Opposable Chums: Guts & Glory at The World Series of Birding
New York: In a confluence of timing that a trapeze artist would envy, an award-winning new nature documentary comedy is having its broadcast premiere timed to coincide with the very event it depicts.
“Opposable Chums: Guts & Glory at The World Series of Birding,” a film about the world’s foremost competitive birdwatching event, will be broadcast for the first time on NJN2, New Jersey’s PBS affiliate, in the week surrounding the upcoming 26th Annual World Series of Birding, which takes place on May 9th.
“I really couldn’t be happier about the timing,” says the film’s director Jason Kessler. “But, really, a little planning had more to do with it than dumb luck.”
“Opposable Chums: Guts & Glory at The World Series of Birding,” already a road-tested veteran of the film festival circuit, follows several of the more than 120 teams who compete each year to see which can spot the most species of birds in a 24-hour period within the New Jersey state borders. The event is a fundraiser for conservation causes, so the competitors take it VERY seriously!
The film, which features such celebrated birding stars such as David Sibley, Kenn Kaufman, and New Jersey’s own Pete Dunne, can be seen several times a day on NJN2 between May 4th and May 11th. Please consult, as they say, your local listings.
“It’s not just the best film I’ve ever seen about The World Series of Birding,” says/best-selling author/birder extraordinaire Pete Dunne. “It’
For further info, go to www.njn.net or www.opposablechums.com
ABOUT THE WORLD SERIES OF BIRDING:
“Opposable Chums: Guts & Glory at The World Series of Birding” is about an eccentric event, part treasure hunt, part endurance test, and all wild road trip. On one day in May, every year since 1984, teams of intense birders gather from all over the world for a midnight-to-
“The event works on the honor system; a team’s final total is whatever they say it is,” comments Kessler. “Cheating might seems like an easy and undetectable thing to us, but not to the folks who make up the teams. There is an extraordinary level of expertise around, and cheaters would be easily identified and shunned. As many participants have told me, ‘A birder’s word is his bond.’ ”
The teams include The Cornell Sapsuckers, who methodically plot a precise route down to the minute. The Holy Order of Loggerhead Shrikes bring along a birder/caterer and his cooler of exotic food. The Birders On The Run do the event on foot, jogging almost 50 miles. There are now over 120 teams who participate.
ABOUT THE FILM:
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Jason Kessler spent seven years creating “Opposable Chums: Guts & Glory at The World Series of Birding.” The feature length film gives both birders and non-birders an insider’s view of this fascinating, fun-filled event. The film has been seen in over a dozen film festivals, and is the winner of The Bronze Medal at The 2009 Telly Awards.
“Opposable Chums: Guts & Glory at The World Series of Birding” will be presented at The Midwest Birding Symposium in September, and at The Cape May Autumn Weekend in October.
“Why did I make the film?” asks Kessler. “Caring about, and caring for nature is not a chore. Opposable Chums shows that anyone can develop a relationship with nature that is personal, rewarding, and a blast. I hope the film will bring a new audience to the mad fun and deep beauty of bird watching.”
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER:
Jason Kessler is a multi-award-
“A Thief Among The Angels: Barry Moser and the Making of the Pennyroyal Caxton Bible,” winner of the Best Documentary prize at The Northampton International Film Festival and the Gold Medal at the International Film and Video Festival. The film was broadcast on PBS and the BBC, and presented at both Yale University and The Rhode Island School of Design.
“Q. What’s Wrong With This Picture,” winner of the Gabriel Award at the UNDA USA Festival and the Director’s Choice Award at The Black Maria Film Festival. This film captures events of the first days following the attacks on the World Trade Center, and aired on PBS only weeks after 9/11. It was presented at The Hirshorn Museum of The Smithsonian Institute and was featured on PBS and MSNBC. The film is now part of the training curriculum for California’s Anti-Terrorism Unit.
For more information about Jason Kessler and his new film, contact him at:
Jason Kessler
BoulderOak Films
65 Morton St., Suite 2-I
New York, NY 10014
212-989-1568
opposablechums@
www.opposablechums.com
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
