NOW AVAILABLE ON NETFLIX IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Follow the Rain
new feature documentary from Planet Fungi
World famous fungi hunters invite audiences on a unique expedition into the wilderness of Australia, where the symbiotic dance between fungi, plants and animals, unlocks nature's greatest secrets.
What’s in the film?
In an endangered forest in Australia, fungi hunter and acclaimed fungi photographer Stephen Axford, spies an intriguing frosty blue mushroom. He discovers it has no name. No one knows where it fits in the Kingdom of Fungi. He is the first to document it for science.
Turns out this mushroom is one of the two million – eleven million species of fungus that scientists think could exist but have not yet been identified.
The science of fungi has been a neglected frontier of discovery.
Today there is a mass myco-awakening where we are only just starting to understand how important fungi are to life as we know it and how critical they are in protecting us from the impacts of climate change.
The race is on to document as many species of fungi as possible, as fast as possible.
At the forefront of this push internationally are Stephen Axford, and his partner in life and all things fungi, filmmaker Catherine Marciniak.
In Follow the Rain, Stephen and Catherine follow in the path of the rain to document the fungi that emerge. Their mission – to find out how fungi fit into the world of living things.
It is an exploration of the world of fungi as you have never seen it – combining a decade of research and passion, Stephen and Catherine’s mesmerising fungi time-lapses and footage, and the most incredible fungal stories.
This fungi adventure takes us to some of Australia's oldest landscapes to explore the critical role fungi play on Earth.
It includes a journey into the world of zombie fungus hunting, a dig into the hidden trading deals between fungi and trees, a 10-year investigation to name a new species and an exposé of the rain-making fungal life of a desert.
The audience also goes behind the scenes into Stephen and Catherine’s time-lapse studio, sharing in their discoveries as fungi unfurl.
The evocative score by composers Romano Crivici and Carla Thackrah layers the story with magical fragile harmonies and powerful rhythms, creating a vast primal soundscape.
Visually captivating, a symphonic treat and incredibly entertaining, this pioneering fungi safari unearths the foundation of life downunder.
About Planet Fungi
We are Stephen Axford and Catherine Marciniak of Planet Fungi. For over a decade, we have been documenting fungi in photographs and videos across Asia and Australia.
You may have seen our time-lapses of fungi growing in David Attenborough's Planet Earth 2 or featured in the Netflix documentary Fantastic Fungi. Or perhaps you recognise some of Stephen's macro photographs from international nature journals.
You can check out what we do on Instagram and YouTube - @Planet_Fungi.
We document fungi because humans are only just starting to understand how important fungi are to life on our planet and how critical they are in protecting us from the impacts of climate change. We realise now that without fungi, the world as we know it would not exist - forests would not exist, and we would not exist. Now the push is on to document as many species as possible, as fast as possible. Raising awareness about fungi is critical to achieving that goal.
Crowdfunding mission accomplished
In December 2023 we received a wonderful gift for
the Kingdom of Fungi.
A philanthropist from the US, Michelle Marie Bailey, donated not only the remaining dollars we need to reach our
FOLLOW THE RAIN outreach crowdfunding target but also some additional funds that will fully finance a study guide for schools and tertiary institutions and a “how to” handout on the pathways to study mycology.
With Michelle’s generous support and the support of all of you who have donated to the crowdfunding campaign, we now have the funds to make a real difference for the Kingdom of Fungi.
We thank you all.
You are big-hearted humans making a difference for all of us.
Outreach campaign
Here’s how your support will make meaningful impact for fungi in 2024:
Creation of a study guide for the documentary with curriculum based activities for schools. This will educate young people about the Kingdom of Fungi and raise awareness about its critical role to life as we know it. This study guide will value add to classroom screenings of FOLLOW THE RAIN.
Creation of a pamphlet - Pathways to study Mycology to assist those wishing to study mycology at a tertiary level.
Targeted screenings for decisions makers in collaboration with AMS, Fungimap and Taxonomy Australia to raise awareness with Government about the critical importance of the Kingdom of Fungi, funding gaps, and benefits of increased funding for taxonomy.
Targeted screenings and workshops for community groups and events in Australia and internationally.
“Without fungi there would be no forests”
— Stephen Axford, Photographer & Presenter