Throughout the rest of 2013, we will continue showing selected films at a series of mini-festivals in the US and worldwide. These are additional opportunities to showcase these films to an even broader public audience. In 2012 we hosted 12 mini-screenings worldwide, and we already have nearly a dozen festivals planned for 2013. Dates and locations to be announced soon!

The winners of the 2013 Beneath the Waves Film Festival are:

People’s Choice Award: “Mikono Ya Wavuvi” by Austin Humphries, Rhodes University

Best Student Film: “Saving North Carolina’s Reefs” by Michelle Broudeur, Rachel Gittman, Joseph Morton & Justin Ridge, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Best of Festival Award: “People of the Coral Triangle” by James Morgan, James Morgan Photography

2013 Films (*denotes student entry)

“A Ray of Light”

David Diley

Scarlet View Media / From the Office to the Ocean

https://vimeo.com/44105823

“A Reef’s Tale”

Justin Ridge & Michelle Brodeur*

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Institute of Marine Sciences

https://vimeo.com/62610917

“Acroporid Demographics: Threatened Coral Conservation”

Monika LaPlante

Smithsonian Institution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlOb28ji1z4&list=UUnsGJ9cIJtmWT_yjOZe2ghA&index=3

“A Shark’s Tale”

Ryan Kempster*

Support Our Sharks

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rwmgpHa4OlM#

“Antarctica: The Hunt for Killer Crabs”

Frank Weyer, Honey Whitney*, Stephanie Vos, Richard Aronson

Florida Institute of Technology

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcwXGfTtW3U

“BAJA”

Erick Higuera

Solmar V/Great White Adventures

https://vimeo.com/47153573

“Bertha’s Blues”

Honey Whitney*, Glen Bupp, Richard Aronson

Florida Institute of Technology

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMEKczizPAo

“Bertness Rock Anthem”

Eric Axelman and Nik Gonzalez *

Brown University

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFH_yN8cT5I

“Cod and Overfishing in the Gulf”

Linda Cabot

LNC Films - Fromthebowseat.org

http://vimeo.com/57132928

“Corals in Crisis”

Cortland Brennan

http://vimeo.com/61682916

“Coral Reefs: Polyps in Peril”

Jim Toomey, Bronson Hoover, Reefs Team at WRI

World Resources Institute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn5-ARXmQlQ

“Days of our Dives”

Andrea Dingeldein & Melissa Heintz

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

https://vimeo.com/63090584

“Don’t Bite the Hand That Feeds”

Christine Shepard

RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program, University of Miami

https://vimeo.com/36930869

“Ecosystem Services of the Ocean”

Lauren Hutchinson & Brittany Blomberg *

Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdBg257Fi3A&feature=youtu.be

“Field Chronicles: The Pacific Oceanscape”

Peter Stonier, John Martin, Becca Field & Sebastian Perry

Conservation International

https://vimeo.com/46707128

“Field Spotlight: President Anote Tong”

Peter Stonier, John Martin, Becca Field & Sebastian Perry

Conservation International

https://vimeo.com/46118801

“Fish Meat”

Sarah Curry

Fish Navy Films

“Galapagos Expedition”

John Ruthven and Alison Barrat

Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

http://vimeo.com/58571498

“Grazer”

Patricia Allen

Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences

“Harbor Seal Monitoring in the Puget Sound”

Paul B. Hillman & Tara Smithee

NOAA Fisheries

http://youtu.be/8GoaMrm6I84

“Improving mangrove management to protect the ocean’s tropical nurseries”

Virginia Shutte*

Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wCP9FsMq6o

“In the Grass, On the Reef”

Rob Diaz de Villegas

WFSU-TV (Florida State University)

https://vimeo.com/63429413

“Kai Nohona”

Alexander Daniels*

University of Hawaii

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkpbRddKEkk

“Living Colorless: A Journey into Coral Bleaching”

Abdullah Al-Kandari and Dr. Huda Mahmoud

Kuwait University and Newtech Trading Centre

“Lophelia II: Reefs, Rigs, and Wrecks”

Peter Etnoyer & Maria Montoreano

NOAA & Aquanautix

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/12lophelia/media/movies/lophelia_video.html

“Lost in the Wake”

Katie Jewett

Southern Environmental Law Center

“MADE: Mitigating Adverse Ecological Impacts of Ocean Fisheries”

Luc Markiw

Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (Institute of research for development (IRD)

http://vimeo.com/59409488

“Mercury: from Source to Seafood”

Dartmouth Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program and VOX Televison, Inc.

