Journalist Matt Reynolds has always loved a good wing—it’s in his upstate New York blood—so much so that the Lyons native threw wing parties while on assignment in Central Europe.

At one particular wing party, Reynolds and the party-goers—some of whom never tasted a Buffalo wing before meeting Reynolds—got to talking about the greatest of wings and the premise of a wing tour.

“That was the film’s genesis,” Reynolds said of the documentary “The Great Chicken Wing Hunt.” “It gained steam from there.”

With a rag-tag group of wing enthusiasts, Reynolds toured New York, parts of Canada, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Slovakia and Poland in search of the best wings. The journey culminated in a stop at the National Buffalo Wing Festival here in Buffalo.

“There’s a cool scene in the movie when I won the sauce competition,” Reynolds said of his wing sauce victory.

The team returned to Buffalo a few times to finish shooting interviews and test out local wing varieties. They visited Duff’s, Anchor Bar, Gabriel’s Gate, Bar Bill Tavern, La Nova and Buffalo Brewpub while in the area, though they would’ve liked to dine at other smaller neighborhood wing joints, Reynolds admitted.

While in town, Reynolds’ team also tracked down the last living witness to the invention of the chicken wing, reported to have happened in 1964.

“That’s how the movie opens, with a mini history lesson on how wings were invented,” Reynolds said.

To find out if the crew found what they believe to be the world’s best wing, you’ll have to see the film. Right now, “The Great Chicken Wing Hunt” is practically completed, Reynolds explained, save for final edits and some post production work dependent on funding. Reynolds has established an online Kickstarter campaign to raise enough cash to pay for the film’s completion. As of this afternoon, he’s a few thousand dollars from reaching his goal.

“I’m trying to make the quintessential film about Buffalo wings,” he said. “There aren’t many films made in this part of the world. I would like to ask the people of Buffalo to consider supporting the film—even $5.”