Pelican Dreams

A Story of Friendship, Survival and the Beauty of Flight

In this intimate portrait of an iconic seabird species, filmmaker Judy Irving ( The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, an Indie smash hit!) follows a wayward, starving California brown pelican from her “arrest” on the Golden Gate Bridge into care at a wildlife rehabilitation facility, and from there explores pelicans’ nesting grounds, Pacific coast migration and survival challenges.

The film is about wildness: How close can we get to a wild animal without taming or harming it? Why do we need wildness in our lives, and how can we protect it? Pelican Dreams stars “Gigi” (for Golden Gate) and “Morro” (a backyard pelican with an injured wing), as well as the wildlife professionals who care for them.

Pelican Dreams (Rated G, 80 min.) premiered in 2014. Following a 100-city theatrical tour, the film became available
for special-event screenings and on Netflix. To inquire about planning a screening, please contact films@pelicanmedia.org.

95% “Fresh” rating

A New York Times Critics’ Pick!

“By its end, we know about pelicans’ habits, their struggles with DDT and oil spills, their interactions with fishermen. We, like Ms. Irving, have come to appreciate them.” — Neil Genzlinger, New York Times

“Eloquent, lyrical and beautifully photographed … ‘Pelican Dreams’ transcendentally takes flight.” — Randy Myers, Oakland Tribune/San Jose Mercury News

“Too beautiful for words … erases the line between human and beast.” — Erin Blackwell, Bay Area Reporter

“A charming film with heart!” — Emma Fidel, Audubon Magazine

“Like [The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill], Irving’s study of brown pelicans is affectionate, at times humorous and reveals a sense of wonder and awe at the birds’ simple beauty.” — Carolyn Jones, San Francisco Chronicle