18Th Annual IOFF Program

18th Annual IOFF Program

Dear IOFF Friends,

It is with great excitement that we launch the 18th Annual International Ocean Film Festival as a virtual presentation starting April 15-May 2, 2021.

While it has been a challenging year for all of us, we are extremely proud to bring you these award-winning independent, ocean inspired films for you to enjoy in the comfort of your home.

This year’s lineup of a record 80+ films is a testament to the dedication and passion of filmmakers around the world. Seeing the natural world through the lens of their camera is what helps us to continue to pursue our mission of restoring, protecting, and balancing ocean biodiversity through independent film and for that we are extremely grateful.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our donors, sponsors, promotional partners, friends, and the untiring commitment of so many wonderful volunteers who all worked together to make this year’s festival a success.

On behalf of all of us at the International Ocean Film Festival, thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the films.

Sincerely, For our oceans,

Ana Blanco Executive Director

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 2 18th Annual IOFF Program Contents

4. FEATURE FILMS

8. FEATURE FILMS - LIMITED SCREENING 9. FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE 13. COASTAL COMMUNITIES & CULTURE 16. CORAL REEFS

18. ENVIRONMENT

21. MARINE ECOSYSTEMS - RESTORATION & CONSERVATION 24. OCEAN SPORTS & EXPLORATION 26. OUR BLUE OCEAN 28. SHARK CONSERVATION 30. SURFING 32. WHALES 34. FEMALE DIRECTOR 37. SHORTS 42. ALPHA LIST

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 3 18th Annual IOFF Program Feature Films

50 Shades of Sharks (La vie privée des requins) Alexis Barbier-Bouvet, Didier Noirot | France | 43 min Showing begins April 15

Sharks as big as whales that eat the smallest animals in the ocean; sharks that walk across the reef, sharks that, like mammals, give birth to pups. 50 Shades of Sharks shows the diversity of shark biology, behavior and beauty. Shot in 4K by National Geographic cameraman Didier Noirot (Blue Planet, 700 Sharks) this film is sensational, not to terrify, but to inspire.—DM Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

Current Sea

Christopher Smith | Malaysia | 90 min Showing begins April 15

While investigative journalist Matt Bloomberg follows illegal fishing stories in Cambodia, he encounters a diver turned ocean activist Paul Ferber. This powerful and eye-opening film sheds light on extremely destructive bottom-trawling practices, by Vietnamese boats, which threaten Cambodian marine ecosystems. The new generation of locals who take initiative to protect their ocean, though, also threatened, eventually get government support. —YI Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

The Deep Med

Gil Kébaïli | France | 96 min Showing begins April 15

Just offshore of the luxuriously populated French Riviera a group of explorers conduct a dive mission into the bathyal zone, the portion of the offshore area extending down from the edge of the continental shelf. Four divers live in a 5 square meter (54 square foot) pressurized chamber for 28 days and saturation-dive without the usual time limits in the100 meter zone of the Mediterranean Sea. Beautiful photographs of many unusual species while documenting the incredible challenge of deep diving and constraints on the divers, not unlike a space mission, but here on our planet Earth. —ST Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 4 18th Annual IOFF Program Feature Films

Entangled

David Abel | USA | 75 min Showing begins April 15

Entangled is an award-winning film about how climate change has accelerated a collision between one of the world’s most endangered species, North America’s most valuable fishery, and a federal agency mandated to protect both. The film, by the makers of Lobster War and Sacred Cod, chronicles the efforts to protect North Atlantic right whales from extinction, the impacts of those efforts on the lobster industry, and how the National Marine Fisheries Service has struggled to balance the vying interests. Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

Escape from Extinction Bay Area Premiere

Matthew R. Brady | USA | 82 min Showing begins April 15

Humans have not been good caretakers of planet Earth nor of the non-human species that inhabit it. How some of our activities have impacted animals and plants are described here in stories, most of us have heard before. But Escape from Extinction, as the title suggests, also describes the activities by individuals and nations to halt the destruction and begin a restoration of plants, animals and habitats. —IS Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

FISH & MEN Bay Area Premiere

Darby Duffin, Adam Jones | USA | 85 min Showing begins April 15

A comprehensive approach to better understanding the high cost of cheap fish in the modern US seafood economy, this film shows the dire consequences on five specific fish species. With an estimated 91% of our fish being imported amounting to six billion tons of imported seafood, we need to become more aware of the origin of our seafood. With the help of local fishing communities, pioneering fishermen, and celebrated chefs, a movement is underway to embrace a more local, seasonal and sustainable seafood industry. Reconnect with fishermen who risk their lives to harvest our seafood and also discover new varieties of seafood. —AB Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 5 18th Annual IOFF Program Feature Films

