Host Michelle Lewis interviews JJ Zink, producer and co-writer of the documentary From the Sound to the Sea, screening at the 2026 Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival (Nov. 5–7 in Manteo, North Carolina). Zink explains how the film began as a National Geographic: The Class project and evolved into a year-long production about Corolla’s wild horses and the surrounding community, emphasizing environmental storytelling that includes people, development pressures, and tourism-driven economies. He discusses enjoying both field producing and post-production editing, the challenges of making key narrative decisions on a tight timeline, and the importance of an collaborative crew. Zink hopes viewers see multiple perspectives meeting constructively, finds hope in people’s willingness to talk across differences, and says his “climate stick” would fund protections for habitat, nonprofits, parks, and those who safeguard wildlife. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:48 Meet JJ Zink 01:41 Film Origins 03:36 People And Horses 05:09 Making The Film 07:31 Post Production Crunch 09:51 What Viewers Take Away 13:49 Guiding Filmmaker Values 16:03 Future Projects 18:13 Finding Hope 22:04 Crew Shoutout 24:38 Climate Stick Wish 28:46 Closing Thanks

Get your tickets at www.OBXEFF.com

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Michelle Lewis interviews filmmaker Josh Thompson about his documentary Kingdom Fungi, profiled for the Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival 2026. Thompson explains how a hobby for fungi foraging in England’s ancient woodlands led him to connect with mycologists and artists, expand from planned social media shorts into a self-funded feature, and document expeditions and partnerships including trips tied to Bhutan and Chile, the Fungi Foundation, and fungal conservation efforts. He shares what he hopes audiences take away—slowing down, noticing nature, sharing knowledge, and supporting protection and conservation—along with his love of filming, the need to outsource sound, and plans for a future sequel. He discusses upcoming premieres, credits his hope to family support, and says major climate change would require moving beyond fossil fuels, shifting government attitudes, and improving fungi’s protection status.

00:44 Why Kingdom Fungi

02:34 From Hobby to Film

03:21 Meet the Mycologists

05:27 Expeditions Take Off

06:42 Community and Mycelium

07:49 Funding and Future Plans

10:04 What Viewers Take Away

12:21 Filmmaking Craft Choices

15:43 Premieres and Outreach

17:51 Hope and Climate Stick

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On Finding Hope in the Climate Crisis, host Michelle welcomes back Thai filmmaker and conservationist Prin Uthaisengchai, a previous Best International Film winner, to discuss his new documentary sequel, Sanctuary of the Leatherbacks. Prin explains the film focuses on leatherback turtle habitat and nesting areas in Thailand and highlights the urgent need to address climate change and reduce ocean trash through collective action. Michelle shares her past work with sea turtle nests, including finding an albino sea turtle, and praises the community-focused approach in the film. Prin describes current projects: a short film about monsoon-driven trash impacting endangered species and an Environmental Educational Unit “moveable school” that has reached 20–22,000 students across 17 provinces. He discusses filming highlights like scuba surveys near nesting shores, his plans to study environmental science, and his hope drawn from leatherbacks returning to Thailand and motivated students; with a “climate stick,” he would remove marine debris from the ocean.

00:00 Welcome Back Prin

00:49 New Film Overview

01:56 Urgency And Impact

03:07 Host Turtle Patrol Story

05:57 Upcoming Projects

06:58 Mobile School Outreach

10:35 Favorite Filming Moments

11:55 School And Future Plans

13:50 What To Expect In Film

14:43 Where Hope Comes From

17:52 Climate Stick Wish

19:36 Final Thanks

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