This heartwarming doc chronicles the life of Caroll Spinney, the man who has been Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969. For over 4 decades, Caroll's characters have been cherished by generations of children. At 81 years old, the tenacious and enthusiastic performer has no intention of slowing down.

I AM BIG BIRD features incredible footage of Spinney's earliest collaborations with Jim Henson as it traces Caroll's journey from bullied child to celebrated performer. This loving portrait peels away the instances that inspired his creation of Big Bird and as the yellow feathers give way to grey hair, it is the man, not the puppet, who will steal your heart.

Q&A with puppeteer and costume designer Sherry Tippey

Sherry Tippey started working for the Muppets (Henson Associates) as a Costume Designer in New York City in 1978, on the video production of Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas. After that, she built the body costume for Sesame Street's new character, Barkley, an English sheepdog. The next year she went to London for Season Three of The Muppet Show, as a member of the puppet design team. Returning to New York, she worked on puppet preproduction for The Muppet Movie, which was filmed in California.