The Firefox Guardian

Gunjan Menon (she/her) is a National Geographic Explorer and conservation filmmaker from India. She has written, shot and directed films on human-wildlife coexistence, endangered species, wildlife expeditions and is known for her impact-driven storytelling. Over the last nine years, Gunjan has won multiple accolades with over 40 awards and nominations across 15 countries, including the prestigious Jackson Wild Rising Star Award in 2020, a Best Student Film award at the International Wildlife Film Festival and a student BAFTA nomination. Her work has been broadcast on Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, Nat Geo Wild, Disney+ Hotstar, BBC Earth, Netflix Youtube, Buzzfeed and local Indian platforms. Gunjan holds a Master’s degree in Wildlife Filmmaking from the University of the West of England, Bristol, in partnership with BBC-NHU and during her years in Bristol, she directed and shot the critically acclaimed short film, ‘The Firefox Guardian’ in Nepal, which later became a part of the 3-part series ‘WildLives’. The film still travels to renowned film festivals, colleges and schools, starting a dialogue on ecofeminism, raising funds for red panda conservation worldwide. She works alongside Red Panda Network on outreach activities and anti-poaching campaigns.

Gunjan’s work has taken her to the remotest corners — trekking at 12,000 feet in the Himalayan bamboo forests filming red pandas, traversing rainforests looking for endangered purple frogs and, among others, searching for extremely rare turtles in the mighty Brahmaputra. But sometimes, even telling engaging stories about bats in her backyard makes her happy.

Gunjan is a TEDx Speaker, 'Girls Who Click' partner photographer, and leads workshops and seminars for emerging filmmakers on conservation storytelling and cinematography. She also volunteers as a wildlife rehabber and strives to shift the limelight to lesser-known species and habitats. She authored a book for The Habitats Trust, which highlights grassroots conservationists and frontline warriors in India. Gunjan is the Co-founder and Director of ‘Beyond Premieres’, a non-profit organisation that supports filmmakers to create tangible impact through their art.