Bermudian filmmaker Lucinda Spurling is about to finally realise a lifelong dream when one of her documentaries is shown on televisions across the United States.

'Rare Bird' (2006), her documentary about the rediscovery of the cahow thought extinct until 1951, will begin airing on PBS channels in early January.

"When I started out being a filmmaker and wanting to make films about Bermuda I envisioned the films being on American television," said Ms Spurling. "So finally, a few years after making 'Rare Bird' it has happened.

"I don't think you can say you are a real filmmaker unless you can say you have films that have been broadcast, and have a wide audience. That is something I have been striving for. It took a long time with 'Rare Bird'."

She said that although 'Rare Bird' was successful on the festival circuit, television was a whole new ballgame.

"A large part of it is about who you know and relationships," said Ms Spurling. "So filmmakers naturally have a harder time with their first film.

"With PBS we signed the contract to broadcast it about a year ago. I edited it down from 80 minutes to about 60 minutes.

"We signed the contract with PBS and then all their channels watched the film. Those PBS channels then voted on whether they wanted to air it and we got an 80 percent vote, which is a big positive vote in their books.

"That was really encouraging. It will start screening from January 3, but it won't be on every PBS channel. I don't know yet when and if and when it will screen on the PBS channel we have here. The told me to say 'check local listings'.

"Also some of the PBS channels that voted 'no' may also choose to air it. So it should screen very widely. I am very pleased about that. I have finally gotten to the point that I started thinking about in the beginning."

The 80 minute DVD is being sold in Bermuda, and there is also a closed captioned version for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

"I am hopeful it will screen in other countries as well, but the fact that we are going to get a US screening as well is fabulous."

Mindseye, a Canadian company, now handles the international rights for the film and will be screening the film at conferences such as Mipcom, a large broadcasting conference.

"They will see if someone is interested in putting it on television in other countries in the world," said Ms Spurling. "It has already shown on the festival circuit in India and New Zealand, so I am hopeful about that."

She hoped all the experience and contacts she gained making 'Rare Bird' will mean it takes less time to get her latest film 'Lion and the Mouse' (2009) onto television screens.

'Lion and the Mouse' chronicles the historic relationship between Bermuda and the United States from 1609 to present day.

"We have already cut 'Lion and the Mouse' down to two hour-length episodes to make it more flexible," she said. "It is doing the festival circuit right now, and it is doing pretty well. So far, it has been shown at the Indie Fest and the Nevada Film Festival.

"With 'Rare Bird' there were a lot of environmental film festivals which were a great fit for it, and there aren't as many so called history film festivals.

"I should hear from other film festivals soon. 'Rare Bird' had a life of several years and was seen at about ten film festivals."

She said it was especially fitting that 'Rare Bird' would hit the broadcast scene this year, because it is a landmark year for the cahows themselves.

"The first cahow chick to be born on Nonsuch Island (in recent years) was born this year," said Ms Spurling. "He was called Somers. I understand that one of the birds we filmed in 'Rare Bird' is the parent of Somers. Local scientists know by the burrows. They come back to the same burrows.

"One of the parents of Somers was hatched on a different island, and then translocated to Nonsuch,

"So they fledged (or left the nest to go into the real world) from Nonsuch but they weren't really hatched there. The proof of the pudding that the translocation worked is the birth of Somers.

"Instead of returning to where they were hatched, they returned to the translocation burrow on Nonsuch to lay an egg, hatch it, and see the chick fledged. It is the beginning of a natural cahow settlement on Nonsuch."

'Rare Bird' is available at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI), Aquarium, Leisure Time and Carter House. 'Lion and the Mouse' is available at Leisure Time, Bookmart, Pulp & Circumstance, Aquarium, AS Cooper & Sons Bermuda, Robertsons Drug Store and the Bookseller, Regali, the gift shop at the Tuckers Point Club.

'Rare Bird' and 'Lion and the Mouse' were screened last month jointly at the Bermuda College and the Bermuda National Gallery as part of a Bermuda documentary film series. Ms Spurling also plans to speak at the International Womens Association lunch in January about 'Lion and the Mouse'.

"So I am still doing things, but I am still developing a few more projects," she said. "I am doing other work for hire. I am working on a thirty minute film about the history of St. Peter's Church. They hope to use it for fundraising and to celebrate their 400th anniversary in 2012."

For more information go to http://www.afflarefilms.com/ .