Dartmouth College

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Jabn5rhtk

“Mikono Ya Wavuvi (In Fishermen’s Hands)”

Austin Humphries*

Rhodes University

http://vimeo.com/austinhumphries/mikono

“Mission of Mermaids”

Susan Rockafeller

“Money or Life: Deadly Bottle Diving in the Barren Isles”

Jon Slayer

Independent filmmaker working with Blue Ventures

www.blueventures.org and http://www.jonslayer.net/

“NRDC and Whales of San Ignacio Lagoon”

Matt Amick

One World One Ocean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io2vX-m51UM

“O le Taeao Fou”

Lauren Wetzell, Andrea Ngan, Anna Petrick

Námaka Productions

http://vimeo/59999722

“Oceanic Revelations”

Amanda Cotton

A Cotton Photo

vimeo.com/51456242

“One Hundred Thousand”

Liza Hoos*

Duke University

http://vimeo.com/59487085

“Only Time Will Tell”

Clark DeHart*

Virginia Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA46rkyjBdI&list=UUnDQIqCA1aJcarQqwbvvHrw&index=1

“Pacific Nets”

Camilo Martinez

Corporacion Cromatophoro

“People of the Coral Triangle”

James Morgan

James Morgan Photography

http://vimeo.com/17419531

“Plight of the North Atlantic Right Whale”

Jeff Mittelstadt

WildSides, Whale and Dolphin Conservation

vimeo.com/53678482

“Posidonia”

Neil Losin, Nate Dappen, Joris van Alphen

Day’s Edge Productions, Joris van Alphen Photography

https://vimeo.com/60787539 (Spanish-subtitled)

https://vimeo.com/59245237

“Protecting Reefs, Protecting Economies”

Monika LaPlante

Smithsonian Institution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20H6lJK6Puo&list=UUnsGJ9cIJtmWT_yjOZe2ghA&index=1

“Rare Encounter with the Greenland Shark”

Matt Amick

One World One Ocean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrWEi2SVu8c

“Right Whale: Urbanizes”

Noelle Anderson*

Student filmmaker, Noble and Greenough School

http://vimeo.com/57163453

“SAIL: Want to be a marine biologist?”

Michael Gil*

University of Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAny2vpmRvg

“Saving North Carolina’s Reefs”

Michelle Brodeur*, Rachel Gittman, Joseph Morton & Justin Ridge

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

http://vimeo.com/55445513

“Saving The Blue Whales of Sri Lanka”

Eric Olsen

Daily Telegraph

“Sea Nettles – A Love Story”

Nina Sassano and Jen Barny

Barnegat Bay Partnership, Ocean County College

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2Jm9IP0YRQ

“Shellshocked: Saving Oysters to Save Ourselves”

Emily Driscoll

Independent filmmaker

www.shellshockedmovie.com

“Sponge Science”

Matt Amick

One World One Ocean

“Tagged, You’re It!”

Paul Chetirkin & Sarah Fangman

NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRcKiSmKExE

“Tasmania’s Disappearing Giant Kelp Forests”

Rebecca Ramaley

https://vimeo.com/56847176

“The Longest Time”

Allison Fritts-Penniman*

UCLA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BI2m3QoaS8

“The Indian River Lagoon: What the Muck?”

Phillip Gravinese and Lauren Toth*

Florida Institute of Technology

http://youtu.be/h40JrwTtHfM

“The Story of Sharks”

Ian Rossiter & Brendan Talwar

Cape Eleuthera Institute / Raining Down Island Productions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeYimVDchqA

“Their Right to Rest”

Heather Heenehan*

Duke University

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRv0IkztxPI

“Two Fish”

Sarah Curry

Fish Navy Films

“Understanding the Giant Pacific Octopus”

DeAnna Morris

NOAA Fisheries (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration)

http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/species/octopus.php

“Whale Fall: After Life of a Whale”

Sharon Shattuck & Flora Lichtman

Affiliation: Sweet Fern Productions

Link: http://vimeo.com/29987934

“What would you say?”

