© 2026 KALW 91.7 FM Bay Area
91.7 FM Bay Area. Celebrating 85 Years of KALW Public Media.
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
KALW's broadcast is pre-recorded until Tuesday, September 22nd, as we transition our operations to The People's Studio. Until then, some of our regular programming will be disrupted.
Crosscurrents

From "Wild Parrots" to "Pelican Dreams": a conversation with filmmaker Judy Irving

By Ben Trefny
Published October 23, 2014 at 3:47 PM PDT
Judy Irving
Pelicans soaring

Documentary filmmaker Judy Irving's movie "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" was a love letter to San Francisco and some of its most colorful residents. Now, Irving has turned her camera toward another local bird: the California brown pelican. The new film "Pelican Dreams" has its world premiere is tomorrow (Friday) night at three Bay Area theaters.

The celebrated documentarian joined KALW's Ben Trefny in studio to talk about her latest work.

JUDY IRVING: After a few years, you watch the bird, you get kind of close to the bird, you learn about the bird's personality, and, if you're a human being at all, you start to feel close to this fellow being.

Hear more about Judy Irving's approach to filmmaking by clicking here.

Find more information about the movie and Irving's local appearances here.

Crosscurrents
Ben Trefny
I joined KALW in 2003. As Executive News Editor and then News Director, I helped our news department win numerous regional and national awards for long- and short-form journalism. I've also helped create numerous training programs — for teenagers, incarcerated people, and early-career journalists — and have taught hundreds of audio producers. I served as interim Executive Director for nearly two years. My work is currently focused on overseeing KALW's news and information content, and creating original live events, programming, and building partnerships with like-minded organizations.
See stories by Ben Trefny