Go deep into the snowy owl’s tundra home on the North Slope of Alaska to observe the daily struggles of raising helpless owlets until they’re able to fly. Throughout the long months of the Arctic’s frozen winter, the sun remains below the horizon. The cold makes life difficult for even the toughest animals. Snowy owls are built for the challenge, their every sense and skill honed to take on this bleak world. During the brief summer, snowy owls attempt to raise their young in one of the harshest environments on the planet. They will have just 82 days of sunlight to successfully raise their helpless owlets until they are ready to fly. The filmmakers must face some challenges of their own as they set out to record the rarely observed daily lives of a breeding pair of snowy owls. Written and directed by Matt Hamilton and Fergus Beeley.

Magic of the Snowy Owl

2012 US 55 min
Festival Year: 2014
Types: Documentary
Topic: Environmental Advocacy and Justice, Wildlife