Simon Spear

http://youtu.be/I8Wtvj6FrIg

Festival Partners

Our passion for ocean science, media, and conservation are fueled by a number of exciting groups. For 2013 we are proud to announce exciting partnerships with the following leading operations:

Epic Diving

The name says it all. This Bahamian-based ecotourism outfit specializes in putting people close (and we mean close) to ocean predators. If you’re in search of an ocean story, look no further – they are the only dive operator in the world to provide reliable encounters with the oceanic whitetip shark, one of the most declined species in the Atlantic Ocean. Check them out here: www.epicdiving.com

Waterlust

In 2012, a group of ocean scientists, athletes, and advocates created a short film series with one goal in mind: connect people’s personal love (lust) for water with the world. Powered by GoPro cameras and passion, their online presence has skyrocketed in the last year, with their first 11 films have gained over 450,000 views,  attracting global attention. They also train newbie filmmakers in shooting/editing/crafting stories, giving voices to the amazing stories that are yet to be told. Spread the lust here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Waterlust

Specific dates and locations of 2013 mini-festivals will be announced shortly.

The Naro Theater in Norfolk, VA – the site of one of our 2012 mini-festivals

In 2012, we hosted free mini-screenings to over 1,000 people in the following locations:

-Miami Museum of Science, Florida, USA;  COSEE Florida/National Science Foundation (December 2012)
-The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA; “Science as Storytelling” Festival (November 2012)
-University of Iceland/Reykjavik City Hostel; Reykjavik, Iceland  (November 2012)
-Ocean Night with Humboldt Baykeeper and Surfrider Foundation; Humboldt County, California, USA  (October 2012)
-Pangeaseed  U.S. West Coast Tour Migration: San Diego, California; Costa Mesa, California; Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; Portland, Oregon;  Seattle; Washington, USA (July-August 2012)
-Shark Defenders; Saipan, Micronesia, Indonesia (July 2012)
-Old Dominion University/Naro Theater, Norfolk, Virginia, USA (March-April 2012)

We are always interested in broadening our reach, especially reaching out to public audiences from around the world. If you are passionate about the ocean and marine conservation issues, we can provide a platform for you to engage discussions in your community. Thus, all Beneath the Waves films are available for screening in a “mini-festival” style. If you are interested in becoming a local host, please read the criteria below and fill out the form and send back to us. We look forward to hearing from you!

What we expect from you:

1) Team of committed personnel to serve as regional Beneath the Waves representatives (generally 2-4 people).

Necessary team duties include the following*
Principal organizer to coordinate and oversee the logistics of the event
Handling of all digital media and films (organization, screening at event, audio/visual skills)
Promotion and advertising of the event
Distribution and collection of Beneath the Waves surveys

*these roles are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but it is easiest with 2-4 people.

2) A host location/venue that has agreed to screen the films for free to the public. Venues can vary in size (local theatres, coffee shops, galleries, universities, cinemas etc.).

3) We expect you to choose a small collection of Beneath the Waves films based on your anticipated audience and relevant marine issues in your region.

4) Access to a printer for printing promotional and survey materials.

5) Collaboration with local non-profit, scientist, or conservationist to answer questions and discuss local marine conservation or science topics (this is not necessary, but strongly encouraged)

6) Documentation of the audience size, demographic distribution, and photos that you will send to us.

7) Distribution of the Beneath the Waves survey to all audience members. We also want you to compile the results and send back to the main Beneath the Waves team.

What we will provide:
1) Access to a database of films for screening
2) Beneath the Waves literature and logo to be distributed at each event
3) Beneath the Waves poster to be used for advertising
4) Survey to be distributed to audience
5) Contact information for filmmakers
6) Press release materials

Please fill out the form below and send back to the festival directors:
Beneath the Waves Film Festival-mini-fest-form

Film submissions for 2013 are now closed  – the deadline was February 21. Submissions will be announced during the week of March 11, 2013. Stay tuned!

General Submission Criteria

We invite submissions from anyone— scientists, professional filmmakers, students, and advocates …if you have a good story, we want it! If you are interested in being involved in our festival in the future, here are some general guidelines:

• Film must tie into some ocean/marine/aquatic theme or issue (underwater footage not required). A research and/conservation theme are encouraged but not required. We welcome films with all types of themes and tones, but we also want to highlight ocean success stories!

• A strong narrative or story is preferred.