The Last Lightkeepers West Coast Premiere

Rob Apse | USA | 60 min Showing begins April 15

Lighthouses are icons of maritime safety and their imagery has an extended place in art and literature. As technology has made lighthouses (and their human keepers) obsolete there is a movement to preserve what remains of these historic structures. This film discusses the lighthouses of New England and tells the story of individuals fighting to preserve them while recounting the history, traditions and folklore of these aids to navigation. —ST Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

The Long Coast West Coast Premiere

Ian Cheney | USA | 81 min Showing begins April 15

After watching this beautifully moving and rich visual excursion through Maine’s varied coastal communities, you will know not to whistle or bring bananas on a lobster boat. You will also know about digging for clams, farming kelp, setting 600 lobster traps, and even how those traps are made. And you will sense the deep attachment to the sea these Downeasters have for the waters that provide them—for now— with their bounty. —SJPH Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

Nanuq - An Arctic Journey from Past to Future West Coast Premiere

Emanuele Licitra | Italy | 55 min Showing begins April 15

In 1928, an Italian airship crashes onto the ice near the North Pole. No one survives. Ninety years later, a group of scientists in a sailboat follow the airship’s route from Iceland, via Greenland, to the Svalbard archipelago made possible by the retreating ice field. Along the way, they measure cosmic rays, plastic debris, the geomagnetic field, and climate change. —KH Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 6 18th Annual IOFF Program Feature Films

OCEAN SOULS US Premiere

Philip Hamilton, Scott Wilson | UK | 58 min Showing begins April 15

With rich family lives, complex social structures and high emotional intelligence, whales and dolphins are much more like us than we think. What can we learn from them and does our survival depend on what we discover? Stunning 4k cinematography captures what might be the greatest diversity of cetaceans ever seen on film. Emotive and thought provoking. —BB Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

Three Arts in Antarctica Bay Area Premiere

Bartosz Stróżyński | Poland | 57 min Showing begins April 15

This is not the typical expedition to Antarctica. Instead of scientists, three different types of Polish artists explore Antarctica by sailboat. A photographer documents up-close, above and below the water, the wildlife encountered. A second artist attempts to use an early form of photography (wet-plate collodion) to capture unique images. Lastly, a musician performs a guitar concert from an iceberg that is broadcast back to Poland. The ultimate goal is to bring awareness and understanding of Antarctica through the arts. —ST Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 7 18th Annual IOFF Program Feature Films - Limited Screening

Descent US Premiere

Nays Baghai | Australia | 52 min Showing begins April 30

A young Dutch swimmer discovers she can find calmness and peace in the coldest water. She searches out new places, even feeling at home under the ice exploring the seabed. But there is a downside. —KH Themed Program: FEATURE FILM - LIMITED SCREENING

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 8 18th Annual IOFF Program Cinemare Feature Films

66 Meters

Max Mönch, Alexander Lahl | Germany | 52 min Showing begins April 20

A comprehensive documentary about sea level rise and its global impacts.How high will the oceans rise? Estimates that were considered panic-mongering just a few years ago are now in the realm of possibility. Already in 2100 the coasts of our planet could look different. The crucial question is: How will Greenland and Antarctica develop? Science is just beginning to include the complex dynamics in its forecasts. The results will determine how the coasts prepare for the impending threat. Up to what level can we protect ourselves? When will we have to think about abandoning areas... Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE

Betty Would Go

Andrea Hausstätter | Germany | 86 min Showing begins April 20

The documentary “Betty Would Go – Ride Waves -Surf Life- Save the Ocean”, shows that passion can overcome limits – even when things are really tough. The documentary movie encourages everybody to live their dreams and shows all ups and downs. And furthermore, include other stories of inspirational people. Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE

Blue Breath

Rodrigo Areias | Portugal | 75 min Showing begins April 20

Crushed by a volcano against the ocean, Ribeira Quente is a fishing village in S. Miguel Island in the Azores facing the last days of a fishing activity as they know it. Everyone fights for normal days while life has to continue even with the fish's scarcity. Note: this film is in Portuguese with English subtitles. Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 9 18th Annual IOFF Program Cinemare Feature Films

