Condor Canyon

A Ventana Wildlife Society original production distributed by NETA for public television and presented by PBS Detroit. A California Condor living in Big Sur, survives lead poisoning while her mate raises their chick and are reunited after treatment. Condor Canyon was funded by the Doris Day and Terry Melcher Foundation.

How to watch Condor Canyon

Watch Now

Condor Canyon is now on Public Television across the nation for three years! Check listings on your local PBS station.

And For Your Home Collection . . . Condor Canyon is available on DVD, BLU-RAY, and 16GB flash drive, order your copy to enjoy and to share, today!

What people are saying about Condor Canyon

"Thank you for all that all of you do. Condor Canyon (saw on Denver PBS) was superb-outstanding. I see a lot of documentaries and this production was top notch. Thank you VWS!!"

"Saw on PBS and had to have a copy. Love the way the film was done."

"Great story....Beautiful photography. Highly recommend for anyone interested in learning more about Condors."

"It was done so wonderfully. It was so thought out and the sequence was perfect. I was very happy to see Iniko made the cut. That is how I was introduced to Ventana, when the Dolan fires erupted and poor little Iniko survived the fire. Keep up your wonderful work."

"A thoroughly enjoyable history of and the recovery of the California Condor population in Big Sur. The photography, music, and script is so informative and professionally produced that the education value is easily absorbed and appreciated. Bravo for a very enlightening documentary on the rarest of rare birds of California! Thank you!"

Trailer
From the Director
Credits
Film Festivals & Awards
For Educators

Condor Canyon

A California Condor living in Big Sur, survives lead poisoning while her mate raises their chick and are reunited after treatment. "Traveler", tagged as Red 71, has struggled to lay normal eggs throughout her life due to the past use of the pesticide DDT found in the food she eats. Finally, successful, she and her mate, "Shadow" tagged as Yellow 9, were raising a chick together when she ingested lead from a carcass tainted with lead ammunition.

Director Statement

Mike Buffo, Director

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I am profoundly moved by the story we’ve brought to life as a small devoted team. This film marks my second collaboration with the Ventana Wildlife Society for the condors, following 2022’s Giants of Big: California Condor Stories. The trust placed in me by Kelly Sorenson to direct his opus has been both an honor and a profound responsibility. Condor Canyon dives deep into the lives of three mating pairs of California condors, documenting their struggles against natural and man-made threats in the rugged terrains of Big Sur, California. This film narrates their fight against fires, lead poisoning, and the heartbreaking challenges of reproduction influenced by the environmental contaminant, DDT. Our narrative culminates in a tale of survival and reunion that is as stirring as it is miraculous, capturing not just the survival of these majestic birds but also their indomitable spirit. Despite their intense appearance, I’ve discovered a deep affection for these majestic condors, joining a vast community of admirers who are bound to fall in love with their compelling struggle for survival as they watch this film.

This project has been a convergence of passionate visual storytellers. The dynamic original score by John Wineglass, the rich libraries of Triple Threat Music, the stunning visuals captured by Meredith Evans and myself, and the poignant narration by Catherine Cavadini, penned by Carlos Mora, all contribute to the depth of our collective storytelling. Most notably, it’s Russell Mehringer’s expert sound design and mixing that brought our silent footage to life with meticulously synchronized foley effects, encapsulating the true essence of the condors’ environment.

This is not just a documentary but a vivid experience of wildlife and resilience. My gratitude extends to every member of our team, but most overwhelmingly to Jules Hart, House of 8 Media’s video editor of ten years whose unparalleled skill in transforming production footage into compelling narratives is unmatched in my book. Above all, my deepest appreciation goes to Kelly Sorenson, whose strategic leadership and thoughtful producing acumen have been crucial in bringing this condor saga to life. As we prepare to share Condor Canyon with the world, I hope this film does more than just educate; I hope it renews our collective commitment to conservation and deepens our connection with the natural world around us.

Crew

PRODUCER: Kelly Sorenson
PRODUCTION COMPANY: House of 8 Media
DIRECTED BY: Mike Buffo
WRITTEN BY: Carlos Mora
NARRATED BY: Catherine Cavadini
STORY BY: Kelly Sorenson
ORIGINAL SCORE BY: John Wineglass
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Mike Buffo
CINEMATOGRAPHY BY: Meredith Evans
EDITED BY: Jules Hart
COLOR GRADING BY: Tim Layaban
MUSIC SUPERVISORS: Lauren Denemark / Andrew Weaver - Triple Threat Supervision
AUDIO POST: Russell Mehringer / NPALL Audio Inc.

