Sing Peak was selected to receive the program’s $50,000 grand prize grant to continue bringing the project to life.

After five Nature Connection Pitch finalists were chosen from hundreds of submissions from around the world, Sing Peak distinguished itself as our grand prize winner through its cinematic vision, emotional resonance, and compelling exploration of humanity’s relationship with nature. 

The mountain Sing Peak was named in 1899 after Tie Sing, a Chinese chef who cooked for the first mapmakers and founders of the National Park Service. Every year a community of Asian Americans treks without a trail to Sing Peak. This film ponders why.

The Nature Connection Pitch was created to uplift stories that illuminate the many ways nature shapes identity, healing, belonging, cultural memory, and collective well-being. This year’s finalist projects reflected a range of voices and lived experiences while sharing a common belief in the power of connection to the natural world.

In addition to the grand prize winner, four finalist teams each received a $10,000 non-recoupable grant, along with mentorship, industry workshops, festival access, and the opportunity to present their projects before a panel of industry leaders at DC/DOX. Learn more about the 2026 Nature Connection Pitch finalists. 

We extend our gratitude to all of the filmmakers, jurors, mentors, collaborators, and partners who made this year’s Nature Connection Pitch possible, and to DC/DOX for their partnership and shared commitment to supporting bold new voices in documentary storytelling.

Congratulations again to Kristy Hyunsoo Choi and all of the 2026 Nature Connection Pitch finalists!

About The Redford Center 

Co-founded in 2005 by activists and filmmakers Robert Redford and James Redford, The Redford Center is a nonprofit that advances environmental solutions through the power of stories that move. As one of the only US-based nonprofits solely dedicated to environmental impact filmmaking, The Redford Center develops and invests in projects that foster action and strengthen the reach of the grassroots efforts powering the environmental movement. Over the years, The Redford Center has produced three award-winning feature documentaries and more than 40 short films, supported over 400 film and media projects with grants and other services, inspired the creation of 550 student films, and disbursed more than $32 million to environmental films, amplifying change-making solutions to millions of people worldwide. Learn more at www.redfordcenter.org.