Boulder Environmental Nature Outdoors Film Festival 2026: Three Short Films About Birds

TICKETS
THE BIRDS
Told through the cinematic experience of wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn, THE BIRDS finds meaning and pathos as it gets up close to one of England’s little-known wonders of the natural world. As Martin chases down the twisting and turning of giant flocks of shore birds on England’s Wash estuary, he attempts to literally record evolution in action as a peregrine falcon scythes through the mind-blowing murmurations – astonishingly large numbers of birds flying in synchronized patterns and creating shapes in the air. Ultimately, this feature short reveals important insights not only into the hidden mechanisms of nature, but also into the psyche of a man facing up to the end of his career.
Directed by Dave Allen
Runtime: 40 minutes
 
WILD HOPE: BUILDING FOR BIRDS
Millions of birds pass through our yards during their bi-annual migrations, but they face an invisible killer along the way: glass windows. In the US alone, an estimated one billion birds die each year when they collide with windows. Now, two organizations help pave the way to a bird-friendly future.
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. is located in the middle of a major migration route that birds have flown for thousands of years. To stop collisions from happening on their campus, the Zoo’s team uses patterned decals to make glass visible to our feathered friends. In New York City, migrating birds face a gauntlet of concentrated glass – and many do not survive. The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center was once one of the city’s worst offenders, but creative renovations have transformed the building into a wildlife oasis.
The Zoo and the Javits Center have inspired groundbreaking legislation that reimagines what our cities can do for birds, but a critical obstacle remains: our residences account for nearly 50% of bird strikes. However, simple solutions—like window paint, decals, or even a bar of soap with patterns spaced 2 inches apart—could save the lives of millions of birds.
Directed by Tangle Bank Studios
Runtime: 16 minutes
 
A MYSTICAL ORNITHOLOGY
In this lyrical portrait, ornithologist, poet, and professor Drew Lanham invites us into his South Carolina farm, where birdwatching becomes both refuge and revelation. As he listens for absent songs in the spring air, Drew not only reckons with loss and memory but also takes action—cultivating his land as a sanctuary, an underground railroad for winged migrants. His reflections move beyond science into wonder, blurring the line between human and bird. For Drew, they are more than names on a list—they are companions, teachers, and a last wild hope.