Rare Bird Films
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Cristan Crocker Reilly, Andrea Blaugrund Nevins |
| Products | Documentary films |
Rare Bird Films was established in 2008 by Cristan Crocker Reilly and Andrea Blaugrund Nevins. Their collaboration originated when Reilly, motivated by Jim Lindberg of Pennywise’s Punk Rock Dad, invited Nevins to develop a documentary project. This partnership led to Nevins' feature-length directorial debut, The Other F Word, which delves into the experiences of punk rock musicians adapting to fatherhood.
Founders
Cristan Crocker shifted from her acting career, which includes appearances on television programs such as Matlock and Doogie Howser, MD, along with roles in films like The Bad Pack. Her background in entertainment has influenced the company’s creative vision.
Andrea Blaugrund Nevins, an alumna of Harvard University, offers considerable expertise as a director, producer, and writer. Her professional history encompasses work at National Public Radio and the production of acclaimed biographies for A&E featuring figures like Jesse Jackson and Hillary Clinton. She is an Emmy Award recipient and earned an Academy Award nomination in 1998 for Best Documentary Short Subject with Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies.
Both founders are mothers and connected through their spouses—Kevin Reilly, who formerly held executive roles at Fox Broadcasting and TNT/TBS, and David Nevins of Showtime—utilizing their combined industry relationships to advance their business.
Projects
Rare Bird Films’ recent work includes the Hulu Original documentary Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie, which premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival and Hot Docs before its April 2018 release on Hulu. Directed by Andrea Nevins, this film uses Barbie as a lens to examine six decades of feminism in the United States, featuring interviews with leading feminists and historians. The U.S. State Department selected Tiny Shoulders for its 2018 American Film Showcase to promote American culture through independent filmmakers.
The Netflix release Quincy, which debuted in September 2018, offers an intimate portrait of music legend Quincy Jones from the viewpoint of his daughter Rashida Jones. Both Andrea Nevins and Cristan Crocker contributed as associate producers.
Play it Forward, which opened the 2015 Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival, narrates the journey of future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez alongside his brother Chris, emphasizing themes of family dedication and mentorship.
The 35-minute HBO documentary State of Play: Happiness, produced in collaboration with Peter Berg’s series, explores the lives of NFL stars Brett Favre, Tiki Barber, and Wayne Chrebet. Nevins and Reilly partnered with Michael Strahan and Constance Schwartz from SMAC Entertainment on this project.
Andrea Blaugrund Nevins’ 99-minute documentary The Other F Word provides an intimate look at punk rock fathers using a small crew to capture candid moments. Featuring musicians such as Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Mark Hoppus (blink-182), it traces the origins of the Los Angeles punk scene in late 1970s Hermosa Beach. Inspired by Mike Lindberg’s book and enriched by stories from numerous punk dads, the film reveals a more tender aspect of punk culture. In 2014, the Tribeca Film Festival recommended it as a premier documentary for Father’s Day viewing.