• Length: we urge filmmakers to submit short pieces that are 10 minutes or less. Films selected for the flagship screening in at the Benthic Ecology Meeting must be under 15 minutes (this is the absolute cut-off). We will accept longer entries for future exhibition in traveling festival events throughout the year, yet the time/date of these events have yet to be officially confirmed.

• Film and its contents must be your original work.

Austin Gallagher introduces the 2012 festival in Norfolk, VA

The Beneath the Waves Film Festival aims to encourage, inspire, and educate scientists, advocates, and the general public to produce and promote open-access, engaging marine-issue documentaries. Our goal is to facilitate widespread science communication by bringing together marine films from around the world for open discussion, while also providing hands-on educational opportunities for researchers interested in film and media outreach.

History

It all started on a dock in Moorea, French Polynesia. Having completed yet another coral research dive, we were dismantling our dive gear and rinsing our cameras when we were suddenly struck with the question: Where is this research going? The gravity of this statement increased over the coming weeks, as we marveled at the stark difference between the beauty of the marine realm and the current status of oceans globally. Many discussions and collaborations later, the idea for an engaging and exciting science communication event emerged. Since many of our most memorable experiences were happening beneath the waves, the idea for a film festival took hold.

The Beneath the Waves Film Festival, now in its fourth year, has solicited hundreds of films from seven continents and engaged hundreds of scientists, filmmakers, and students worldwide. We hope you will join the growing family.

Austin Gallagher, Founder and Co-Director

Driven by a passion for discovery and adventure, Austin feels most at home when immersed in nature – the ocean was his first true love. Austin is an conservation ecologist and PhD student at the University of Miami in Florida, where he is currently studying risk assessment and physiology and behavior of tropical Atlantic shark populations. His scientific background is ecosystem-level marine ecology and fish biology. He has made numerous documentaries, including a short film on southern California marine protected areas that was used in the public vote to expand the regional marine protected area network in 2010, and most recently completed a short film sponsored by GoPro cameras on people’s fears and fascinations with sharks . A strong believer in science communication and outreach, Austin is the founder and co-director of the film festival and currently resides in Miami, Florida.

Personal Website

www.austingallagher.com

Contact Information:

Gallagher.austin@gmail.com

Erica Staaterman, Co-Director

Erica’s love for the ocean began during summers of her childhood, spent in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She began her scientific pursuits at Duke University and is currently a PhD student at the University of Miami. She is intrigued by acoustic communication in marine animals and is concerned about the effects of anthropogenic noise on these systems. From the kelp forests of Southern California to the coral reefs of the Florida Keys, Erica is always listening to the ocean. Her first film told the story of a mantis shrimp research team, and her second film focused on the Florida mini-season and its impacts on spiny lobster populations. Erica has been involved in the Beneath the Waves Film Festival since its infancy, and is the co-director.

Personal Website:

www.ericastaaterman.com

Contact Information:

staaterwoman@gmail.com

Danny Gleason, Benthic Ecology Event Organizer

Danny Gleason is Professor of Biology at Georgia Southern University. He received his B.S. degree in Biology from Furman University in 1980, and M.S. (1984) and PhD (1992) degrees from the University of Houston. Since arriving in Georgia in 1996, Danny has maintained research programs in both tropical and temperate marine ecosystems. His recent work on Caribbean reefs has been centered on coral larval behavior and the ability of larvae to repopulate degraded reefs. His temperate work has been conducted in and around Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary and is directed toward gaining a better understanding of the ecology of the non-mobile invertebrate fauna (e.g., corals, sponges, sea squirts) that dominate the hard-bottom reefs. In the classroom, Danny enjoys teaching courses in Marine Ecology, Physiological Ecology, and Invertebrate Zoology. He also facilitates the ability of graduate and undergraduate students to enter the world of research diving by serving as the Diving Unit Officer at Georgia Southern.

Student Personnel:

Ashwin Bhandiwad, Associate Director

PhD Student, University of Washington

Ashwin grew up far from the ocean, but fell in love with it from his first dive. Today, he researches auditory neuroscience and acoustic communication in fishes. His first film concerned recreational beach driving and its deleterious effects on the nesting shorebirds of North Carolina. You usually can find him holding a hydrophone and a recorder if you’re in Seattle or on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, or performing stand up comedy at various locations.

