The Arts are central to ZLI’s Mission to approach the sciences with ‘disinterested’ eyes,
freed from the debilitating biases that often cloud ‘physical’ subjects,
by the sheer diversity that the multi-cultural arts bring.
Arts improve science through the instigation of questions and the subsequent examination of those questions. Science is necessary for informed decision making in animal welfare and wildlife conservation but requires critique to avoid assumptions that can do more harm than good. ZLI’s Through the Arts Fund supports the science by supporting critical thinking and heritage-rich archival revival prevalent in the arts.
In this spirit, ZLI offers financial grants in support of arts projects that in turn, support the sciences that this charity is explicitly organized to advance. Such sciences are described by the ZLI Framework (photo-physiology, sensory ecology, and integrative photobiology), with relevance to those issues identified by ZLI Campaigns.
ZLI’s view on animal welfare is guided by the Light and the Five Domains Model of Animal Welfare, which recognizes the complex and specific mental natures exhibited by non-human animal biology. For this reason, the fund in general is not interested in supporting media that simply anthropomorphizes animals as substitutes for human actors without attention to either biologically relevant film-making (stop-motion media, for example), or cultural heritage projects that pose vital questions that improve scientific questioning or SDG values. ZLI retains discretionary authority in how funds are distributed, subject to these guidelines. While the current focus is on media production, live action performances and literary works will also be supported in the future.
ZLI’s Through the Arts Fund is open by application or pre-selection to all international arts initiatives whether created by individuals or organizations.
Preselected Titles
Inhumanities Anime funding supports the development of original animated stories that reframe how we see the relationship between humans, animals, and the natural world.
Through visually compelling, globally accessible storytelling, these projects translate cutting-edge science and conservation ideas into narratives that resonate across cultures and generations.
By contributing, you’re helping bring these stories to life at their earliest stages—shaping ideas, characters, and worlds that can inspire real-world change. It’s a meaningful and enjoyable way
to support the mission: advancing animal welfare and environmental understanding through the power of art.
All Donors will be listed in Selected Show Credits! Be sure to indicate your preference at check out.
Current Titles Include:
The Afterlife of Whales™ • The Green Year™ • Infertility™ • Fear of Faith™ • Vulcan's Vineyards™ • Appu & Arriba™ • Roosting Roger™ • Mizawaru, Kizawaru, Izawaru™ • Zanshin™
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Kuyō Shōkon funding supports live-action cinematic works that accompany the themes explored in Inhumanities productions.
These films explore human relationships with animals through stories grounded in cultural memory, ethical reflection, and emotional depth.
The term Kuyō Shōkon refers to traditions of honoring and calling the spirits associated with living beings. In this context, the films recognize
the deeper cultural and spiritual dimensions that accompany scientific inquiry into animal life.
All Donors will be listed in Selected Show Credits! Be sure to indicate your preference at check out.
Current Titles Include:
Whalefall™ • Reparations™ • Setsuka™ • The Biz Mackey Story™ • Malvasia™ • Caguama Negra™ • Chinar Nocturne™ • Blood Monkey™ • Zeitgebers™
Many Employers Will Double Your Gift or More!
PhotoDiversity Educational Film funding communicate the scientific themes of the ZLI Framework and ZLI campaigns directly.
Educational shorts complement the narrative structure of Inhumanities episodes by providing extended discussion of the animal species and ecological systems featured in the stories.
Documentaries present the broader issues addressed by campaigns and are designed for film festivals, streaming platforms, museum exhibitions, and educational institutions.
Together, these productions provide high-quality educational media suitable for broadcast, classroom use, museum exhibits, and conservation programming.
All Donors will be listed in Selected Show Credits! Be sure to indicate your preference at check out.
Current Titles Include:
Adaptive Visions™ • Save a Billion Birds!™ • Activation™ • Bearanoia™ • Insect Apocalypse™ • Otohime's Time™ • Accommodation™ • Monkey See™ • Allochrony™
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Pholk Tales Animated Productions funding supports genre pieces, and the folklore / traditional stories
associated with animals featured in Inhumanities productions. These animated works highlight the cultural narratives
through which human societies have interpreted animal life across history. By presenting folklore from diverse cultures,
Pholk Tales emphasize the rich symbolic and psychological roles animals play in human imagination, projection, and identification.
All Donors will be listed in Selected Show Credits! Be sure to indicate your preference at check out.
Current Titles Include:
Shontaku™ • The Birding™ • Luo River Rhapsody™ • Io(m)lanthe™ • The Crawlers • Urashima Bound™ • Kuro Kōmori ™ • Kanayama™
Many Employers Will Double Your Gift or More!
ChibiKame (“Tiny Turtle”) PreK Playtime Productions funding supports early childhood audiences, emphasizing dislexia mitigation.
These stop-motion animated programs provide educational entertainment designed for preschool children and families. ChibiKame productions emphasize simple storytelling, visual playfulness, and positive emotional development. ChibiKame productions help cultivate early curiosity about nature, science, and their importance for well-being.
All Donors will be listed in Selected Show Credits! Be sure to indicate your preference at check out.
Current Titles Include:
Tilly's World™ • Petah's Party™ • Dr Fu's Neighborhood™ • Shohei's Shorts™ • Ada's Kitchen™ • Mimi's Home™ • Yani's Yard™
Many Employers Will Double Your Gift or More!
