The Million Dollar Duck is a 2016 documentary film directed by Brian Golden Davis. [1] The film follows participants in the Federal Duck Stamp contest as they create and submit work, as well as exploring the wider history and culture of the competition.
Duck stamps are admission stamps purchased annually by American hunters prior to hunting for migratory waterfowl. Outside of their use within hunting regulation, duck stamps have a wider appeal to artists and collectors. [2] Initially the illustration on these stamps were provided by cartoonist Ding Darling, however this was later opened up for public submissions. Started in 1949, the Federal Duck Stamp contest is an annual contest that determines the illustration that will be depicted on the following year's duck stamp. Director Brian Golden Davis initially grew interested in the contest after his high school friend's Father, Ron Louque, won the contest in 2003. Davis told film review website IndieWire “We were talking about it and he said, ‘My stepdad painted a duck. It got on a stamp, and now we’re set for life.’ That phrase just stuck with me.” [3]
The Million Dollar Duck follows a small number of artists in the 2013 contest - from their initial entry sketches, through to the final contest. Featured artists include Adam Grimm, the youngest ever winner of the contest with his 2000 entry, [4] eccentric multi-media artist Rob McBroom, and two time winner Robert Hautman.
The Million Dollar Duck won the Audience Award for Documentary Feature and the Jury Award for Documentary Feature at the 2016 Slamdance Film Festival, [5] with the decision statement commenting "artfully shot and edited, with a colorful cast of characters, the film weaves these human stories into the larger picture of how the annual competition has served to create and protect America's many wildlife refuges. It's about more than the duck." [6] The Hollywood Reporter called it a "fascinating and lively documentary". [7]
The Federal Duck Stamp, formally known as the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, is an adhesive stamp issued by the United States federal government that must be purchased prior to hunting for migratory waterfowl such as ducks and geese. It is also used to gain entrance to National Wildlife Refuges that normally charge for admission. It is widely seen as a collectable and a means to raise funds for wetland conservation, with 98% of the proceeds of each sale going to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.
The Slamdance Film Festival is an annual film festival focused on emerging artists. The annual week-long festival takes place in Park City, Utah, in late January and is the main event organized by the year-round Slamdance organization, which also hosts a screenplay competition, workshops, screenings throughout the year and events with an emphasis on independent films with budgets under US$1 million.
Philip Davis Guggenheim is an American screenwriter, director, and producer.
The Independent Spirit Award for Best Film is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards, presented to recognize the best in independent filmmaking, it was first awarded in 1985 with Martin Scorsese's film After Hours being the first recipient of the award.
IndieWire is a film industry and film criticism website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "include all aspects of Hollywood and the expanding universes of TV and streaming". IndieWire is part of Penske Media Corporation.
The Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards. It is given to the director(s) of the film and since 2014 it is also given to the producers. It was first presented in 2000, with Marc Singer's Dark Days being the first recipient of the award.
Joseph Hautman is an American painter, residing in Plymouth, Minnesota. The artist is best known for his realism wildlife art, particularly the U.S. Federal Duck Stamp. The artist holds a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan and has had his artwork featured on the 2022, 2016, 2012, 2008, 2002, and 1992 Federal Duck Stamps, raising millions for conservation.
Robert Hautman is an American painter, residing in western Minnesota. The artist is best known for his realism wildlife art, particularly the U.S. Federal Duck Stamp. The artist's paintings have been featured on the 2001 and 1997 Federal Duck Stamps, which raised millions of dollars for conservation. In 2016, he was featured in the documentary The Million Dollar Duck about the contest.
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival takes place every January in Park City, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah; and at the Sundance Resort, and acts as a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival consists of competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, both feature films and short films, and a group of out-of-competition sections, including NEXT, New Frontier, Spotlight, Midnight, Sundance Kids, From the Collection, Premieres, and Documentary Premieres. Many films premiering at Sundance have gone on to be nominated and win Oscars such as Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Maynard Fred Reece was an American artist based in Iowa whose work focused on wildlife, particularly ducks. He won the Federal Duck Stamp competition a record five times in his life: 1948, 1951, 1959, 1969 and 1971. Reece turned 100 in April 2020 and died in July that year.
Dylan Verrechia is a Barthélemois award-winning film director, auteur, screenwriter, director of photography, and producer. He grew up in Saint Barthélemy, French West Indies, bedridden with severe ankylosing spondylitis for many years. At age twelve, he was sent to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in France. He then started correspondence courses from the National Centre for Distance Education. After the national service, Verrechia studied Cinema at Paris Nanterre University taught by Jean Rouch from la Cinémathèque française. He graduated with honors in Film & TV from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and became soon after a U.S. citizen. Verrechia is a director of Mexican cinema, and his films have won awards worldwide.
The 2011 Slamdance Film Festival was a film festival held in Park City, Utah from January 20 to January 27, 2011. It was the 17th iteration of the Slamdance Film Festival, an alternative to the more mainstream Sundance Film Festival.
Amiel Courtin-Wilson is an Australian filmmaker. He has directed over 20 short films and several feature films. His debut feature film, Hail, premiered internationally at Venice Film Festival in 2011. He is also a musician, music producer, and visual artist.
Driftwood is an American independent film written and directed by Paul Taylor. The film had its world premiere at the 2016 Slamdance Film Festival where it was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for best narrative feature.
Sabaah Folayan is an American filmmaker and activist. Her debut documentary feature, Whose Streets?, on the 2014 Ferguson protests, premiered in competition at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
The Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Documentary is one of the annual Gotham Independent Film Awards. It was first presented in 2004 with Jonathan Demme's The Agronomist being the first recipient of the award.
Diane Hope Weyermann was an American film producer who was the chief content officer of Participant Media, a film and television production company.
Time is a 2020 American documentary film produced and directed by Garrett Bradley. It follows Sibil Fox Richardson and her fight for the release of her husband, Rob, who was serving a 60-year prison sentence for engaging in an armed bank robbery.
Impact Partners is an American film production and television production company founded in 2007, by Dan Cogan and Geralyn Dreyfous. The company primarily produces documentary films focusing on social issues.
Brian Golden Davis is an American filmmaker and television director. He is best known for his documentary The Million Dollar Duck and the Netflix series We Are The Champions.