The Messenger Documentary

The Messenger is coming to select Canadian cinemas!

in News  by February 18, 2016 0 comments

We are thrilled to share the exciting news that The Messenger is being released in select Canadian cinemas!  Please share this news with your family and friends, so they see the film in its full theatrical glory.  

Toronto, ON    February 18, 2016 – On the heels of a successful American theatrical launch in 40+ markets, THE MESSENGER’S Canada-wide theatrical release kicks off Friday, February 26, 2016 at the Carlton Cinema in Toronto.

Nominated for a 2016 Canadian Screen Award for Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Documentary, THE MESSENGER, an international story with high stakes global consequences, mesmerizes audiences with stunning slow-motion sequences of songbirds in night flight – all the while chronicling the struggle of songbirds worldwide to survive the turbulent environmental conditions brought about by humans.

Akin to the disappearance of the honeybee or the melting of glaciers, the film argues that the global demise of songbirds signals an uncertain shift in an already fragile ecosystem and explores our deep-seated connection to birds, while warning that the uncertain fate of songbirds might mirror our own.

 

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“Humans share an ageless bond with birds, their song and their persistent presence in our lives. In ancient times, humans looked to the flights and songs of birds to predict the future. Songbirds are disappearing at an alarming rate, and this points to changes in our world.  Now is a critical time for our climate and ecosystems. Today, once again, birds have something to tell us, and I wanted to amplify their message.”   

~ award-winning Toronto director Su Rynard 

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Moving from the northern reaches of Canada’s Boreal Forest to the vast prairies of Saskatchewan, the wetlands of Turkey’s Mount Ararat, and to the busy streets of urban Toronto, the scientists, activists and bird enthusiasts featured in THE MESSENGER bring us face-to-face with the beauty of these airborne music-makers and with the remarkable variety of human-made perils that they face: the destruction of our forests, our lethal architecture, predatory pets, human gourmets, industrial agriculture methods and the alarming use of pesticides. All of which are causing the disappearance of songbirds at a disquieting pace. At the same time, THE MESSENGER vividly mixes its elegiac message with hopeful notes and unique glances into the influence of songbirds on our own expressions of the soul.

 

 

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A Hot Docs 2015 Top Ten Audience Favourite and winner of the Best Conservation film at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, THE MESSENGER leaves viewers with a profound appreciation for the billions of birds with whom we share our communities and our planet – and with hope for our collective ability to turn the tide.

 

 

 

 

Canadian Theatrical Release:

Set to release in the following markets:

Friday Feb. 26 | The Carlton Cinema | Toronto, Ontario

Sunday  Feb. 28 | The Loft | Cobourg, Ontario

Friday Mar. 4 | Globe Cinema | Calgary, Alberta

Friday Mar. 4 | RPL- Theatre | Regina, Saskatchewan

Friday Mar. 4 | Princess Cinema | Waterloo, Ontario

Sunday Mar. 6 | The Roxy | Uxbridge,  Ontario

Tuesday Mar. 16 | Broadway | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Friday Mar. 18 | ByTowne Cinema | Ottawa, Ontario

Friday Mar. 18 | The Vic Theatre | Victoria, BC

Saturday Mar. 19 | The Metro / Garneau | Edmonton, Alberta

Sunday March 20| The Rio Theatre | Vancouver, BC

Monday April 11 | Cinema du Park | Montreal, Quebec

The Messenger is also screening at upcoming Film Festivals in the US and Canada including Wakefield PQ, Kingston ON, Belleville ON, Salt Spring Island BC and  Haida Gwaii  BC.   If you don’t see your city or town on the list, you can request a screening here. 

Check here for American cities where the film is playing.

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2015, 90 MIN
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. Meet the creative team behind the film. 

The Messenger is being released in Canada with promotion and marketing assistance from Telefilm Canada and the support of The First Weekend Club.  National outreach partner is Bird Studies Canada.  Film Funding partners here. 

For downloadable press materials, please go to the Press kit section of  the company website.

