CAVEBIRDS a film by Emily Gan

An industry that farms edible nests made of bird spit provides the backdrop to a father-daughter film about matters of the heart, home, and heritage.

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“The EMERGING FILMMAKER PRIZE goes to a film that demonstrates a profound connectivity with a long tradition of diasporic cinema. This film is a quiet personal reflection on the complexities of migration and belonging, told through poetic details and poignant autobiographical reflection.” – Jury statement @ Hot Docs 2019

In CAVEBIRDS, the filmmaker tracks her father’s progress in building an edible-nest swiftlet birdhouse in his hometown – a small village in Malaysia he left more than half a lifetime ago. Together they explore the places they call home on opposite sides of the globe, while the birds fly unceasingly from scene to scene bridging the cultural and generational gaps between a daughter and her immigrant father.

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Funding and support:Canada Arts Council Media Production Grant: $20k (2013); Société Civile des Auteurs Multimédia​: $1500 (2018) ; RIDM Talent Lab (2014)

I wish to acknowledge the generous support of family members, friends, mentors and collaborators who continue to guide and inspire me.

A special thanks to my parents, Howard Gan and Grace Gan.

 

************CLICK HERE TO VOTE************
voting is open October to 6th to 20th 2014
The Cuban Hat Pitch is a crowd participatory competition where I get to pitch my film to a live audience, plus producers and anyone else viewing online. This first vote is the first step in getting into the top 5. Participating in this competition will help me see my film through post production and completion. Take a minute, have a look at the video pitch and vote! You will have to enter your email, and then confirm the vote in your inbox. This is the first round. And if I make it into the second round, tune in on November 17th 2014.

Thanks to all who voted – Voting is now closed. below is the video pitch that I had submitted: https://vimeo.com/107304716

Thank you to Ginger Garden Presentation on August 27 2015 at the Simone de Beauvoir Institute in Montreal, Canada