INTRO:
"Woodpecker" is a feature-length existential tragicomedy about one birdwatcher's determined/delusional effort to locate the elusive/celebrated Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Shot on location in the bayous of Eastern Arkansas, "Woodpecker", was selected into the IFP Narrative Rough Cut Lab in June of 2007, participated in the IFP Market last September in New York, and had its World Premiere at SXSW in March. "Woodpecker" is now on the festival circuit...

STORY:
Fanatical birdwatchers have descended upon a small town in the Arkansas bayou in hopes of finding the celebrated Ivory Billed Woodpecker. Declared extinct in the 1940’s, the bird has apparently been spotted by numerous experts over the past few months. The news is miraculous, yet concrete proof remains elusive. Increasingly, the small town becomes divided between believers and non-believers while rabid environmentalists, opportunistic small-town entrepreneurs, and disgruntled hunters vie for prominence in the ensuing chaos. Enter amateur birder and poet Johnny Neander, who has convinced his taciturn sidekick that he will be the one to find it. As he combs the bayou for clues and plunges deep into the community for leads, the hints of a very troubled soul begin to solidify - perhaps this desperate search is for something much more personal. Whatever it may be, Johnny is getting close, and what he is about to find will undermine everything he thought he knew about this Southern legend, and perhaps, himself. Much like the bird itself, "Woodpecker" explores the twilight of uncertainty between fact and fiction and the ways expectation and context can manipulate our notion of “reality”. From its documentary underpinnings to its narrative arc, all truth becomes subjective in this existential tragicomedy about hope, perception, and some very very strange birds.

KIND WORDS:
"**** [four stars] ... I love the way Karpovsky explores the angles on the discovery of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker (namely is this all a hoax or has the bird really made a comeback?) yet his choice to blend fiction and non-fictional elements into the film plays into that idea brilliantly ... 'Woodpecker' is a great, funny and surprisingly moving film that's not to be missed."
Don R. Lewis, FILM THREAT

"... I found myself in awe of this tale about an amateur birdwatcher on a desperate mission. A highly entertaining, character-driven story, the film blends tragedy with comedy, truth with fiction, pathos with absurdity, and the result will have you simultaneously laughing and performing mental gymnastics to unravel its many layers."
Toddy Burton, THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE

"Alex Karpovsky directs with a combination of soft wit and affection for Southern cadences... 'Woodpecker' works thanks to a combination of its great protagonist and a believable situation "
Eric Kohn, INDIEWIRE

"Filmmaker Alex Karpovsky marries documentary and narrative to create a whole new genre of filmmaking."
Nikki Chase, THE INDEPENDENT

"Alex Karpovsky's follow-up to his clever debut feature 'The Hole Story' is an even more accomplished and fully realized work of bittersweet existential docu-fiction. While many independent filmmakers continue to break new ground in the world of the fiction/non-fiction hybrid (two standouts from 2007 include Craig Zobel's 'Great World of Sound' and Zach Godshall's 'Low and Behold'), Karpovsky is carving his own unique path in his quest to find a truer, deeper state of cinematic being. As in 'The Hole Story', 'Woodpecker' is equal parts television news report, American history lesson, probing documentary, and artificially constructed existential tragicomedy. More impressive than that, it works on both a universal and personal level as a statement of genuinely affecting edutainment."
Michael Tully, HAMMER TO NAIL

“… it doesn't matter what know when you start watching this movie -- after 10 minutes, you're going to be questioning and second-guessing. That's part of the ass-backwards, off-kilter enjoyment of ‘Woodpecker’.”
Jette Kernion, CINEMATICAL

“… SXSW 08 was a blast. And as always at film festivals, once the niceties are done with, you start trading lists of movies you've liked so far. Inevitably, ‘Woodpecker’ would rank right up there on the list of anyone who'd seen it.”
David Hudson, GREENCINE

ABOUT THE WRITER/DIRECTOR:
Alex Karpovsky's first feature film, The Hole Story, won numerous awards on the festival circuit before being released theatrically last year. Filmmaker Magazine selected Alex as one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film 2006" and he was shortlisted for the "Someone to Watch" Independent Spirit Award last year. In addition to "Woodpecker", Alex is also in post-production with a feature-length documentary called "TJ & Dave", which focuses on America's most revered long-form comedy improvisers. Alex also acts, most recently playing the male lead in a new film by Andrew Bujalski as well as the voices of several gangsters in the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV. Alex can be reached at alex@woodpeckerfilm.com.

SCREENINGS:
South by Southwest- March 2008 (World Premiere)
Wisconsin Film Festival - April
Sarasota Film Festival - April
Atlanta Film Festival - April
Indep. Film Festival of Boston - April
Minneapolis-St. Paul Int’l Film Festival - April
Maryland Film Festival - May
Newport Int'l Film Festival - June
Maine Int’l Film Festival - June
Solstice Film Festival - June
Rome Int’l Film Festival- September (read less)

INTRO:
"Woodpecker" is a feature-length existential tragicomedy about one birdwatcher's determined/delusional effort to locate the elusive/celebrated Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Shot on location in the bayous of Eastern Arkansas, "Woodpecker", was selected into the IFP Narrative Rough Cut Lab in June of 2007, participated in the IFP Market last September in New York, and had its World Premiere at SXSW in March. "Woodpecker" is now on the festival circuit...

STORY:
Fanatical birdwatchers have desc... (read more)