Chicks on Boards

Dörthe Eickelberg | Germany | 90 min Showing begins April 20

Surfing is an expression of freedom and limitlessness. But the seemingly endless freedom between the skies and the waves has clear borders on land. Surfing women are considered an insult across many cultures. Therefore, many of these women surf secretly - risking a lot for their passion. Through the artistic lens of cinematography we capture these campaigners in their elements as they claim freedom against all social odds – even if their passion is a provocation of their culture. Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE

Ireland's Deep Atlantic

Ken O'Sullivan | Ireland | 90 min Showing begins April 20

Irish underwater cameraman Ken O’Sullivan sets out on a series of voyages over two years from Ireland’s coast into the deep waters of the North Atlantic to try and find some of the largest animals ever to have on planet Earth, blue and sperm whales and attempt to map their migration routes. His journeys take him out to the edge of the continental shelf and 3,000 metres down into dark, cold Atlantic waters in search of life cold water coral reefs to see how life in the surface ocean waters is affected by what happens on the deep sea bed. Combining wildlife sequences of animals and behaviour filmed... Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE

Magical Iceland

Jan Haft | Germany | 50 min Showing begins April 20

Volcanic activity has shaped Iceland’s rugged northern wilderness like no other place on earth; both above and below water. How do animals survive in this harsh terrain? What does it take to live among glaciers, deserts and volcanoes? And how do you cope with waters near boiling and close to freezing at the same time? These are the challenges of living on an island of extremes. Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 10 18th Annual IOFF Program Cinemare Feature Films

Our Oceans: A Journey of Discovery

Charlie Luckock | South Africa | 90 min Showing begins April 20

Our Oceans are in a state of crisis, and we’re the ones responsible for it. A team of scientists, divers and photographers set out on a journey of discovery along one of the longest, and richest, coastlines in the world. Along the way they unveil three incredible natural events to the world, whilst highlighting the impending threats, and all the while promoting the protection of our oceans. Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE

Seafever World Premiere

Lisa Hoffmann | Germany | 58 min Showing begins April 20

What draws humans to the sea? How can the connection with the sea and its meaning be described for those who choose to live with and on the sea? How does it affect their lives, their families and personal interactions and what challenges does this intense bond with the sea cause for social life? The film SEAFEVER is the last work of the project Meersucht (Sea Addiction), which deals with those who have dedicated their lives to the sea and their intense connection with it. The artist Lisa Hoffmann went to sea for several years as a cadet, sailor and technical officer‘s assistant on merchant and search and rescue vessels... Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE

Sharks of the Icy North

Christina Karliczek Skoglund | Germany | 51 min Showing begins April 20

We mostly know sharks from tropical seas. Very little is known about those in cold waters. Camerawoman Christina Karliczek takes on an exciting expedition: She finds sharks with venomous spines, the giant Basking Shark and even sharks that glow! Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 11 18th Annual IOFF Program Cinemare Feature Films

Sockeye Salmon Red Fish

Dmitriy Shpilenok, Vladislav Grishin | Russia | 51 min Showing begins April 20

Sockeye, a species of wild salmon, is born in Kamchatkan waters and spends its entire life in the Pacific Ocean. Only once does it return to fresh waters - to give offspring, start the circle of life, and die. It is an inexhaustible resource that feeds billions of people on the planet, restored every year! But soon, we may find ourselves facing the unimaginable: humans will exhaust the inexhaustible! Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE

Wild Caribbean - Whales and Volcanoes

Florian Guthknecht | Germany | 60 min Showing begins April 20

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 12 18th Annual IOFF Program Coastal Communities & Culture

BAJO : Guardians Of The Reef

Alice Colfox, Boris Thompson-Roylance | UK | 5 min Showing begins April 15

This film transports us to Sulawesi, Indonesia, in the center of the coral triangle which has the highest coral biodiversity in the world. We meet Dafrin — a Bajau and free diver who shares a deep connection to the ocean that began in his childhood. Bajau people have lived and fished in these waters for centurie, with communities made up of some of the most renowned natural free divers in the world. He admits to trying dynamite fishing, but when he saw it destroying the coral reefs where he fished, he vowed to never fish that way again. —GC Themed Program: COASTAL COMMUNITIES & CULTURE

dhīvaraḥ World Premiere Giridhar Nayak K | USA | 12 min Showing begins April 15

'dhīvaraḥ' reveals the spiritual and arduous way of life for coastal fishermen in Malpe Harbour, Karnataka, India. Peak fishing occurs in the post-monsoon season. Fishermen pray for their safe journeys as they head out to sea for many days at a time. Owing to climate change and warming waters, they are forced to travel much farther, sometimes as far as 375 nautical miles, spending more money on fuel and ice to keep their fish fresh. This film provides hope for local fishermen and fish populations through the strength of the local Sasihithlu Fishing Cooperative Society and the Ministry of Fisheries sustainable management initiatives. —GC Themed Program: COASTAL COMMUNITIES & CULTURE

