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IWFF Shorts Block

Winged Wildlings

Winged Wildlings:

An avian adventure. From India to Hungary to New Zealand to the American South, follow the wings of wild birds across the screen and around the globe.


Hargila: A wildlife photographer travels to India intent on documenting the rarest stork on earth but soon discovers a conservation hero and her inspiring efforts to rally a local community to save it. Directed by Gerrit Vyn. Producers: Gerrit Vyn, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Sponsored by Scheels.

New Wings: This non-narrative, quiet documentary is an immersive glimpse into the work-space of the commited Dr. Janos Deri, who has dedicated a life-time to serving wild birds that do not have a voice of their own. Directed by Suraj Bhattarai. Producers: Doc Nomads Masters Programme.

Deveaux Bank: Reflections of a Cultural Ornithologist: In May 2019, a biologist with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources made a monumental discovery: 20,000 Whimbrel (a threatened and rapidly declining migratory shorebird) roosting together in a single flock on Deveaux Bank: a treeless sandbar 20 miles south of Charleston. This spectacle—a flock representing half of the species’ entire Atlantic Flyway population—was hiding in plain sight, gathered each night during Spring migration. Dr. J. Drew Lanham gives his perspective on this monumental discovery. Directed by Andy Johnson and Tom Swartout. Producers: Andy Johnson, Tom Swartout, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Sponsored by Western Montana Clinic.

Rhapsody for a Rock Wren: Set in the wilds of alpine New Zealand, Rhapsody for a Rock Wren is a personal exploration of the human-nature connection. Directed and Produced by Lauren Schaer. Sponsored by Gecko Designs.

Snowstorm: A meditative glimpse of Seagulls and Bufflehead Ducks navigating winter weather on Lake Michigan. Directed by David Busse. Sponsored by 4 Ravens.

Sonora: Sonora is a experiential short documentary that explores the human sensory connection to nature through the mind of Juan Pablo Culasso, a blind birder in Colombia. Directed by Johnny Holder. Producers: Johnny Holder, Pablo Camacho. Sponsored by MSU.

The 4/23 screening of Winged Wildlings includes a post-film Q&A with Sonora filmmaker Johnny Holder!
Duration: 65 min

IWFF Shorts Block

Winged Wildlings

Winged Wildlings