Sinking Ship Entertainment launches elephant conservation campaign with International Fund for Animal Welfare

(Ottawa, Canada – 9 OCTOBER 2019) Representing a bold effort to promote environmental stewardship and conservation, Emmy® Award winning production company Sinking Ship Entertainment (SSE) has selected International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) as their non-profit partner. SSE has pledged CA$250,000 to support critical elephant conservation work in Africa as part of the Endlings Campaign. The public-facing education and fundraising campaign will launch alongside SSE’s new family adventure series Endlings, which showcases themes of family, conservation and extinction, as four teenagers discover the interconnectedness between them and the natural world when the last elephant on earth mysteriously vanishes.

According to SSE founding partner, and Endlings creator J.J. Johnson, “this series was designed in part to offer our audience the opportunity to explore the idea that some species, including elephants, are at a tipping point. With this campaign, we want to mobilize young people and their families to become advocates and participate in animal conservation, securing hope not only for Africa’s elephants, but for all species under threat. Our decision to choose IFAW as our partner was motivated by the organization’s international scope and deep-rooted commitment to conservation over the past 50 years.”

The funds from SSE, in alignment with IFAW’s guiding philosophy that individual animals matter, will support elephant conservation efforts, such as the IFAW-Game Rangers International (GRI) Elephant Orphanage Project in Zambia. The project rescues, rehabilitates and releases elephant calves orphaned as a result of human activity, including illegal poaching. The investment will contribute to build a first-of-its-kind facility that will include a new nursery, mobile veterinary unit, and medical clinic which will enhance the reach and efficacy of the local elephant conservation team.

“Rescuing these orphaned elephants offers us tremendous insight into the physiological and emotional impacts of being orphaned, how to meet the animals’ needs, and understanding their patterns of behavior, and roles as individuals within the broader population. The support provided by SSE and the expected outreach of this multifaceted campaign will help us continue this mission-critical work of securing a future for elephants in Africa, and inspiring the coming generation of ambassadors for environmental conservation,” said Katie Moore, Deputy Vice President for Animal Rescue at IFAW.

The Endlings Campaign will launch Fall 2019, and will include a matching gift campaign and a play-to-save audience engagement tool. For more details, follow along on Facebook @IFAW.ca and @EndlingsTV, and on Instagram @action4ifaw and @EndlingsTV.

The series Endlings will broadcast on Hulu and Universal Kids in the US, CBC and SRC in Canada, CBBC in the UK, NDR in Germany, ABC in Australia, Mundo Gloob in Brazil, SVT in Sweden, NRK in Norway and Gloob in Brazil throughout 2019 and 2020. More information can be found at www.endlings.com.

 To learn more about IFAW’s work, visit ifaw.org.

Press Contacts:

IFAW Canada: Aurore Lepastourel

Tel: +1 613 241 3982 ext. 223

Mobile: +1 343 549 2249

Email: alepastourel@ifaw.org 

IFAW US: Melanie Mahoney

Tel: +1-508-744-2070

Email: mmahoney@ifaw.org 

Sinking Ship Entertainment: Amanda Fruci

Tel: +1 647 998 2737

Email: amandafruci@sinkingship.ca

ABOUT IFAW

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is a global non-profit helping animals and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans, and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate, and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organizations, and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at www.ifaw.org

ABOUT SINKING SHIP ENTERTAINMENT

Sinking Ship Entertainment (SSE) is an award-winning production, distribution and interactive company specializing in family and kids’ live action and CGI blended content. In 2019 they set their sights on growth and launched a new animation series division. Since opening its doors in 2004, Sinking Ship has produced over 500 hours of content, and through their globally recognized in-house distribution division, has sold to over 200 countries internationally. The company has rapidly earned a global reputation for high quality, groundbreaking original series and companion interactive experiences. Overall, Sinking Ship has won 17 Daytime Emmy® Awards and a variety of other international awards including Canadian Screen Awards, Youth Media Alliance Awards, Fan Chile Awards, Parents Choice Awards, the Shaw Rocket Prize, and the Prix Jeunesse International. In addition to production, Sinking Ship operates a cutting edge VFX and Interactive Studio, creating multi-platform digital experiences and interactive content for audiences around the world. The Toronto-based company is home to over 175 shipmates.

ABOUT ENDLINGS

Set 20 years in the future, Endlings is the empowering story of four teenagers in foster care who discover they're not alone in the universe, even though sometimes it can feel like they are. Halfway across the world, Tuko is alone. After the death of her mate, Tuko becomes the last elephant in existence--what biologists call an endling. Her endling status summons to Earth a mysterious Alien who is on an intergalactic quest to save the last member of near-extinct species. After Tuko is collected, the Alien's ship malfunctions and sends it on a crash course with the farm where Julia (Kamaia Fairburn), Johnny (Edison Grant), Tabby (Michela Luci) and Finn (Cale Thomas Ferrin) live with their foster dad, Mr. Leopold (Neil Crone). Before crashing, the Alien releases all of its cosmic collection into the fields and wilderness surrounding the property. This kicks off a high-action life-altering mission to retrieve these fantastical creatures before the local police, Tuko's caretaker (Oyin Oladejo), or a secretive industrialist (Lisa Ryder) can. Along the way, four discarded teens discover that "endling" doesn't have to mean the end; it can also mean a new beginning.

ABOUT GAME RANGERS INTERNATIONAL

The GRI-Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP) operates in partnership with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF), Olsen Animal Trust (OAT) and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) of Zambia to empower Rangers and Local Communities to conserve nature. We embrace a holistic approach to conservation, and empower Rangers across three core thematic areas: Resource Protection, Community Outreach, and Wildlife Rescue.