Homecoming: Journey to Limuw Bay Area Premiere

Nick Zachar | USA | 15 min Showing begins April 15

Homecoming: Journey to Limuw tells the story of the Chumash people’s annual journey back to their historical village site on Limuw, now present day Santa Cruz Island. Come along as we see, hear, and feel each pull of their paddles, symbolic of how the Chumash community is keeping their traditions alive. Themed Program: COASTAL COMMUNITIES & CULTURE

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 13 18th Annual IOFF Program Coastal Communities & Culture

Kaitiaki (Guardians of the Sky, Sea and Land) US Premiere

Shawn Heinrichs | New Zealand | 4 min Showing begins April 15

Mako comes from the Maori word for shark and the mako shark holds a deep spiritual importance to the people of Atearoa (New Zealand). But mako sharks are being harvested globally at an alarming rate and becoming endangered. Divers, photographers and Maori leaders come together to protect the Mako shark, and restore the health of Tangaroa, the god of the sea and progenitor of fish. —DM Themed Program: COASTAL COMMUNITIES & CULTURE

Kiligivak (Mammoth) West Coast Premiere

Laura Tejero, Jake Chamberlain | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

If an indigenous resident of Kotzebue, Alaska, finds a mammoth tusk, it can be sold for a lot of money, but since these people co-existed with mammoths it is also a prized cultural artifact. The storms that expose the permafrost and its mammoth treasures also melt the permafrost, a process that could release twice the amount of carbon currently held in the Earth’s atmosphere, turning us, perhaps, into a different kind of mammoth. —SJPH Themed Program: COASTAL COMMUNITIES & CULTURE

No Part Too Small World Premiere

Stanley Lin, Spencer Lin | USA | 19 min Showing begins April 15

Vanuatu, a nation of 83 islands northeast of Australia, is on the forefront of the planet’s fight against the damages of climate change, which has brought Type 5 cyclones to the islands for the first time. Barak Sope, a former prime minister, and other environmental volunteers and teachers make clear, that without its mangrove forests, reefs, sustainable fishing practices, and appropriate foreign help, Vanuatu could be the first national casualty of world climate change. —SJPH Themed Program: COASTAL COMMUNITIES & CULTURE

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 14 18th Annual IOFF Program Coastal Communities & Culture

One Word Sawalmem

Natasha Deganello Giraudie, Michael "Pom" Preston | USA | 19 min Showing begins April 15

Sawalmem means sacred water, an infinite entity with divine intelligence. At UC Berkeley where our hero, a member of the Winnemem Wintu tribe studies, nobody talks about spirituality, yet already over 140 dams have been removed from California’s rivers. When all the rivers run free again, the salmon will return and his people will prosper. —KH Themed Program: COASTAL COMMUNITIES & CULTURE

Yáa at Wooné (Respect for All Things) West Coast Premiere

Kh’asheechtlaa (Louise Brady), Lee House | USA | 21 min Showing begins April 15

To the Indigenous Tlingit peoples of Southeast Alaska, herring are an important resource connecting communities and ocean ecosystems. With stunning images of Alaskan wildlife and open spaces, this film shows the importance of herring to seals, eagles, whales and people — and the risks they are facing from commercial harvesting. Together, the herring keepers are working to protect the herring of the Sitka sound, and with them sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge. —DM Themed Program: COASTAL COMMUNITIES & CULTURE

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 15 18th Annual IOFF Program Coral Reefs

Barbara Crites: Snorkeling St John, US Virgin Islands Andrea E Leland | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

93,899 (and counting). That’s how many underwater images Barbara Crites has taken in photo-documenting marine life in the US Virgin Islands. Not bad for someone who’s “not really a water person”. She is proof that anyone can contribute to citizen science if they follow their curiosity, jump in with both feet and discover the world around them… and in turn, themselves. —BB Themed Program: CORAL REEFS

Changing Seas: "American Samoa's Resilient Coral Reefs" Alexa Elliott | USA | 27 min Showing begins April 15

American Samoa is home to some of the largest corals on record. Reefs in this remote island paradise are thriving, while corals elsewhere are in serious decline. Scientists study what makes these corals more resilient than others in the wake of local and global stressors. Themed Program: CORAL REEFS

