Award-Winning National Geographic Talent at the Forefront of Factual Storytelling Announced for Congress ’23 in Seattle
November 6, 2023
The World Congress of Science and Factual Producers (WCSFP) is excited to unveil an exciting addition to the Congress ’23 lineup. Introducing National Geographic: Up Close with the Faces of the Brand, a must-attend session at this global gathering of the world’s top science and factual producers, digital producers, creators, and content providers, set to take place November 28 to December 1 in Seattle, Washington. In this exclusive session, key faces of National Geographic will reveal their tricks of the trade, share what motivates them to travel the world in pursuit of a story and provide a unique glimpse into the breathtaking stories they've uncovered. This captivating panel will feature Trafficked host and journalist Mariana van Zeller, National Geographic Explorer and host of Lost Cities Albert Lin, and renowned climber Alex Honnold from Free Solo and the upcoming Arctic Ascent, sharing stories and video from the field. Leading the conversation is Tom McDonald, EVP of Global Factual & Unscripted at National Geographic.
National Geographic Explorer Albert Lin, host of Lost Cities Revealed, continues to press into the most remote parts of the world, taking a technologist’s approach to uncover some of humanity’s most charismatic stories and explore the frontiers of the human experience. Tools such as satellite imagery, crowdsourcing engines, machine learning, drones, and ground-penetrating radar permitted Lin to search widely for archaeological sites while respecting the traditional beliefs of local Indigenous peoples. A new season of Lost Cities Revealed premieres November 23 on National Geographic, November 29 on Disney+ and Hulu.
Alex Honnold is a professional adventure rock climber whose audacious free-solo ascents of America’s biggest cliffs have made him one of the most recognized and followed climbers in the world. In 2017, Honnold completed the first and only free solo of El Capitan, a historic accomplishment captured in the Academy-, Emmy-, and BAFTA Award-winning documentary, Free Solo. Also, Honnold was featured in Nat Geo’s Explorer: The Last Tepui and will be featured in Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold, where he led an expedition to Greenland to climb a huge 4,000-foot sea cliff and investigate the impacts of climate change on the region. Arctic Ascent premieres February 4 on National Geographic, February 5 on Disney+ and Hulu.
Peabody- and DuPont Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller is on a mission to unearth the geopolitical circumstances and context that create the multitrillion-dollar black market economy. Her Multi-Emmy nominated National Geographic series Trafficked explores complex and often dangerous inner workings of the global black-market underworld. While season five filming has begun, a new season of Trafficked premieres January 17, 2024, on National Geographic, and January 18 on Hulu.