Rodrigo Medellín, Anand Varma & Jason Jaacks

Rodrigo Medellín is a champion of one of the world’s most reviled mammals: the bat. As a kid, he kept Vampire bats as pets, and he went on to dedicate his life to the study and conservation of the flying creatures in his home country of Mexico. The ecologist and professor has directed scores of theses and dissertations and published more than 100 publications on bats, and has spent countless hours in caves, ruins and other dark places researching the animals, specifically two rare species, the wooly false vampire bat and the spectral bat. His work, aimed at shaping conservation policy to protect the vital animals, has earned him the nickname “The Bat Man of Mexico.”

Medellín has worked extensively with National Geographic photographer Anand Varma and environmental filmmaker Jason Jaacks to capture unique images and footage of the animals and share their fascinating stories with the world. Together, the trio will bring these stories to the Mountainfilm stage, presenting images and anecdotes of these unusual, villainized, crucial and elusive creatures.