Coral Resiliency: The Marine Protected Areas of Taytay World Premiere Gabriel Malvar | Philippines | 14 min Showing begins April 15

Taytay, a Palawan Island in the Philippines, hosts a network of marine protected areas (MPA), ranging from privately-owned to community-run to local government-managed. All these MPAs contribute to raising the resiliency of coral and help combat the negative effects of climate change. —AB Themed Program: CORAL REEFS

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 16 18th Annual IOFF Program Coral Reefs

The Green Wave - Tahiti US Premiere

Bouvet Emmanuel | France | 26 min Showing begins April 15

A combined group of surfers and fisherfolk come together to help protect Moorea’s local reefs. They create coral gardens to help maintain the health of the ocean. Another focus of the group is to create a dynamic green economy that can be established on land in order to protect the dwindling ocean resources. —IS Themed Program: CORAL REEFS

How to Raise Baby Corals West Coast Premiere

Andrew Ackerman | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

To help struggling coral reefs around the world, an international team of scientists is planting over a million new coral colonies. They perform the coral equivalent of in vitro fertilization—and watch the corals grow. —KH Themed Program: CORAL REEFS

Lens of Time: Coral in Motion

Amy Miller | USA | 6 min Showing begins April 15

Mineral, plant or animal? Coral reefs are all of those, but the reefs are deposited by tiny animals called polyps with unique and fascinating behavior. Join Dr. Pim Boegaerts of the San Francisco based California Academy of Sciences in the field and behind the scenes at the Academy as she studies the behavior of these fascinating animals by using time lapse photography. —DM Themed Program: CORAL REEFS

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 17 18th Annual IOFF Program Environment

Aguugum Tanaa (Our Sacred Place) Part 1, The Seals and the Sea Birds Ryan Peterson, Alaskanist Stories | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

Millions of seabirds, thousands of seals: this lonely island in the Bering Sea sits amid one of the richest marine bioregions on the planet. But human impacts have altered it; some seabirds no longer lay eggs, and seal pups starve. Yet God has given the Unangan people the spiritual imperative: “Protect the seals and the seabirds.” And they will! - MJS Themed Program: ENVIRONMENT

Aguugum Tanaa (Our Sacred Place) Part 2, Balance Ryan Peterson, Alaskanist Stories | USA | 5 min Showing begins April 15

For 10,000 years the Unangan people of Alaska’s St. George Island lived in balance with this rich maritime ecosystem. But, colonization upset that balance. The lucrative seal fur trade demanded slave labor, and first the Russians, then the U.S. became the Unangans’ masters. Forcibly relocated and decimated by disease, they now seek justice, equality, a livelihood, and protection for their waters. - MJS Themed Program: ENVIRONMENT

Aguugum Tanaa (Our Sacred Place) Part 3, For the Future Ryan Peterson, Alaskanist Stories | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

The Unangan people of wildlife-rich St. George Island, Alaska, are unprepared for the impacts that climate change has accelerated: increased shipping, pollution, overfishing. They now petition the US government for national marine sanctuary designation, to help them manage and protect their environment (including 120 seabird species!), generate economic activity, preserve their heritage, and give them a voice in their own future. - MJS Themed Program: ENVIRONMENT

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 18 18th Annual IOFF Program Environment

Changing Seas: "A Decade After Deepwater"

Liz Smith | USA | 27 min Showing begins April 15

Ten years after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster, scientists are still studying its devastating impacts on the Gulf of Mexico. Now they are using lessons learned to prepare for the next big spill. Themed Program: ENVIRONMENT

Finding Letter Six

Andrea Reid, Shannon Switzer Swanson, Mikayla Wujec | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

Take a dive into the journey of the ornamental fish species, blue tang aka “Letter Six” or Pixar’s Dory from the coral reefs in Indonesia to a hobbyist’s aquarium in Colorado. This film ultimately reveals a bigger picture of the global ornamental fish trade and how it affects people's lives and their livelihoods. – YI Themed Program: ENVIRONMENT

Gáax’w Ka Haaw: Herring Eggs & Branches Bay Area Premiere

Tessa Ellie Schmidt, Lee House | USA | 36 min Showing begins April 15

The indigenous people of Southeast Alaska have always harvested herring eggs by placing hemlock branches in the herring spawn. It provides them with vital food, but the tradition has become endangered by expanding commercial fisheries and a tone-deaf Fish and Game Department. —KH Themed Program: ENVIRONMENT

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 19 18th Annual IOFF Program Environment

