Headline

Natural History Film Editor & DIT at Felis Creations

About

Hi, I’m Varun Manavazhi, a documentary editor and storyteller with a passion for nature, people, and purpose-driven films. Over the past few years, I’ve edited long-form documentaries, trailers, and digital shorts, working closely with top wildlife filmmakers and global production houses like National Geographic. Most recently, I spent two years editing a landmark wildlife documentary set in the Nilgiris, with BAFTA award winning filmmaker Sandesh Kadur. I currently work with Felis Films, a studio dedicated to impactful wildlife and conservation storytelling. I’m open to collaborations in natural history, editorial consulting, and other storytelling formats that aim to make a difference. Let’s connect and create something meaningful.

Location

Bengaluru

AI stack

claude

Work experience

Film Editor & DIT at Felis Creations, Sep 2021 - Present · 5 yrs 1 mo, Bangalore Urban, Karnataka, India

Masters Thesis at Inkawu Vervet Project, Aug 2019 - Mar 2020 · 8 mos, Vryheid Area, South Africa, • Learned how to uniquely identify over 100+ wild vervet monkeys using their facial and bodily features and natural markings • Worked with multiple troops of vervet monkeys in the wild and collected behavioural data • Investigated the influence of maternal rank on social integration in dispersing male vervet monkeys • Collected behavioural data via focal sampling, scan sampling, and ad libitum data collection. • Assisted graduate and postdoctoral students to perform playback experiments, fake predator experiments, and social learning experiments with several groups of wild vervet monkeys. • Assisted with capture, collaring, and habituation of new and followed vervet monkey troops. • Supervisor: Prof. Dr Erica van de Waal

Science Film Production at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Jan 2019 - Apr 2019 · 4 mos, Pune Division, Maharashtra, India, • Attended a 4-month long course on filmmaking for effective science communication. • In-depth sessions on film production, video editing, cinematography, and sound design. • Created a 5-minute film on the science of coffee as part of the grading and was awarded an 'O' grade for outstanding in the course. • Supervisor: Anil Zanker

Research Student at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Aug 2018 - Nov 2018 · 4 mos, Pune Division, Maharashtra, India, • Analysed humour behind Internet memes and studied how they propagate in a population through cultural transmission. • Presented a TEDx talk at TEDxGCEKannur on the work. • Supervisor: Prof. Pushkar Sohoni

Research Student at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Jun 2018 - Jul 2018 · 2 mos, Pune Division, Maharashtra, India, • Recorded the vocalisations of sympatric wren-warblers to study acoustic signal space partitioning in the Vetal Tekdi Biodiversity Park, India. • Supervisor: Dr Anand Krishnan

Research Student at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Jan 2018 - Apr 2018 · 4 mos, Pune Division, Maharashtra, India, • Performed In Situ Hybridization to whole mount Zebra fish (Danio rerio) embryos & localise the protein Fmn2b. • Supervisor: Dr Aurnab Ghose

Education

BS-MS Dual Degree, Animal Behavior and Ethology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune

AISSCE, kendriya vidyalaya

Public links

wwww.varunmanavazhi.com: https://wwww.varunmanavazhi.com/