Media Release

14th June 2006

Viva!?s Anti Factory Farming Film is Wildscreen Finalist

Short film that lifts the lid on the intensive rearing of ducks for meat is picked for International Wildlife Festival

Jake?s Story ? a moving, short web film made by Viva!, the Bristol based veggie campaigning group ? has been short-listed out of 412 films from 45 countries for the wildlife film industry?s equivalent of the Hollywood Oscars. The awards will take place in Bristol later this year. The film aims to alert web users to the reality of intensive duck factory farming in the UK ? so widespread that almost all ducks are reared this way.

Narrated by a nine year old boy, Jake?s Story follows the seven week life of just one intensively-reared duckling. The free, interactive web film reveals through his eyes the secret world of duck factory farming responsible for the 19 million ducks killed for meat every year in the UK. Essentially a wild aquatic bird, Jake has no contact with his mother, never goes outside the huge shed that is his life and never discovers what it?s like to swim.

Using cartoon and live undercover footage shot in units belonging to some of the UK?s largest intensive duck producers, the film shows thousands of ducks crammed into filthy sheds. Numerous birds are shown in distressing conditions ? incapable of walking, dragging themselves along by their wings; thrashing around on their backs in distress; and dirty, dying and dejected birds. Viva! maintains that the conditions shown in the video are typical of modern duck production.

Jake?s Story is among 80 films short-listed for the Wildscreen Festival, and is nominated for the Jury's Special Selection for Screening. Finalists in other categories include March of the Penguins, Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man and the BBC?s Planet Earth. Awards will take place in Bristol during the festival, which runs between 15-20 October 2006.

?We are absolutely delighted that Jake?s Story has been chosen as a Wildscreen finalist,? says Viva! senior campaigner, Justin Kerswell. ?It?s a heart-breaking tale that deserves to be heard, and is sadly typical of most of the ducks raised for meat in the UK. Many people have no idea that duck meat comes from filthy, overcrowded, factory farms where these beautiful, aquatic creatures never have the opportunity to swim or splash around in water and can never fulfill their natural instincts.

?Ducks raised for meat in the UK are essentially wild animals, they come from the same family of birds as the ones we see on our local ponds. We hope Jake?s Story reaches an even wider audience and boosts the growing numbers of consumers who boycott duck meat and go vegetarian.?

Notes for editors

Jake?s Story is available to view free at http://www.viva.org.uk/jake. For more information about Viva!?s investigations, still images and undercover footage of duck factory farming, contact Justin Kerswell on 0117 944 1000, email justin@viva.org.uk, or visit http://www.viva.org.uk/ducks

http://www.wildscreenfestival.org

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