Email: abhandiwad@gmail.com

Andrew Shantz, Associate Organizer

PhD Student, Florida International University

Andrew became enamored with nature while living in Colorado where he studied environmental science and anthropology at the University of Colorado in Boulder.  Although he was far from the sea, his love of travel quickly brought him to some of the greatest stretches of ocean in the world and it didn’t take long for him to catch the diving bug.  Currently Andy is working on his PhD at Florida International University, where he studies nutritional drivers of foraging and how they impact coral reef community development. An ecologist at heart, Andrew is fascinated by how the natural world works and while he has focused on academia as a tool to understand that complexity, he continues to look for new ways for himself and others to share their passion, wonder and knowledge for the natural world.

Email: shantz.a@gmail.com

Perri Moeller, Student Intern and Organizer

Undergraduate Biology Major, University of Miami

Perri’s love for the ocean originated as a young girl when her parents first brought her to the beach, but then was solidified when she did her first night dive and experienced the world of bioluminescence. She is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Miami working on a double major in Marine Affairs and Policy and Ecosystem Science and Policy. Her career goal is to become an advocate and liason for conservation of Arctic environments through the use of visual communication to understand and promote a sustainable relationship between stakeholder sand the environment.

Email: p.moeller2@umiami.edu

David Shiffman, Social Media Organizer
PhD Student, University of Miami, FL

Although he grew up hundreds of miles from the coast, David has been fascinated by the ocean and the amazing creatures that live in it as long as his family can remember. He spent much of
his childhood at the Pittsburgh Zoo’s aquarium or watching the Discovery channel. David got his junior open water diver SCUBA certification as soon as he was old enough, and currently, as a NAUI assistant instructor, has hundreds of dives on three continents. He is now working on his Ph.D. at the University of Miami’s Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, where his research focuses on how the loss of sharks impacts coral reef ecosystems.
Blog: SouthernFriedScience.com

Email: david.shiffman@gmail.com

Alexandra Warneke

Masters Student, San Diego State University, CA

Since first diving into the immense kelp forests of Southern California at the age of 13, Alex hasn’t turned back.  Currently, she is studying Marine Chemical Ecology as a Masters student at San Diego State University. Specifically, she is interested in the topic of chemical interactions between predators and their prey and how these interactions can be disrupted by human pollutants. Beyond the confines of the lab, Alex is a strong proponent of unconventional science communication and extending the broader impacts of her research to the general public using the outlets of film and social media.

Email: a.warneke@yahoo.com

We are always interested in hearing from other students who share a passion for science and film. Please email us and introduce yourself!

Beneath the Waves Scientific Advisory Board:

Dr. Mark Butler (Marine Ecology), Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA

Dr. Richard Tankersley (Marine Ecology), Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL

Dr. Kenny Broad (Social Anthropology and Marine Exploration), University of Miami, FL

Dr. Salvatore Genovese (Marine Ecology and Oceanography), Northeastern University, MA

Dr. Neil Hammerschlag (Marine Ecology), University of Miami, Miami, FL

Dr. James Leichter (Physical Oceanography), Scripps Institute of Oceanography, CA

Dr. Jeremy Long (Chemical Ecology), San Diego State University, SD

Dr. Joseph Pawlik (Coral Reef Ecology), University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC

Dr. Sean Powers (Marine Ecology), University of Alabama, AB

The 2012 Festival was held in conjunction with the 41st Benthic Ecology Meeting, hosted by Old Dominion University, and there were a number of mini-festivals across the U.S. as well as internationally. In 2012 we received the most entries yet, many of which were unique and engaging.

2012 festival winners were:

Best Conservation Message:
“Time Will Tell”
Madison Stewart
Pelagic_pip@hotmail.com
I was raised in the oceans and this came with the honor of also being raised with top predators. I left school at the age of 14 to become home-schooled so I could spend more time in the ocean. My home reef is the Great Barrier Reef, a place that has always drawn my attention and given me my most memorable shark encounters yet. I am now 18 years old. In my lifetime, I have seen a change in the oceans and feel obligated to expose the injustices to our waters through this film. Filmed throughout the Great Barrier Reef, Caribbean, and Palau, the film gets its name because time is an important factor for the survival of sharks worldwide.

