From filming toucans in Costa Rica to polar bears in Manitoba, the film crew for the documentary “Flyway of Life” has been working on the production for about a year and a half, with the film set to be released on April 22, 2025.
Tomas Koeck, a graduate student in the School of Communications, Media and the Arts (SCMA), is the director, writer and director of photography for his documentary.
Source: Collin Moura, Campus Life Editor
“Flyway of Life” is about the Atlantic Flyway which is a migration path utilized by a large bird population traveling from areas like Costa Rica to Manitoba that is often overlooked.
“Not only are there hundreds of birds that utilize these
flyways, but they influence these ecosystems that they travel through,” said Koeck.
Dr. James Castonguay is the Associate Dean of SCMA as well as the executive producer of “Flyway of Life.”
“This project addresses real and global problems that we have, and we have a student that is actually making something that people will watch and that will educate them,” said Castonguay.
Junior Collin Moura, Campus Life editor for the Spectrum Newspaper, is the assistant camera person for “Flyway of Life.” He became friends with Koeck about a year ago because of their shared interests of the outdoors, wildlife and environmental conservation.
“I joined Tomas for a couple of shoots for ‘Flyway’ and started to learn more about the different topics of the film,” said Moura. “I’ve been involved in accompanying him on the bigger expeditions and we just got back from Costa Rica a couple weeks ago and are heading to the Everglades in two weeks.”
Koeck has assembled a large team with roles varying from production advisors to marine ecology consultants. “For me, the team is the most important thing,” said Koeck. “I wanted to assemble a group of people who all believe in the project and believe in the message we are telling.”
Moura is passionate about both photography and videography as well as the outdoors. He can combine all these interests within his role in this documentary.
“This is the first feature film that I’ve worked on, and I have a pretty big role in it,” said Moura. “It’s honestly such an incredible opportunity to work on a project that is associated with companies like The National Audubon Society and Canon, and to be working for such a good cause.”
Among Koeck’s many other accomplishments, he has also recently been inducted into the Explorers Club which is a professional society that promotes scientific exploration. There are only 3,500 members worldwide and some well-known members include: Teddy Roosevelt, Buzz Aldrin and Jimmy Chin.
“Once I applied, I just sent it out and forgot about it. Then, I heard that I got in and I was so stoked,” said Koeck. “Not only is it a high designation, but it is also an organization that has been around since the early 1900s.”
Castonguay enjoys partnering with Koeck because of his passion and eagerness for his projects and the work he puts into them.
“Tomas is a great example of a student who has taken advantage of the resources that are available to him,” said Castonguay. “I don’t know a lot of other schools that are doing that for their students who want to squeeze all the juice out of the orange.”
“I’m telling students, ‘No limits, don’t be afraid, think about your dream project, imagine it, don’t think you can’t do it and don’t worry about the resources,’” said Castonguay.
For more information on “Flyway of Life,” check out www.flywayfilm.com.
