The Vortex of Extinction

The Vortex of Extinction is a feature documentary from Ljubomir Stefanov, the Oscar-nominated director behind Honeyland. The film follows scientist Dragan Arsovski and his research team as they document a real-time ecological crisis: a turtle population gripped by an extinction vortex, where extreme male aggression against females has caused reproductive collapse. Stefanov adopts his signature vérité approach, filming over multiple seasons on an island location. The project is produced by Maya E. Rudolph at Louverture Films and Sandbox Films, with a budget of €500,000. Production has completed two summer shooting seasons and is preparing to resume in the coming months. The project was presented at Visions du Réel's VdR-Pitching forum in April 2026, where it is actively seeking European co-production partners and additional financing to complete production.