Indiegogo is committed to accessibility. If you have difficulty using our site, please contact support@indiegogo.com for assistance or view our accessibility notice by clicking here

This campaign is closed

The Messenger

Imagine a world without bird song.

You may also be interested in

Caret Left
Caret Right
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed

The Messenger

The Messenger

The Messenger

The Messenger

The Messenger

Imagine a world without bird song.

Imagine a world without bird song.

Imagine a world without bird song.

Imagine a world without bird song.

joanne
joanne
joanne
joanne
1 Campaign |
Toronto, Canada
$36,825 USD $36,825 USD by 500 backers
$35,578 USD by 472 backers on Apr 8, 2015

"Here’s hoping [THE MESSENGER] does for songbirds what The Cove did for dolphins and what Blackfish did for killer whales." - Matt Mendenhall - Bird Watching Daily

New Fundraising goal: 

$15,000 for the 2016 Outreach/Impact campaign.

A big heartfelt thanks to everyone who already helped us reach our crowd funding goal to finish the film.   We finished THE MESSENGER and had a successful film festival and North American theatrical release.  We are thrilled and humbled by your support.  

Momentum is building. Indiegogo has agreed to let us continue fundraising IN DEMAND so  we can facilitate additional screening requests and plan for more community screenings in the  USA and Canada.  Importantly, we are running  a world wide IMPACT CAMPAIGN that is running in tandem with the film's release. 

“Birds are giving a wake-up call as loud as all the cockerels on earth... We are at a point in time where a combination of climate change and loss of nature are the biggest, most pressing issues facing the planet.”

                                                                                  -Patricia Zurita, Bird Life International

We need your support so we connect people who care to ways they can  make a difference for birds, the planet and ourselves. Every donation counts. 

We have teamed up with the experts! Bird Studies Canada and Cornell Lab of Ornithology are providing expertise during the campaign, but we need your help too. Your contribution will support the work of making this Impact campaign a success. 

“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  www.birdscanada.org

With your support we can: 

RAISE AWARENESS about the serious declines of songbirds. 

INSPIRE individuals, businesses and government to take action.

CONNECT audiences with calls to action and organizations on the front lines of conservation.

Together we will ADVANCE conservation activities for our songbirds and our planet.

See the colorful pie chart below for info on how your contribution will help the campaign. 
TAKE ACTION!

TURN YOUR HABIT INTO HABITAT – DRINK BIRD FRIENDLY® COFFEE

Our Impact Campaign work has started! We just received the first batch of our MESSENGER blend Smithsonian certified BIRD FRIENDLY ®  coffee. We want to increase the visibility, ability and sales of Bird Friendly Coffee, which in turn provides habitat for migrating songbirds.  10% of the proceeds from the sale of this blend support  Conservation.  

We need your support to develop additional impact initiatives like this one!  

Be one of the first to try this coffee though this crowd-funding campaign.  A $100 contribution will help support the campaign and allow us to send this coffee to your door. Check out our http://songbirdsos.com/a-coffee-primer-for-birds-people/Bird friendly coffee video and blog post to learn more.

“Coffee also has a complex relationship with culture and the environment. Done “right,” in traditional shade-grown operations….coffee can provide work for rural people and is a primary export of many developing countries. Done “wrong,” coffee cultivation can result in cleared rainforests, large inputs of pesticides, poisoning of workers, brutally low wages, and degradation of habitats. “

                                                                                                         ~ National Geographic 

Will you help us reach our stretch goal of another $15,000 through IGG crowd funding?  

To further develop the  Take Action campaign and launch a Canadian campus and community screening tour, there is intensive work to be done. We have labour costs and expenses. We need to hire skilled personnel for our team. We need to pay for production costs to produce some short educational videos  for the web and a study/discussion guide.  We also have some filmmaker admin, and travel costs necessary to effectively spread the word.

Together we can make a difference.   Join us on twitter @themessengerdoc  #birdsmatter.

Do you know others who are interested in birds, nature and conservation?  If so,  let them know about our campaign. All contributions welcome. 


More About the Film

THE MESSENGER is now screening around the world.  You can find out where the film is screening here.

In ancient times we looked to the flights and songs of birds to predict the future. Today, once again, the birds have something to tell us.

Swallows, thrushes and warblers, these are just some of the many birds that fill our skies. For thousands of years these incredible creatures have shared their songs with us, and inspired our music and our art. But in our rapidly changing world, they are disappearing. 

Travelling from the northern reaches of the Boreal Forest to the base of Turkey’s Mount Ararat to ground zero in Manhattan, THE MESSENGER embarks on an intimate investigation that connects with people who are examining the threats, exposing the very real concerns behind their declining numbers, and who are working for change


We have worked hard to create a beautiful film that is passionate, compelling, and innovative in its approach.    

We are really grateful to  the many talented and caring people who have already contributed to the film and the crowdfunding campaign.  We have relied on the goodwill of so many individuals who opened their doors and their hearts and shared their experiences with us.  Thank you!


