Flaco’s remarkable journey is coming to theaters in WILD INSIDE, a new feature documentary from acclaimed filmmaker and longtime birder Penny Lane. After escaping the Central Park Zoo in February 2023, following 12 years in captivity, Flaco made New York City his home and inspired a global following.
After escaping from the Central Park Zoo in February 2023 following 12 years in captivity, Flaco became an international phenomenon. Birders, photographers, and wildlife enthusiasts closely followed his journey as he learned to survive in one of the world’s busiest cities, capturing imaginations far beyond New York.
WILD INSIDE will have its world premiere during a free outdoor screening in New York City’s Central Park on July 29 before opening theatrically at Manhattan’s IFC Center on July 31. The documentary will then expand to nearly 40 cities nationwide beginning August 4, including special screenings in recognition of International Owl Awareness Day.
For those who followed Flaco’s daily adventures, the film offers more than a retelling of an extraordinary escape. It also explores the larger questions his journey raised about captivity, wildlife, conservation, and how humans coexist with the animals that share our cities.
More Than an Escape Story
Born in captivity, Flaco had never learned the survival skills wild owls develop from birth. Yet after gaining his freedom, he adapted to life in Manhattan, learning to hunt, navigate one of the world’s most densely populated urban environments, and ultimately become an internationally recognized symbol of freedom.
According to the filmmakers, WILD INSIDE follows Flaco as he “answers the call of the wild” while exploring enduring questions about our relationship with wildlife.
Is freeing an animal raised in captivity truly in its best interest?
Is there really a distinction between zoo animals and wild animals?
How can we become better neighbors to the wildlife living alongside us?
Rather than offering simple answers, the documentary invites audiences to reflect on these questions as they follow Flaco’s remarkable journey.
A Story Told by the Community That Witnessed It
One of the documentary’s most distinctive features is its extensive use of photographs and video contributed by the people who spent countless hours following Flaco across New York City.
Following an open call, hundreds of local birders, photographers, tourists, and New Yorkers shared footage and personal stories that became the foundation of the film.
The production also filmed throughout Manhattan, including Central Park, the Wild Bird Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, The Met, neighborhood businesses, and other locations connected to Flaco’s story. To better understand the Eurasian eagle-owl in its native range, the filmmakers traveled to Europe.
Penny Lane’s Personal Connection
For director Penny Lane, who has spent decades as a birder, Flaco’s story captured her attention from the very beginning.
“It’s rare that a story just falls into my lap and is so immediately capable of demanding my full attention,” Lane said in the film’s director’s statement.
She recalls learning about Flaco on the night of his escape after a friend texted her photographs of the owl perched outside Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue.
“There is a fable-like quality to Flaco’s story, in part because he’s so adorable, but even more so because this was an owl on a quest. Suddenly, this 13-year-old bird born in captivity had a day where he got to decide what to do, where to be, what to eat, and so on. What would he choose to do? Flaco was writing his own story and the rest of us were just watching.”
Lane also noted that Flaco became “the most documented owl in human history,” making the documentary a truly collaborative effort between filmmakers and the people who followed him.
“In a very real way, WILD INSIDE was created by the city of New York itself.”
Why Flaco’s Story Still Resonates
Flaco’s journey sparked conversations about urban wildlife, conservation, environmental threats, and the responsibilities humans have toward the wild animals living among us. It also introduced countless people to birding, encouraging them to look up and discover nature in one of the world’s largest cities.
At IntoBirds, Flaco’s story left a lasting impression.
Like countless others, we checked for updates each day, hoping Flaco had made it safely through another night in Manhattan. Watching him overcome extraordinary odds reminded many of us that nature can still surprise us, even in a city defined by concrete and steel.
Flaco also brought together an extraordinary community of birders, photographers, wildlife rehabilitators, citizen scientists, and everyday New Yorkers who found inspiration in his journey. That connection became just as meaningful as Flaco’s story itself.
His legacy continues through projects like Finding Flaco: Our Year with New York City’s Beloved Owl by Jacqueline Emery and David Lei, and now through WILD INSIDE, which brings his story to an even wider audience.
For longtime followers, WILD INSIDE revisits one of the most remarkable wildlife stories New York City has witnessed. For newcomers, it offers an unforgettable introduction to an owl whose journey challenged ideas about captivity, resilience, and what it truly means to be wild.
WILD INSIDE premieres with a free public screening in Central Park on July 29, opens at Manhattan’s IFC Center on July 31, and expands to theaters nationwide beginning August 4.
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