On the Brink West Coast Premiere

Jeremy Mathieu | Canada | 8 min Showing begins April 15

On the west coast of British Columbia, in majestic Clayoquot Sound, wild salmon, nourishing bears, and bald eagles, are the backbone of biocultural diversity of the forest and its First Nations stewards. But wild juvenile salmon are on the brink of extirpation caused by an explosion of sea lice from aquaculture farms. Impassioned, fast-paced and energetic. —BB Themed Program: ENVIRONMENT

Tsunami Memories US Premiere

Isaac Kerlow | USA | 10 min Showing begins April 15

On December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake caused by the movement of two major tectonic plates occurred off the coast of Indonesia’s Banda Aceh province. Over 200,000 died from the resulting tsunami. Some in Banda Aceh feel it is God’s punishment for not behaving properly toward each other. Others believe the scientific explanation. How will their beliefs prepare them for the next disaster? —SJPH Themed Program: ENVIRONMENT

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 20 18th Annual IOFF Program Marine Ecosystems

Aguugum Tanaa (Our Sacred Place) Part 1, The Seals and the Sea Birds Ryan Peterson, Alaskanist Stories | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

Aurora Short Film World Premiere

Emilio José Álvarez García | Mexico | 9 min Showing begins April 15

Out of every 1,000 small sea turtles that hatch, only one will reach adulthood. Follow the experience of a young volunteer in a marine turtle conservation program in the state of Quintana Roo along the Mexican Caribbean. Through her eyes we will get to know the work carried out by the Xcacel Sea Turtle Camp, and daily effort of the entire team to protect and care for the nests of this species, to ensure that their newborns can reach the sea. —AB Themed Program: MARINE ECOSYSTEMS - RESTORATION & CONSERVATION

Changing Seas: "Peru's Desert Penguins"

Alexa Elliott | USA | 27 min Showing begins April 15

Along Peru’s barren coastline seabirds reign. Among them is the adorable Humboldt penguin, which builds its nests in the guano of other birds. Scientists monitor local penguin populations and study the animals’ interactions with fisheries. Themed Program: MARINE ECOSYSTEMS - RESTORATION & CONSERVATION

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 21 18th Annual IOFF Program Marine Ecosystems

Guardians of the Turtles West Coast Premiere

Naman Govil, Mithun TM | India | 17 min Showing begins April 15

Climate change, ghost fishing and human impacts such as plastic pollution threaten the sustainability of a tiny fishing community called Tambaldeg on the western coast of India. Community members mean to prevent it from happening — they clean the beaches year round, collecting 2-3 tons of plastic per year. Community-led turtle conservation has helped to educate those who once ate turtle eggs and encourage them to throw out their old fishing gear into the sea. Conservation must start with the community, not just wait for a government mandate. —GC Themed Program: MARINE ECOSYSTEMS - RESTORATION & CONSERVATION

How to Raise Baby Corals West Coast Premiere

Andrew Ackerman | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

Ocean to the Everglades, Part 1 US Premiere

Isaac Mead-Long | USA | 10 min Showing begins April 15

South Florida’s Everglades wetlands, estuary and ocean are deeply intertwined. The first in a 3-part series, Ocean Conservancy’s J.P. Brooker takes the viewer into an exploration of South Florida’s seagrass, mangrove and coral reef habitat and their importance to humans and the environment. Our host examines the region’s environmental challenges and impacts, and the work of local advocates and leaders to restore and protect this national treasure. —DM Themed Program: MARINE ECOSYSTEMS - RESTORATION & CONSERVATION Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 22 18th Annual IOFF Program Marine Ecosystems

Reducing the Risk of Disasters through Nature-based Solutions - Mangroves World Premiere Leo Thom | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

Coastal mangrove forests are buffers between land and sea, playing the critical role of protecting coastal communities from storms, wind and erosion. Largely ignored and misunderstood, these critical ecosystems don't just affect local communities and wildlife, but their critical ecosystem services reach far beyond. On an island in Southern Thailand mangroves deforestation has continued in the last 50 years. This film shows how local people have been affected, and highlights efforts to restore these habitats to secure a more sustainable future —GC Themed Program: MARINE ECOSYSTEMS - RESTORATION & CONSERVATION

