Planetwalker is an independently produced short documentary chronicling the extraordinary journey of Dr. John Francis, the legendary African American environmentalist who, after witnessing the devastating 1971 oil spill, renounced motorized transport and took a vow of silence that lasted 17 years. Now, at 78, John and his fellow travelers share his remarkable story on film for the first time.
The documentary premiered at the 2024 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, where it received the prestigious Artistic Vision Award. Over its year-and-a-half festival run, Planetwalker garnered more than a dozen accolades, including the Audience Award at Mountainfilm and BlackStar, the Special Jury Prize at Jackson Wild, the Green Spark Award at the American Conservation Film Festival, and Best Documentary Short at the Nevada City Film Festival.
The film was made possible with support from Peak Design, Sierra Club, Lush Cosmetics, The Explorers Club, and the Nell Newman Foundation. It was later licensed and distributed by The Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg Media and was ultimately shortlisted for the 2025 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.
Directed by: Dominic and Nadia Gill Produced by: Nadia Gill Co-producer: Michael Fearon Edited by: Niq Lewis and Dominic Gill Original Music by: Greg Johnson Animations by: Remy Ndow
More about the film can be found at www.planetwalkerfilm.com