Fire footage courtesy of Save the Redwoods League. Additional video provided by Tim Huntington.

Production

The Director and Director of Photography of Condor Canyon is Mike Buffo (pronounced BUFF-OH). His video production agency, House of 8 Media, has delivered thought-provoking video content to the Monterey Peninsula since 2013. He is a proud father of three, a former professional athlete, actor, healer, and educator. He has studied storytelling with teachers from NYU, Julliard, Brown, Yale, SFSU, Naropa, and Carmel. His diverse background has brought a blend of technical skill, creative vision, and unwavering dedication to excellence to tell the story of the Big Sur Condor flock.

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Narrator

Catherine Cavadini, perhaps best known as the original voice of Blossom in Cartoon Network’s movie and T.V. series The Powerpuff
Girls from 1998-2015, is a longtime veteran of the voiceover business. Since her career began in her early twenties, her voice has been regularly featured in Radio & T.V. Commercials, Films, T.V. Movies, T.V. Series, Animated Features and T.V. Series, Interactive Games, and English Dubs of Foreign Films and T.V. Series. An animal lover at her core, Catherine is deeply honored to have been chosen to provide the narration for Condor Canyon. Full Bio.

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Writer

Carlos Mora is an experienced content producer and writer having developed many episodes for major television channels such as Animal Planet, PBS, History, Travel Channel, Viceland, MotorTrend and most recently as an integrated producer for MasterClass, an online education platform. More

Composer

John Christopher Wineglass has written several scores for shows on MSNBC, CNN, NBC, CBS and ABC as well as documentaries on Headliners & Legends with Matt Lauer for The Brady Bunch, Kathy Lee Gifford, and Farah Fawcett. Having scored mainly independent films, several of his nationally syndicated commercials include music for the United States Army, American Red Cross, and Texaco as well. As a recipient of three (two consecutive) Daytime Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series, and three ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards, Mr. Wineglass holds seven Emmy nominations. John received his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Composition with a minor in Viola Performance at The American University and later received his Master's degree in Music Composition with an emphasis in Film Scoring for Motion Pictures, Television and Multi-Media at New York University, studying primarily with Justin Dello-Joio of the Juilliard School. Mr. Wineglass is currently serving as Composer-In-Residence with the Monterey Symphony.

Condor Canyon on IMBD and FilmFreeway

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about The Gabriel Figueroa special award

Gabriel Figueroa Special Award presented at the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival. Gabriel Figueroa (April 24, 1907 – April 27, 1997) was a Mexican cinematographer who is regarded as one of the greatest cinematographers of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. He was a naturalist and captured the splendor of the Mexican landscape in many of his more than 200 films, which cover a broad range of genres, and is best known for his technical dominance, his careful handling of framing and chiaroscuro, and affinity for the aesthetics of artists.

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Condor Canyon

A California Condor living in Big Sur, survives lead poisoning while her mate raises their chick in her absence. "Traveler", tagged as Red 71, has struggled to lay normal eggs throughout her life due to the past use of the pesticide DDT found in the food she eats. Finally, successful, she and her mate, "Shadow" tagged as Yellow 9, were raising a chick together when she ingested lead from a carcass tainted with lead ammunition. Miraculously, both Traveler and the chick survive and are reunited. A true story.

Condor Canyon Team Celebrates Success in Carmel, California

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Condor Canyon screening at the Carmel International Film Festival on October 5, 2024! It was amazing to see the audience connect with these birds' stories of loss and resilience — through enthusiastic applause, audible gasps, and many tears.

We were honored to be part of such a talented lineup at this event and to celebrate all the filmmakers who made the Carmel International Film Festival a success!

Photo from left to right: Editor Jules Hart, Director of Photography Mike Buffo, Producer Kelly Sorenson, Cinematographer Meredith Evans, and Writer Carlos Mora at the Carmel International Film Festival.

Download the Facilitator's Guide, which is intended for classrooms, civic groups and others who wish to utilize this multi-media resource to connect with audiences about California Condors and the efforts toward their recovery in addition to watching the documentary. Looking for curriculum in your classroom, try CondorKids.