Restoring the Natural Mangrove Forest World Premiere

Leo Thom | UK | 10 min Showing begins April 15

Coastal communities are intrinsically connected to the sea and their lives depend on it. This film takes us to the Andaman Coast in Southern Thailand to eliminate the importance of mangrove forests to coastal communities, underpinning the livelihoods of an estimated 210 million people. They store vast amounts of carbon, support a rich biodiversity, provide protein for communities, and replenishing the seas by acting as critical breeding grounds and nurseries for many marine species. Half of the mangroves have been cut down for development of shrimp farms to supply the global seafood demand. The Mangrove Action Project... Themed Program: MARINE ECOSYSTEMS - RESTORATION & CONSERVATION

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 23 18th Annual IOFF Program Ocean Sports & Exploration

Blue Calling

Sarah Ziegler, Janis Klinkenberg | Germany | 6 min Showing begins April 15

Bavarian free diver Daniel Bichsel takes us to the crystal-clear waters of Marettimo, a protected Aegadian island west of Sicily. With each breath he is conscious of the eternity, silence and oneness with an undersea world that are under increasing threat. He encourages us to step lightly and reminds us that every idea, no matter how small, has the potential to make an impact!—BB Themed Program: OCEAN SPORTS & EXPLORATION

Determination - The Farallon Record World Premiere

Danielle Sellwood | USA | 10 min Showing begins April 15

If you are in San Francisco with plans to be the first woman to row across the north Pacific, where is the best place to practice? Lia Ditton chooses a circumnavigation of the Farallon Islands 25 miles off the coast, and why not try to complete the journey in record time? —KH Themed Program: OCEAN SPORTS & EXPLORATION

Lessons from Jeju

Nicole Gormley | USA | 13 min Showing begins April 15

The Haenyao are women free divers from Jeju Island, South Korea, who make their living collecting shellfish and seaweed. These are South Korea’s first working moms. Most of them are the sole support of their families. This matrilineal activity is passed down from mother to daughter. The Haenyao go collecting their entire livings and it is not uncommon for three generations to be in the water at the same time. —IS Themed Program: OCEAN SPORTS & EXPLORATION

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 24 18th Annual IOFF Program Ocean Sports & Exploration

Lost at Sea West Coast Premiere

Johnny Burke | UK | 48 min Showing begins April 15

“He started out looking for freedom and ended up emotionally trapped.” That’s how Louis Bird, son of Peter Bird, first man to row solo from San Francisco to Australia—over 8,000 miles— comes to understand his father. Peter died in1986 on his fifth try to row from Vladivostok to San Francisco, and be the first person to do a Pacific double crossing. What drove him, and others who undertake such feats? Usually, films like this never answer such a question. Lost at Sea does. —SJPH Themed Program: OCEAN SPORTS & EXPLORATION

The Ocean Calls

Lauren-ann Smith | Australia | 7 min Showing begins April 15

Going on a multi-year sailing adventure is what many people dream of doing: the Smith family of Australia did just that — they sold everything they owned to chase a dream; their home, business and everything associated with both. Inspired to give their autistic son Sam and his two siblings Lauren and Mackenzie an adventure of a lifetime. —AB Themed Program: OCEAN SPORTS & EXPLORATION

Stories from the Blue: Discovering Inner Earth Bay Area Premiere

Nick Zachar | USA | 6 min Showing begins April 15

In this male dominated field, Jill Heinerth does not dive into dark underwater caves of California’s Channel Islands for the adrenaline rush. She enters this rare, pristine place, the “veins of Mother Earth” to explore and map the biology and the geology of the planet’s past. —KH Themed Program: OCEAN SPORTS & EXPLORATION

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 25 18th Annual IOFF Program Our Blue Ocean

Be There, Be Present

Greg Dennis | UK | 13 min Showing begins April 15

It’s May, 2020, and the pandemic has the world gripped in isolation, anxiety and fear. Each morning at dawn, a British photographer seeks personal restoration where he feels most complete – in the sea. He quickly discovers that his simple act of reconnection offers the possibility of helping many other people regain their sense of happiness and wellbeing too. —BB Themed Program: OUR BLUE OCEAN

HIGH AS A KITE World Premiere

Steven Kovacs | USA | 36 min Showing begins April 15

A charismatic Carol Schuldt loves life and the ocean and has been an iconic figure in the Ocean Beach scene since the 60’s. Even at the age of 83, she still religiously jumps into the frigid Pacific Ocean. Her intimate relationship with the ocean has inspired so many people over the years. —YI Themed Program: OUR BLUE OCEAN

Life Below Water

Brian Schulz | USA | 2 min Showing begins April 15

Morgan Freeman lovingly and comically describes the latest mystical inhabitants in the ocean. They can travel for hundreds of miles and live to be over a thousand years old. And they are slowly, but surely, taking over the ocean. What are they? Where do they come from? —YI Themed Program: OUR BLUE OCEAN

