Astronaut Scott Kelly lends voice to ‘Pigs of Paradise’, the film

 Set to premiere on Dec 1st in Nassau, full-length movie, based on the new book, tells the true story behind the global phenomenon

On March 27, 2015, astronaut Scott Kelly embarked on what came to be known as “The Year in Space”.

 Chronicled by Time Magazine, Kelly’s record-breaking expedition in the International Space Station was well-known for many reasons, and partly because the American explorer documented the experience so faithfully on social media.

Through his Twitter, Instagram and other channels, he took snaps of the Earth from space in all its remarkable, awe-inspiring beauty. But one sight, against all others, stood out to astronaut Scott Kelly – Exuma, “the most beautiful place from space”.

Little did Scott know that, thousands of miles below, he would soon join forces with fellow social media stars known as the swimming pigs.  

With his genuine love for The Bahamas, and in  particular the  islands of Exuma, Kelly has come on board to narrate a new, full-length film based on the bestselling book,  “Pigs of Paradise: The Story of the World-Famous Swimming Pigs”.

Set to  premiere on December 1st , as the closing film at the Bahamas International Film Festival, “Pigs of Paradise” will be the cherry on top for the creators of the original film, “When Pigs Swim”. 

“When we did the first film, back in 2014, we had no idea what a global phenomenon the swimming pigs would become,” said Peter Nicholson, the President of GIV Bahamas and Executive Producer of the new film.

“It was much shorter, only about 15 minutes, and made people curious about these animals. So far that video alone has been viewed by more than 2.2 million people. I think the new story is : how did they become so famous? This latest film will look to answer that question, while really delving into the origins of these animals and the impact they’ve had on the whole Bahamas. We thank Scott for taking part in this true labour of love.”

Charlie Smith, of Earthbeat Films, is returning as the director of this second film on the swimming pigs, with Jeff Todd, the Director of Communications at GIV Bahamas Inc., and author of the new book, serving as the screenwriter.

The production crew will be walking the red carpet on December 1st with two piglets in tow. Back in 2014, upon the release for the first film, piglets also walked the red carpet with Smith when it premiered at festivals in Florida, before screening at many other festivals throughout North America.

With the swimming pigs’ global popularity at an all-time high, this full-length feature is expected to make an event bigger splash.

Unlike in 2014, the swimming pigs are now a house-hold name. After appearances on television programs (The Bachelor, Today Show), magazines, newspapers, and countless viral posts on the Internet, these animals helped bring Exuma to the world. From The New York Times, to CNN, to FOX, to Travel & Leisure, to the Toronto Star, the pigs have been featured by most major media outlets in North America, along with many more in countries such as Germany, the UK and Australia.

It is not a stretch to consider the swimming pigs global celebrities.

Today, the swimming pigs are the top tourism attraction for the island and a major source of revenue for tour boat operators, taxi drivers, restaurants, hotels and everything in between. In fact, there are pig colonies on six islands in The Bahamas, including Exuma, Abaco, Eleuthera, Long Island, Grand Bahama and Nassau.

In the film, government figures, including Dionisio D’Aguilar, the Minister of Tourism, have estimated that the swimming pigs have generated untold millions to the Bahamian economy.

The film follows shortly after the North American release of the book, also named “Pigs of Paradise”, which has been covered by outlets such as CNN Travel and USA Today.  The book can be ordered online here and can be found in major book stores throughout the holiday season

“Pigs of Paradise”, the movie, is expected to continue along the film festival circuit in 2019, before finally being released on DVD and other platforms for the general public. For information on screenings and other news, you can visit the movie’s website at www.pigsofparadise.com