LUCINDA Spurling's Rare Bird received rave reviews at the prestigious Santa Barbara Film Festival where the documentary screened alongside works by "some of the greatest nature filmmakers worldwide".The Bermudian was asked to show her film by the festival's executive director Roger Durling who viewed it as a juror for the Bermuda International Film Festival last year.

"The subject matter didn't particularly interest me - but the film grabbed me," he said then. "I had no idea I would be so entertained. It was very unpredictable. Both (it and King Leopold's Ghost, the film named Best Documentary Feature,) are highly accomplished pieces of work."

Rare Bird tells the true story of the Cahow, a seabird species native to Bermuda that was believed to be extinct as of 1620, but was rediscovered 325 years later. The documentary formed part of a film sidebar to Al Gore's documentary on global warming,>An Inconvenient Truth, which the Santa Barbara International Film Festival honoured with the Sir David Attenborough Award for Excellence in Nature Filmmaking. "I think it's fantastic to be shown and seen along with a film like An Inconvenient Truth," said Ms Spurling of the experience. I met Roger Durling last March and he really liked the film and recommended it screen at his festival."More than anything the festival propelled her work to greater exposure. Films generally have a two-year span on the festival circuit after which a distribution deal is necessary "although you can show after it's not current", the filmmaker explained.

"From there it can continue (screening) for five years probably — as long as I can sign with a distribution company. I've had several distribution offers as a result of Santa Barbara. I just have to determine which is best for the film."

Possibilities include WGBH International, a Boston-based PBS station which would enablI>Rare Bird to be screened on its own or as part of a television series such as Nova. Minds Eye Pictures, a Canadian distribution company, and PorchLight Entertainment, a Californian distribution company, have also expressed interest.

"They offer huge potential," she said, explaining that such companies typically package films in a catalogue which is then marketed to broadcasters around the world.

"It definitely has international appeal to members of the birding community, to conservationists, there are so many opportunities as they have huge grassroots programmes. It's all about just getting to the right people to make things happen. So it's good to go to film festivals because people take a look if it's in the catalogue even if they don't go to see it." Santa Barbara provided her with just that advantage — people who hadn't viewed the film but saw it listed have asked for "screeners" and Rare Bird was reviewed well in the local press."This is Santa Barbara-based nature filmmaker Mike deGruy's third year curating the Reel Nature part of the fest," wrote Felicia M. Tomasko of tSanta Barbara Independent. "In addition to being an adventurous filmmaker himself (he's planning an expedition to film the giant squid in their natural habitat), he knows everyone worth knowing. We're fortunate he's taken on the task, since he convinces some of the greatest nature filmmakers worldwide to bring their premieres to Santa Barbara..."

Said Mr. deGruy to the Independent of Ms Spurling's accomplishment: "I loved the gumption, enthusiasm and attitude of the filmmaker; I hope she's an inspiration for younger filmmakers wondering how to make a "

Rare Bird will next screen at the Sedona Film Festival in Arizona and in Washington D.C. at the Environmental Film Festival.

"The idea is to get as many people to see it as possible, to get the most play," Ms Spurling explained. "The more people hear about it, and the more people are interested in it, the greater the distribution. So the film will be making the rounds for quite a while and, depending if grassroots organisations in the US and elsewhere get involved, it could take on a life of its own."

The filmmaker explained she is once again embroiled in the editing process. At present Rare Bird is 80 minutes long — great for airing on PBS but longer than the standard 52 minute programme accepted internationally.

"I've gotten a lot of people in the industry and people who have worked on films to watch," she said of the exercise. "Everyone has a different opinion but there are a few things that everyone says should go, so I should probably take those things out."

Aside from that, Ms Spurling is working on her next project, which also focuses on Bermuda.

"Right now I'm doing research and fundraising for the next film — which I hope will be done by 2009. It's a film about the historical connections between Bermuda and the US. I'm looking at the 1600s on through to World War II, the political and economic history and also the family ties. I'm going to try and connect the histories through the generations."

Additional time is spent fundraising for the project for which title sponsor, the Bank of Bermuda Foundation, has promised a matching grant. The 22nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival ran January 25 through Februar. Rare Bird screened twice, on February 1 and 3.