SongbirdSOS Productions Inc. is a Toronto-based independent production company created by Su Rynard, Joanne Jackson and Diane Woods. 

“I’ve been working in TV/film for over 20 years and this is my third indie documentary.  I’m passionate about the impact documentaries can have. I became fascinated in the amazing research taking place with songbirds around the world – and of course feel in love. I have 7 bird feeders and a heated bird bath in my yard! “                                                                                                           Joanne Jackson. Producer

To film the issues songbirds are facing  in a way that captures your imagination and is a credit to their beauty and strength, we knew it would take a highly skilled film crew and top quality gear. We were fortunate to team up with a fantastic documentary production company in Paris, France, Films a Cinq -- producers Sally Blake and Martin de la Fouchardiere. 

THE MESSENGER  is a visual, lyrical and ephemeral documentary that is starting to  garner attention and accolades from around the globe. Our Director Su Rynard's previous feature film won the prestigious Alfred P.Sloan Feature Film Prize  at the Hamptons Film Festival. 

"My work as a filmmaker and media artist is often inspired by science and ecology. I’m interested in the relationships between people and the environment."

                                                                                                                   Su Rynard, Director

                                                          Su Rynard with Director of Photography Daniel Grant 

Your contribution matters.

If the birds are in trouble, we are too. Your donations and involvement in the Indiegogo campaign will make a huge difference in spreading this environmental message.  

Rachel Carson’s ground breaking 1960’s book Silent Spring rocked the world. Today, once again, the birds have something to tell us.

Continued habitat destruction, industrialization, human-caused climate change and the use of toxic chemicals without regards of the consequences for future generations is very concerning. This documentary has the power to change attitudes about the way we view and treat not only birds, but the entire eco-system. 

We believe that no other feature film has ever tackled the many issues affecting birds and offered this kind of opportunity for dialogue. 

People told us this film could never be made.

It would cost too much. Songbirds were impossible to film. It's too difficult.  Well, here we are -- almost there! And this is because of hard work, persistence, dedication and personal commitment.

We know we have a great film – and we want to ensure that people will see it. We need your support for that to happen. Any kind of contribution you make will help put the wind beneath the wings of THE MESSENGER, so this film can really take off!

If you don’t have the dollars to contribute you can still help the cause.  We urgently need email and social media ambassadors - to become grassroots Messengers in the community and spread the word about THE MESSENGER.

You can do this by sharing the Indiegogo campaign.. share this film's goals with the world.

Grab that URL up top and tweet it, email it, or post it to Facebook and help share this film's goals with the world. Thanks for reading!

Please visit www.TheMessengerDoc.com

Looking for more information? Check the project FAQ
Need more information
Let us know if you think this campaign contains prohibited content.

Choose your Perk

THE MESSENGER BLEND

Currency Conversion $69 USD
$100 CAD
We will ship direct to you a bag of THE MESSENGER BLEND, Smithsonian certified Bird Friendly coffee roasted by Birds and Beans. + A social media shout out on our Facebook page +10 Take Action Postcards +Your name on our website as a campaign contributor
3 claimed
Ships worldwide.

BIRD FRIENDLY IMPACT PARTNER

Currency Conversion $695 USD
$1,000 CAD
We will reward you for your financial contribution in a number of ways. + We will ship you 5 bags of The Messenger blend Smithsonian certified Bird Friendly coffee beans. + You or your organization will be recognized in the Impact Partners section of our website, (logo or text and hyperlink) + We will ship you a limited edition full size film poster + Social media shout out on Facebook and twitter
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Community Event Fundraiser

Currency Conversion $1,390 USD
$2,000 CAD
Screen The Messenger with your local bird or naturalist group privately, and/or create a screening event fundraiser. This level gets you and a gathering of friends (or local bird club chapter, birding association, etc) the license to host a private screening and/or a local public event with the film. + 5 bags of Messenger special blend bird-friendly coffee + A thank-you credit in the film + A social media shout-out
6 claimed

VIP Screening w Director Q+A

Currency Conversion $3,475 USD
$5,000 CAD
Screen The Messenger and enjoy a post-screening Q + A or keynote address with Director Su Rynard or one of the Producers. This level gets you a license to host a public event & official screening partner status on our website. Logo and hyperlink. Clips to use on your website, template invitations and press release, special mentions in our blog or newsletter. + 5 bags of Messenger blend bird friendly coffee + Social media shout-outs
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.

The Wind Beneath our Wings

Currency Conversion $6,949 USD
$10,000 CAD
At 10K, you really are the wind beneath our wings. We'll show our appreciation in a few great ways: + Recognition as the presenter or sponsor of a public screening (including local press release) + Official sponsor status on our website & newsletter + Dinner with Director Su Rynard + A private, local screening of the film for you, and 20 of your friends. + The film, via Blu Ray or DVD ( DVD release date TBC) + Social Media shout-outs
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.
Tags for this project

You may also be interested in

Up Caret