Million Dollar Pigeons

When you think of legendary international racing events like the Tour de France and the Boston Marathon, does pigeon racing also come to mind? Flying under the radar are a group of pigeon masters (or fanciers, as they liked to be called) from the US, Thailand, China and South Africa, competing in one of the most lucrative bird races on the planet. Each event is stranger and more exciting than the last—but when scandal and corruption taint the crown jewel event, the entire community is rocked and the future of the sport is up in the air. Million Dollar Pigeons is a hysterical see-it-to-believe-it story with a cast of odd and charming characters that experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Fame, fortune and livelihood rest on the wings of these feathered athletes in this hilarious oddity. Ravi Srinivasan

The film was produced by Venom Films and partners with Screen Ireland, RTÉ, BAI, ZDF, ARTE, NHK & the multi academy award winning Dogwoof Films.

The film premiered at Hot Docs 2022 in Toronto and played in other world class festivals such as Galway Film Fleadh, IFI Doc Festival, True False Film Festival, London Irish Film Festival, Bergen IFF, Cologne Film Festival & many more.

It was nominated for ‘Best Documentary’ at the 2023 IFTAs.

The film played theatrically in Ireland with Wildcard Distribution and in Canada with Hot Docs cinema.

Available to rent or buy now on various platforms (Apple TV, iTunes, Youtube, Google Play) or Dogwoof on Demand

PRESS

“Million Dollar Pigeons is one of the most engaging and unconventional sports films you will see this year.” POV Magazine

An entertaining and quick-moving introduction to the surprisingly cutthroat world of pigeon racing, that often leaves our mouths agape” The Joy of Movies

“A fascinating look into the exciting world of pigeon racing.” Set the Bar

 Variety Interview

Cinema Review: Million Dollar Pigeons

Million Dollar Pigeons Quad for online use
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Gavin FitzGerald is an IFTA-nominated film director whose slate of internationally acclaimed documentaries and television series has established him as a leading Irish voice in factual storytelling. His work often explores compelling sporting worlds and subcultures, driven by exceptional characters and crafted with a cinematic, intimate style. He began his career directing commercially successful, access-driven feature documentaries including Conor McGregor: Notorious and Liam Gallagher: As It Was, both of which went on to be acquired by Netflix. He followed these with the award-winning festival favourite Million Dollar Pigeons and a four-part boxing series Stable: The Boxing Game, later acquired by BBC. He is currently completing Soul of the Sea, an Irish-language documentary about a declining rowing tradition in the west of Ireland, supported by Screen Ireland and TG4. His latest feature, LOMU, explores the complexities of identity and Tongan culture through the life of one of rugby’s most iconic figures, Jonah Lomu, and is currently screening at festivals worldwide.

Contact
gavfitzgeraldfilm@gmail.com

Copyright 2026

Copyright 2026