Toronto, ON (September 21, 2016)
The award-winning documentary The Messenger is teaming up with Bird Studies Canada to tour Canadian University and college campuses this fall. The tour kicks off this evening at Dalhousie University in Halifax. Each screening will be followed by a discussion led by local conservation and biologists. For more information on campus locations, dates and times, see https://songbirdsos.com/screenings/canadian-screenings/
Confirmed campus locations and dates include:
- September 21 – Dalhousie, Halifax, NS Hosted by professor Cindy Staicer.
- September 27- McMaster University – Hamilton, ON Hosted by Instructor Greg Zilderbrant
- September 28 -Ottawa University – Ottawa, ON Hosted by Professor Scott Simon
- September 29 – University of Saskatchewan, SK – with Professor Christy Morrissey and Kiel Drake from Bird Studies Canada
- October 2 – Mount Allison, Sackville, NB, followed by Q+A with Bird Studies Canada and Environment Canada
- October 2 – Fleming College, Lindsay, ON hosted by the City of Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee with Director Su Rynard and FLAP’s Michael Mesure in attendance
- October 5/6 University of Victoria, followed by Q+A with Dr. David Bradley of Bird Studies Canada
- October 21-23 The Antigonish International Film Festival, NS – Home of St.Francis Xavier Univeristy
- October 25 The University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC followed by a Q+A with Dr. David Bradley of Birds Studies Canada
- November 9 Queen’s University, Kingston ON
- November 9 The University of Guelph, ON followed by a Q+A with Dr. Ryan Norris and others
- November 10 – The University of Windsor, ON
- November 10 McGill University, Montreal, QC, presented by Le Nichoir
- November 15 Lakeland College, Vermilion, AB
- Date TBA – The University of Western Ontario, ON
- Date TBA – The University of Regina, SK
- Date TBA – York University, Toronto, ON with Bridget Stutchbury
“We are delighted to be introducing The Messenger to students and educators across the country” says Director Su Rynard. “Since its premiere at Toronto’s Hot Docs Film Festival, The Messenger has wowed audiences the world over at more than 30 international film festivals and played in over 100 Cinemas. We are really pleased the film has been so well received. We hope it is will inspire people to make a difference for not just birds, but the planet too.”
The Messenger is an international story with high stakes global consequences. The film argues that the decline of songbirds is due to human activity, signalling an uncertain shift in an already fragile ecosystem while warning the uncertain fate of songbirds might mirror our own.
A Hot Docs 2015 ‘Top Ten Audience Favourite’ The Messenger has received several awards including The Best Conservation Program from The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival plus a Canadian Cinema nomination for Best Cinematography in a Feature Documentary and Ontario Nature’s Carl Nunn Impact Award.
Filmed on three continents, The Messenger features a number of Canadian scientists including biologist Dr. Bridget Stutchbury, (Author Silence of the Songbirds and Professor, York University) Erin Bayne, (Biology Professor, University of Alberta) and Dr. Christy Morrissey (Avian Ecotoxicologist, University of Saskatchewan) and citizen scientist Michael Mesure from FLAP. More on the film participants here. https://songbirdsos.com/featuring/
Without a doubt, The Messenger is the most outstanding film I’ve seen on birds. The fact that it is so strongly science-based, so emotive in its pitch, so beautiful in its design it captivates me and everyone who has had a chance to see it.” – Steven Price, President, Bird Studies Canada
A free study guide will soon be available for educators who wish to use The Messenger in classroom discussions.
Campus organizations wishing to request a screening as part of the tour should send request a screening here.
To book an interview or request an appearance by the filmmakers or the participating scientists, contact:
Joanne Jackson, Producer, SongbirdbirdSOS Productions Inc.,
Email: joanne@songbirdsos.com
Phone +1 416 801 1118
For US inquiries please contact Jeff Tamblyn at Kino Lorber. Jeff Tamblyn (edu@kinolorber.com) 212-629-6880
For more information visit www.TheMessengerDoc.com
JOIN THE MESSENGER ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/SongbirdSOSfilm/
#BirdFriendly
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90 MIN English, (or English with French subtitles)
Directed by Su Rynard
Written by Su Rynard and Sally Blake
Produced by Joanne Jackson, Sally Blake and Martin de la Fouchardière,
Diane Woods and Su Rynard
SongbirdSOS is a Canada/France co-production
Produced by SongbirdSOS Productions and Films à Cinq/ARTE
Produced with participation from the Ontario Media Development Corporation Film Fund,
CBC, ARTE, Canal D and the Rogers Documentary Fund, Canada Media Fund, CNC,
Telefilm International Co-production office, Rogers Telefund, Procirep-Angoa
and the Documentary Organization of Canada.
Developed with the assistance of the CFC-NFB Documentary Program, OMDC,
National Film Board of Canada & David J. Woods Productions.
US Distribution Kino Lorber, International Sales ZED
Distributed in Canada by SongbirdSOS Productions Inc.
Marketing and promotion assistance by Telefilm Canada.
Special thanks to First Weekend Club, Women Make Movies, Hot Docs Deal Maker,
Sunnyside of the Doc and National Outreach partner Bird Studies Canada.