Best Student Film:
“Trophic Cascades of the Purple Marsh Crab”
Stephanie Yin
Stephanie_yin@brown.edu
Trophic cascades exist in a number of ecosystems and occur when food web dynamics are altered due to the change of one more organisms’ populations. This short animated film features the cascade that has caused the rampant die-off of chord grass in Cape Cod salt marshes. It follows the story of the Purple Marsh Crab, whose numbers have skyrocketed due to the removal of their predators. Along the way, we are reminded that our actions can have amplified and unforeseen consequences on ecosystems and organisms that we may have never encountered.

People's Choice:
"Gloop"
Gaby Bastyra & Joe Churchman
Gabybastyra:@gmail.com
Gloop is a dark fairytale that follows the meteoric rise of plastic from its inception in Leo’s gloomy laboratory 100 years ago. Told like a Brother’s Grimm fable, Gloop offers a poignant and lasting message about the price our oceans may play for the convenience of plastic.

Other films that were screened:
“Azul”
Joe Romeiro
joeromeiro@gmail.com
A snapshot of the beauty of our oceans, a portrayal of the blue world, a call to action. Azul shows us the intricate balance between the natural world an our human presence within it.

“R.I.P.”
Patrick Rynne
patrickrynne@gmail.com
The work of three scientists, Ad Reniers, Jamie MacMahan, and Rob Brander is depicted in this short film. Shot during a field experiment in Shelly Beach, New South Wales Australia in December 2011, the film aims to educate the audience about fundamental rip current dynamics and safety. The longstanding advice for swimmers caught in a rip current is for them to swim parallel to shore. Although this is true for rip current channels that flow offshore, it is not appropriate for the larger scale circulation patterns that characterize most rip current systems. Empirical evidence from numerous near-shore field efforts leads to the following recommendations: swimmers should not try to swim out of the rip. They should tread water, conserve their energy, and focus on properly duck-diving the waves while also signaling for help. In most cases the rip current will recirculate them back to a shallow shoal. In the rarer case that they get transported outside the surf zone, they should wait until a lull in the waves and then swim back towards shore directly.

“Plastic Future: the Midway story”
Claire M. Fieseler
cfiez@unc.edu
Filming for this work was confined to 2.4 square miles of ocean, reef, and rock. IN January 2010 the small pacific atoll of Midway served as a learning laboratory for a group of Duke University graduate students. The island, they found, was drowning in plastic. NOAA, NFWF, and the state of Hawaii struggle to conserve Midway’s coral reefs, monk seals, albatross, and rare endemic ducks. Yet the plastic problem overshadows every species’ struggle and every conservation decision. Some say marine debris is a global problem. But in Midway’s 2.4 square miles, plastic pervades undeniably so.

“Sea Harmony”
Monika LaPlante
theplantproductions@gmail.com
An online dating parody, Sea Harmony, adds an aquatic flavor to your love life. Like Monika LaPlante’s other digital shorts, this brief and comedic piece gives a humorous piece to marine science. And besides, other dating sites are just so species-specific.

“Are Some Weddell Seal Pups Couch Potatoes?”
Mary Lynn Price
mlprice@san.rr.com
Weddell Seal project researchers based at Montana State University are investigating whether Weddell Seal pups that spend time in the water learning to swim with their mothers have a higher probability of survival. Weddell moms spend a lot of time with their pups coaxing them into cold Antarctic water and helping them get out of the water. During this critical time, the pups are also nursing and gaining significant weight from their mother’s rich milk. In this video, shot on location in Antarctica, Montana State University ecology professors describe Weddell seal pup swimming behavior and the competing hypotheses they are investigating.

“Life Beneath the Mangroves”
John Bruno
jbruno@unc.edu
Mangroves are cool, threatened and really important. For example, they provide critical habitat for young fishes. IN this film, we take a voyage into the secret channels and grottos beneath a red mangrove forest on a pristine island off southern Cuba.

“Trouble in Paradise”
Chris Paporakis
chris_paporakis@yahoo.com
Shot on location in Bali, Indonesia, this film explores the intricate balance between ecotourism and natural behaviors of the Giant Ocean Sunfish. Sunfish frequent certain cleaning stations, but divers are perhaps too curious. This film serves as an important reminder to limit our impacts while experiencing nature.

“Watermelon for Aquanauts”
Joe Pawlik
pawlikj@uncw.edu
The underwater research lab “Aquarius” is an intriguing locale for divers worldwide. This film documents the rarely-seen, and often humorous, interactions between the surface crew and aquanauts that remain at depth for weeks on end.

