Judy Irving
Encyclopedia
Judy Irving is an American
filmmaker. She directed the documentary
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
, about writer Mark Bittner
's relationship with a flock of wild parrots. The film won the Genesis Award for "Outstanding Documentary Film" in 2005, and is one of the 25 top-grossing theatrical documentaries of all time with over $3 million in box-office receipts. On May 29, 2007, Parrots was featured on the PBS series Independent Lens
.
A previous feature-length film, Dark Circle, won the Grand Prize at the Sundance Film Festival
in 1983 as well as a National Emmy Award
for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in News and Documentary" in 1990.
Irving has a masters degree in Film & Broadcasting from Stanford University
, a BA from Connecticut College
and received a Guggenheim Fellowship
in Film in 1983. In 2006, she married Mark Bittner after the two fell in love during the filming of Parrots.
She is the executive director of Pelican Media, a San Francisco non-profit which produces environmentally themed films.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
filmmaker. She directed the documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is a 2005 documentary film directed, produced, and edited by Judy Irving. It chronicles the relationship between Mark Bittner, an unemployed musician who is living rent-free in a cabin in Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, California, and a flock of feral parrots ...
, about writer Mark Bittner
Mark Bittner
Mark Bittner is an American writer. He is the author of The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.Bittner spent 14 years on the streets of San Francisco after his dream of becoming a professional musician fell apart...
's relationship with a flock of wild parrots. The film won the Genesis Award for "Outstanding Documentary Film" in 2005, and is one of the 25 top-grossing theatrical documentaries of all time with over $3 million in box-office receipts. On May 29, 2007, Parrots was featured on the PBS series Independent Lens
Independent Lens
Airing weekly on PBS through ITVS, the Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens introduces new drama and documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Past seasons of Independent Lens have been presented by hosts Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrence Howard, Maggie...
.
A previous feature-length film, Dark Circle, won the Grand Prize at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in 1983 as well as a National Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in News and Documentary" in 1990.
Irving has a masters degree in Film & Broadcasting from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, a BA from Connecticut College
Connecticut College
Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut.The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women...
and received a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
in Film in 1983. In 2006, she married Mark Bittner after the two fell in love during the filming of Parrots.
She is the executive director of Pelican Media, a San Francisco non-profit which produces environmentally themed films.
External links
- Profile of Judy Irving in the Washington Post (March 11, 2005)
- Interview with Judy Irving in the Austin Chronicle about The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (September 9, 2005)
- Filmmaker Q&A with PBS's Independent Lens
- Filmmaker bio on PBS's Independent Lens