A gripping exposé of the polar bear fur trade, revealing how conservation, politics and commercial interests collide in ways the public was never meant to see.

Trade Secret follows three unlikely allies on a mission to protect polar bears from international commercial trade. Filmed over six years across nine countries, the film exposes the sanctioned sale of hundreds of polar bears each year on the global market. But as the investigation deepens, it uncovers a disturbing truth: those entrusted with safeguarding the species may be entangled in their continued commercialisation. The film raises urgent questions about how we protect vulnerable species in a world where the lines between protection and exploitation have become blurred.

Synopsis

Where to Watch

Climate Film Festival: International Premiere
New York, USA

September 21st

Trade Secret will have its International Premiere as the Closing Night film of the Climate Film Festival in New York City during Climate Week. The event will open with remarks by “Her Deepness” Dr. Sylvia Earle, marine biologist, conservationist, and National Geographic Society Explorer in Residence.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Costas Christ (moderator; journalist, global conservationist, award-winning National Geographic writer, Co-Founder, Blue Climate Initiative); Abraham Joffe (Director/Producer, Trade Secret); Ole J Liodden (photographer and polar bear expert, Founder, Polar Bears & Humans); Cristina Mittermeier (conservation photographer, Co-Founder, SeaLegacy); and Paul Nicklen (conservation photographer, Co-Founder, SeaLegacy).

September 30th

Jackson Wild
Jackson, Wyoming USA

Trade Secret will screen at the Jackson Wild Summit on September 30th, available to Summit pass holders. Recognised as one of the world’s most influential gatherings for nature filmmakers, conservation leaders, and innovators, Jackson Wild is a premier platform where groundbreaking stories spark global impact. It’s an honor to be included this year, where the film is also a nominee for Best Investigative Film.

October 20th

Opening Film at Wildscreen
Bristol, UK

Trade Secret has been selected as the Opening Night film for the globally recognised Wildscreen Summit in Bristol, UK. The screening will take place at the Bristol Megascreen with a full capacity of 350 seats. Summit pass holders will have first access to tickets, with general public tickets to be released soon. The film is also nominated for Best Independent Film at this year’s Panda Awards, one of the highest honours in natural history filmmaking. Follow Trade Secret’s Instagram account for updates on when tickets become available.

“It is a superbly crafted work - powerful, urgent, and deeply moving. It sheds light on a matter of global importance, and it does so with both journalistic integrity and cinematic finesse.”

Wolfgang Knöpfler,
Producer of ‘The Ivory Game’ and ‘Sea of Shadows’.

Kartiki Gonsalves
Academy Award winning director of ‘The Elephant Whisperers’

“A breathtaking masterpiece and unflinching exposé - confronting humanity’s betrayal of the wild and the devastating cost of losing a species forever ”

We’re excited to share that the official website for Trade Secret is now live: www.tradesecretfilm.com (link in bio). Filmed across nine countries over six years, Trade Secret investigates the hidden global trade in polar bears and the powerfu
Truly humbled to receive these words from a legend in the wildlife filmmaking world - Wolfgang Knöpfler. Wolfgang produced landmark films that have inspired our team for years - The Ivory Game, Sea of Shadows and more. The Ivory Game was instrum
We are truly grateful @tradesecretfilm has been nominated for a Jackson Wild award for Best Investigative Film. Trade Secret follows three unlikely allies on a mission to protect polar bears from international commercial trade. Filmed over six year
Exciting News! @tradesecretfilm has been given the incredible honour of screening on opening night at the WILDSCREEN Festival. The screening will take place at the Bristol, UK Megascreen on 20th October at 7pm, followed by a Q&A session. As this
The reviews for @tradesecretfilm have been extraordinary. Big news on where to see the film coming soon. Please share to spread the word. #polarbears #arctic #wildlife #wildlifetrade #cites #bears #polarbear
For updates on screenings and news for the film, subscribe at www.tradesecretfilm.com #polarbears #svalbard #arctic #bears #cites #polarbear
Polar bears inhabit five Arctic nations - Canada, the United States (Alaska), Denmark (Greenland), Norway (Svalbard), and Russia - collectively known as the “Range States.” In 1973, in response to population declines from overhunting, the
DR ADAM CRUISE Q: You’re from South Africa - how did you end up investigating the polar bear skin trade? A: I was in Geneva in 2019 at the CITES CoP reporting on the trophy hunting of elephants and trade in their ivory. I saw Ole Liodden give

  • “Trade Secret, complete with a mid-film twist that Hollywood script writers would die for, forces a reckoning: if we don’t confront the corruption behind legalised wildlife trade today, what will be left to protect tomorrow?”

    NowThen Magazine

  • The revelations are staggering and demand global attention. You'll walk away shaken, questioning everything - and wanting everyone you know to watch it. This could be the spark for real change.

    Rachael Scott, IMDB

  • If 'Blackfish' had such impact for the orca, then 'Trade Secret' is set to become an iconic film and a wake-up call about the dirty secrets in the wildlife trade.

    Pete Matthews IMDB

  • It is a superbly crafted work - powerful, urgent, and deeply moving. The storytelling is razor-sharp, the cinematography both beautiful and harrowing, and its message could not be more relevant. It sheds light on a matter of global importance, and it does so with both journalistic integrity and cinematic finesse.

    Wolfgang Knöpfler, Producer ‘The Ivory Game, and ‘Sea of Shadows’.

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