Bluebirds of Antietam

About the Movie

Bluebirds of Antietam is a short documentary film that tells the story about one couple’s efforts to save the Eastern Bluebird. After spotting a bluebird outside their cabin located near the Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland, Mark and Jean Raabe built bluebird boxes on their property hoping to stave off the decline in the bluebird population.

The film shares the story of their success and the current work that continues to grow and fledge bluebirds on one of the oldest continually monitored bluebird trails in the United States on the Antietam National Battlefield.

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Official Trailer

About the Film Makers

PRODUCER
Stefanie Boss

Stefanie and her husband Mike Reed retired to the Hagerstown area 12 years ago from the Washington, DC area.  They both volunteered at Antietam National Battlefield where they became curious about the nesting boxes.  Simultaneously, they began attending the Maryland International Film Festival.  Stefanie found she was drawn to the documentaries and wondered if there was a story behind those boxes at the battlefield.

Through the Maryland Bluebird Society she contacted the volunteers who currently maintain the trail.  When she found out that over 10,000 bluebirds had been fledged over a 37-year period, she knew it was a story that should be told.

When Conrad Weaver’s film “Heroin’s Grip” was shown at the 2019 Maryland International Film Festival, she knew she had found the filmmaker to help her tell the story.

While this is Stefanie’s first film, she and Mike spent 40 years in all aspects of theatrical production.  She is also a former member of SAG/AFTRA.

DIRECTOR
Conrad Weaver

Conrad Weaver is an award-winning producer and director and is the owner of Conjostudios, LLC, a video production company based in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  Weaver received a Mid-America Regional EMMY® Award for his 2014 documentary feature, the Great American Wheat Harvest.  His second feature-length documentary, Thirsty Land  was completed in early 2016 and screened around the country and was recently released for the public on Amazon Prime.  His most recent feature-length documentary, Heroin’s Grip is currently playing in select theaters and venues and is scheduled for release on Amazon in late 2019.  Conrad is also the executive producer on a feature narrative film called Scars of an Orphan,

Weaver is a seasoned pro known for his compelling cinematography and a passion for telling stories that matter.   “Telling stories that matter is so much more fulfilling than stories that only entertain. There is a place for entertainment, no doubt.  But if I can create a film that entertains AND makes a difference or makes the world a better place than when I arrived then I’ve been successful.”

 

 

 

Production Photos

Production on the film began in the Spring of 2019.

Getting Involved

nabluebirdsociety.org