The Auditorium Theatre's National Geographic Live Series to Return With Ami Vitale

The Auditorium Theatre's National Geographic Live Series will return on January 23, 2022 with Wild Hope, featuring National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Ami Vitale.

Ami Vitale shares her personal odyssey - from documenting the heartbreaking realities of war to witnessing the inspiring power of an individual to make a difference. She'll tell awe-inspiring stories of the reintroduction of northern white rhinos and giant pandas to the wild, as well as Kenya's first indigenous-owned and run elephant sanctuary. The event will feature incredible images and film that transformed Vitale into a celebrated global storyteller, photographer, and filmmaker.

"We continue our National Geographic Live Series in 2022 and welcome three dynamic Nat Geo Explorers sharing their adventures from the wild," says Rich Regan, Auditorium Theatre CEO. "We look forward to kicking off the series with the incredible Ami Vitale who will share her compelling wildlife stories while showcasing her inspiring work."

This is the first event of a 3-show series that also includes Spinosaurus: Lost Giant of the Cretaceous with Nizar Ibrahim (February 27) and Social by Nature with Ronan Donovan (April 10).

Ami Vitale Biography

Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic magazine photographer Ami Vitale has lived in mud huts and war zones, contracted malaria, and donned a panda suit - all in keeping with her philosophy of "living the story." She has traveled to more than 100 countries, bearing witness not only to violence and conflict, but also to surreal beauty and to the enduring power of the human spirit. Recently, she has turned her lens to compelling wildlife stories, such as returning critically endangered, captive-born species like the giant pandas back to the wild, and attempts to save the last living northern white rhinos from extinction.

Vitale's work is exhibited worldwide in museums, galleries, and private collections. She has garnered prestigious awards including multiple prizes from World Press Photo, the International Photographer of the Year prize, and the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting. She has also been named Magazine Photographer of the Year by the National Press Photographer's Association.

Vitale is a founding member of Ripple Effect Images, a collective of scientists, writers, photographers and filmmakers who document challenges facing women and girls in developing countries and donate that media to the organizations to assist in fundraising. She is chair of the Photographers Advisory Board for National Geographic magazine photographers and a member of the Executive Advisory Committee of the Alexia Foundation's Photojournalism Advisory Board.