“Discovering the Abyss”
Gritta Veit-Kohler
Gveit-kohler@senckenberg.de
On our deep sea expeditions we collect meiofauna, one millimeter sized animals that live within the sediments of the sea. The geographic distributions of many already described deep sea species, especially those of meiofauna size, are unknown. New records of species of the benthic copepod families show geographic distributions that extend over thousands of kilometers. Submarine ridges and canyons do not appear to be barriers to dispersal of those species. Follow us on our long journey from sampling in the sea bed to working in the lab to describing a new species.

“Survival of the Stillest: Embryonic Bamboo Sharks”
Ryan M. Kempster
ryankempster@supportoursharks.com
As humans, we are lucky that during development we have our mother there to care for and protect us until we are strong enough to emerge. Unfortunately for bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium punctatum), they don’t benefit from any maternal protection and so as a result they have evolved to protect themselves, using electroreception to identify potential dangers around them. By taking what we have learnt about the electrosensory system of bamboo sharks we can start to improve our understanding of how sharks may respond to electric repellent devices, like those used to protect
scuba divers and surfers.

“Lionfish Invasion”
Ziggy Livnat
info@forthesea.com
In an effort to educate the virgin island community about our expansive and diverse marine environment, Lionfish Invasion features the beautiful Indo-Pacific lionfish. An adept hunter and prolific egg-bearer, the lionfish is an invasive species in the Caribbean and threatens the existence of our native fishes and reefs.

“Meet Wilson”
Lesley Rochat
lrochat@iafrica.com
A dynamic team of talented young animators have breathed life into the unique and delightful character Wilson in this thought-provoking and highly entertaining short that aims to put shark bites into perspective.

“Manta Ray of Hope”
Shawn Heinrichs
Shawn.heinrichs@bluespheremedia.com
Manta ray of hope takes the viewer on a breathtaking journey through some of the most remote and exotic places on earth to personally experience the beauty of manta rays. Through the eyes of naturalists and researchers, we unravel the mysteries of this charismatic species. We also experience their pain, watching mantas being fished illegally in front of our very eyes. We go deep under cover from remote fishing villages to bustling cities to better understand and expose the trade that is threatening their very future.

“Our Blue”
Nick Stec
Nick.stec@thetankbangers.com
Our blue is the world’s first marine conservation record. Filmed entirely underwater, it is a song about the blue and why we love her. It is a song that shows the world the way it is and what we have done to it. This music video shows the beauty of our ocean realm and provides inspiration for the future.

“Befriending Giants”
Shawn Heinrichs
Shawn.heinrichs@bluespheremedia.com
There has been some controversy surrounding the recently discovered aggregation in Oslob, Philippines because the feeding of the sharks accompanies tourism. Shark ecotourism is a booming and growing global industry that has both socioeconomic and conservation benefits. The saying, “seek first to understand, then to be understood” comes to mind in this story. It is in this spirit that the story of Oslob’s whale sharks is told.

“Eggs on the Beach”
John F. Williams
jw@stillhopeproductions.com
The sites, sounds, and textures of the beach have been attracting beach-goers for millennia. This video focuses on scientists visiting beaches to find invisible things – eggs, the size of grains of sand. Follow along as a variety of tools, from garden hoses to microscopes, are used to coax the eggs out of their surroundings in order to unlock their mysteries.

“Pinto Abalone Restoration”
Paul Hillman
Paul.hillman@noaa.gov
Pinto Abalone is a species of concern on the Pacific coast, and efforts are underway to restore its population. This short film documents a recent outplanting effort in March 2011 during which over 2000 abalone were released into the Puget Sound.

“Now, More than Ever, Sharks Count”
Samantha Whitcraft
Samantha.whitcraft@sharksavers.org
A combination of interviews with some of the earliest SCUBA divers in Florida, archival and historical photographs, and present-day underwater footage, this documentary presents a unique historical perspective on the issue of shark declines. This story also portrays a new generation of divers that seek to log and track their own shark sightings in Florida and create a new citizen science baseline.