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For more information, to request a screener for movie review purposes, photography and to set up interviews, please contact:

 

LIFT PR | Erin Bodley | erin@liftpr.ca | 416.825.2941

Related posts:

  1. The Messenger nominated for Canadian Screen Award for Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Documentary
  2. The Messenger Canadian Campus tour kicks off
  3. Kino Lorber releasing THE MESSENGER theatrically in the USA
  4. The Messenger Spreads Its Wings and goes on a Road Trip!

Choose The Messenger Impact Campaign on Giving Tuesday!

in Conservation  by November 30, 2015 0 comments

You have the power to make a difference for birds and people on Giving Tuesday  Dec. 1.  By choosing Bird Studies Canada  and The Messenger Impact Campaign you will increase awareness about the serious declines of songbirds, and inspire others to take action for the environment and bird conservation.

Birds are environmental indicators and The Messenger offers the opportunity for dialogue and action on the issues raised by the film.  Screenings of The Messenger are now happening all around the world, and everywhere we go people are moved by the film and inspired to take action – for birds, for our eco-system, and for human kind.

 In Canada we are at a critical stage. We are ready to launch a nation wide screening tour, and need your support to make it happen.  Will you help us raise the funds we need to run a successful impact campaign and spread the important message of The Messenger?  Your contribution today  ensures more Canadians from coast to coast can experience the film. Your support also helps to generate the tools and resources we’ll need to empower people to take action for birds. 

Your actions are a vital component of change, and it’s through collective effort that we’ll make the biggest difference.

You can make a secure charitable donation on Bird Studies Canada’s Giving Tuesday webpage.  Please include ‘The Messenger” in the comment box.

If you live in the US or another country, we appreciate contributions to the International Outreach Campaign via Indiegogo crowdfunding.

We were very lucky to film this Golden-winged warbler in Central America. Golden-winged Warblers have declined sharply and now have one of the smallest populations of any bird not on the endangered species list. The North American Breeding Bird Survey estimates an overall decline of 76 percent.
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Related posts:

  1. Saskatchewan Scientist Studying Impact of Pesticides
  2. Kino Lorber releasing THE MESSENGER theatrically in the USA
  3. How do you know a film is making an impact?
  4. Songbirds in Decline but Conservation Works!

The Messenger Action Alert: Help Protect Birds from Window Collisions.

in News  by November 19, 2015 0 comments

Ontario:  An urgent message from Michael Mesure and FLAP Canada.  You Can Make a Difference for Songbirds!  

Millions of birds, including species at risk, migrate to and breed in the Northern Ontario Boreal Forest. These birds help fight climate change by protecting this landscape. They do so by consuming insects, pollinating plants and distributing seeds.

Our built up urban environment is in their migratory path. Countless birds die in daytime collisions with windows. In Toronto alone, it is estimated that between one to ten million birds die from window collisions each year.

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A section of a progressive law in Ontario — the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) — that would help protect migratory birds from window collisions is at risk of being nullified. In 2013, an Ontario court upheld the EPA to protect birds from collisions with reflective windows. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) is proposing to withdraw its regulatory responsibility to protect birds under the EPA and replace it with voluntary action from owners and managers of commercial buildings.

FLAP Canada has worked tirelessly to protect birds from building collisions since 1993 and knows from experience that voluntarism does not motivate window retrofits on the part of property owners and managers.

The Messenger Documentary supports this important initiative. Please send in your comments to the MOECC (Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change) by December 4, 2015.

For the submission link & more info, visit:  http://www.flap.org/action_alert.php

— Special thanks for this blog post from Michael Mesure, Executive Director, Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada

FLAP ON Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/742z47o, FLAP ON  Twitter: https://twitter.com/FLAPCanada

Related posts:

  1. Lights Out for Earth Hour will save migrating birds
  2. FLAP recovers three species at risk from bird collisions
  3. Scientist uses light study to prevent bird collisions
  4. FLAP launches birding apps for International Migratory Bird Day