Photo Gallery | 'The Keepers' will take you behind the scenes at Memphis Zoo

(WMC-TV) - The Memphis Zoo has already been named one of America’s best zoos, and now it’s going nationwide in an independent film about its zookeepers. 

It's a 90 minute movie that's set to be released sometime this summer. 

Called "The Keepers", the film is designed to take you behind the scenes at the Memphis Zoo.

“When you follow the keepers around, you get a very different perspective of what it's like at the zoo,” said director Joann Self Selvidge.

This independent film has been in production now for about eight months. 

Night and day, the small crew had been keeping a keen eye on zoo life. 

The film is designed to give animal lovers a behind the exhibit slice of life, highlighting the zoo's 60 plus zookeepers.

“I do think they're under appreciated because when you come to the fabulous Memphis Zoo, you don't realize there are people getting up at 6 in the morning to clean out cages,” said director Sara Kaye Larson.

Justin and Lucille, the zoo's red pandas, are seen in the film being bottle-fed during their early years, before being released into their exhibit.

This film also takes you into many of the exhibits.

In one section of the film, you see amazing interaction between a zookeeper and a cougar.

The film's directors say many on the Memphis Zoo staff hasn't even been where file crews have been allowed access.

“It's unusual to gain such unprecedented access by what they do get to see,” added Laura Doty with the Memphis Zoo.

“You're seeing the night houses, where the animals sleep at night and where they get fed in the morning,” Selvidge said.

You can take part in this independent film, by making a donation to help fund movie production. 

You can also see behind the scenes clips.