“Maine’s Underwater Rockweed Forest”
Robin Hadlock Seeley & David Brown
dbrownpix@gmail.com
Burgeoning global demand for products derived from seaweeds is driving the increased removal of wild coastal seaweed biomass, an emerging low-trophic level industry. These products are marketed as organic and sustainable. The brown macroalga Ascophyllum nodosum (rockweed) is a foundational species that forms an underwater forest and supports a diverse community of invertebrates and vertebrates. Until sustainable levels of cutting and appropriate regulations are identified, commercial sale rockweed cutting presents a risk to coastal rockweed ecosystems and the human communities that depend on them.

“Stef: Lover of Ice in the Land of Lobster”
Shannon Prendivlle
sprendiville@une.edu
Meet Stef! The only harp seal pup known to ever have been born on the shores of Maine – hundreds of miles from harp seal birthing grounds in Canada. Watch as this charismatic day-old seal grows up within the walls of the Maine Rehabilitation Center at the University of New England. Lucky to have been born within US Borders, Stef is protected from the Canadian seal hunt for her first few months of life.

“Sharkwater Saipan”
Angelo Villagomez and Rob Stewart
info@sharkdefenders.com
The commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands enacted the world’s second shark-fin ban on January 27, 2011. This short film tells the story of Kathy Pagapular’s sixth grade class at San Vicente Elementary School on the island of Saipan, and how a class project led to the world’s second shark fin ban.

“Isla Coronado Ghost Net”
Walter Marti
walter@waltermarti.com
Showing the discovery and removal of a ghost net and lobster traps from the Coronado Island just south of San Diego, CA. Filled with exploration, a team of technical divers are assembled to remove this massive net.

“Sink or Swim Tokyo”
Tre Packard
tre@pangeaseed.org
In the spirit of ocean conservation the Japan-based non-profit organization, PangeaSeed, is ramping up it's summer activities in Tokyo and abroad with events tailored to address one the biggest threats facing the health of world's oceans today -- the rapid mass depletion of sharks. “Sink or Swim Tokyo” documents the efforts of this organization to promote awareness of shark killing through mediums such as art, music, and film.

“Seeding the Keys”
Seth Greenspan
Seth.greenspan@gmail.com
Seeding the Keys documents local coral enthusiast Ken Nedimyer’s efforts to bring back staghorn coral to the Florida Keys, a species that has all but disappeared since the late 1980s.

“Solstice”
Simon Spear
Simon.spear@btinternet.com
Winter fades, spring dawns, and the season inevitably move towards midsummer, where an encounter with one of nature’s true giants awaits. This film documents the awe-inspiring experiences and diverse marine communities in the temperate waters of the United Kingdom.

In 2012 we also hosted 10 mini-screenings across the United States as well as internationally. For more information on these, please see the "Mini-Festivals" section of our page.

2011
2011 saw the festival heading south—Mobile, Alabama. Riding on the hype generated from our first year, it was a difficult task to choose the top 20 films to be screened at the event. As the lights dimmed and the introduction video began, the excitement in the room was palatable. From documenting the surfing of giant waves, to research on spotted eagle rays, to algal forests and ice expeditions in the Arctic, Alabama marked a year of tremendous growth. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and we can only hope that the 2012 festival will be even better.

2011 Winners:
Best of Festival
“Once Upon A Tide,” Harvard Medical School

Best Conservation Film
“Sink Your Shucks,” Harte Research Institute

Best Student Film
“Under the Boat,” by Alexandra Warneke

Best Cinematography
“Shark Culture,” by Joe Romeiro 333 Productions

2010
March 2010 marked our first ever festival, held at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, a well-known surfing town on the mid-Atlantic coastline of the US. Through grassroots PR, we showcased 20 diverse films for the competition—with submissions coming from students, scientists, conservationists, nature lovers, and industry professionals. Over two nights, we drew in over 400 audience members who were treated to a wide array of films depicting stories such as: the shocking truths of shark finning in South Africa, a humorous take on the debate over seabird conservation and land use in the Outer Banks, a scientist’s rap song about invertebrate zoology, a dive into Pacific coast kelp forests and marine protected areas, and a story about an explosion of squid populations in southern California. The inaugural event was judged by a panel of researchers and well known nature filmmakers.

2010 Winners

Best Of Festival
“Sharks in Deep Trouble,” by Lesley Rochat

Best Student Film
“Shifting Sands: The Fight for the Outer Banks,” Ashwin Bhandiwad

Best Conservation Film
“Squidilicious,” by Gary Hawkins

Most Original Piece
“What Invert You Like,” by Dr. Jeremy Long