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 26 18th Annual IOFF Program Our Blue Ocean

Our Sea of Waste

Morade Azzouz, Anca Ulea | France | 26 min Showing begins April 15

The Mediterranean’s only opening is Gibraltar, which partly explains why it is the most polluted sea in Europe, with over 200,000 tons of plastic among the other debris dumped annually into its waters. A French government report of all groups combating this destructive assault allows people to pick a group suited to where they live and their interests. Former spear fishers cleaning the beach at Antibes declare: We won’t give up.—SJPH Themed Program: OUR BLUE OCEAN

Réforme Plastics

Cho Jin Yong | Republic of Korea | 4 min Showing begins April 15

Reduce, reuse, recycle – it’s now become a standard mantra for those of us who understand the harmful impacts that plastics have on our environment, and ultimately our lives. An experimental film approach telling the story in a new way, with a new ‘r’ word to add to and repeat the mantra – reform. —AB Themed Program: OUR BLUE OCEAN

Voice Above Water

Dana Frankoff | USA | 11 min Showing begins April 15

In this lyrical first film by Dana Frankoff, she focuses on 90-year–old Wayan Nyo, who has been fishing since the age of 10. Wayan goes out alone in his rowboat off the coast of Indonesia every single day. It is where he wants to be. “I look one way and it is beautiful. I look another way and it is beautiful.” Since 2000, the focus of this fisherman now is not fish, but plastic, which has mostly replaced the fish. “If I clean here and others don’t clean where they are, it will be useless.” Amen. —SJPH Themed Program: OUR BLUE OCEAN

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 27 18th Annual IOFF Program Shark Conservation

A Mako Stronghold US Premiere

Shawn Heinrichs | USA | 5 min Showing begins April 15

In the waters off New Zealand, where a hook and line tuna fishery thrives, 1,000 mako sharks are taken every year as bycatch, threatening the chances of their survival in these waters. A mako female does not mature until the age of 18 or 20, giving birth to up to 15 pups every three years. Releasing these sharks from their hooks will have minimal effect but and needs to be done to protect these magnificent animals.—SJPH Themed Program: SHARK CONSERVATION

Emperors of the Deep

William McKeever | USA | 76 min Showing begins April 15

Sharks are frequently discounted as demons, but Sharks Emperors of the Deep reveals the complexities around the world’s most feared fish. Horrified after seeing sharks killed at a tournament in Montauk NY, filmmaker William McKeever takes us on a journey around the world, diving and exposing slavery and illegal fishing at sea with Greenpeace. We discover the truth about the massive destruction of shark populations and that humans are the real demons. In Sharks Bay Australia, scientists demonstrate how humans need sharks as they keep the seas healthy. —DM Themed Program: SHARK CONSERVATION

GREAT WHITE SHARKS World Premiere

Lakan Duskin | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

Learn a lot about the great white shark — but from the perspective of a 10 year old mastering the use of Lego in a stop-motion animation film. Complete with Shark Trivia and a call to action to tell friends and families about how to protect these important apex predators, this is a delightful short film for audiences of all ages. —AB Themed Program: SHARK CONSERVATION

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 28 18th Annual IOFF Program Shark Conservation

Healthy FISHing US Premiere

Shawn Heinrichs | New Zealand | 6 min Showing begins April 15

What is the backstory of the fish on our plate? Seabirds, marine mammals and unwanted fish species like mako sharks are caught as bycatch. This film combines the work of commercial fishers, conservationists and community stakeholders to arrive at a solution to minimize bycatch, and achieve more sustainable fish consumption. —DM Themed Program: SHARK CONSERVATION

Jin Yu (Metal Fish) World Premiere

David McGuire | USA | 13 min Showing begins April 15

Seafood is generally considered part of a healthy diet, but many fish contain insidious secrets that belie this bromide. Jin Yu follows two young Chinese students with the NGO Shark Stewards as they investigate mercury content in fish samples collected in San Francisco and Hong Kong Chinatowns. The team reveals ancient cultural connections to mercury, and that the Chinese culture is the most at risk to the negative health effects caused by mercury laden fish, and the need for health education in their community Themed Program: SHARK CONSERVATION

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 29 18th Annual IOFF Program Surfing

Caballito de Totora Surfriders of Peru US Premiere

Phil Wilson | USA | 22 min Showing begins April 15

Surfboard riding in Hawaii has a long well-documented history, but little is known about the “Cabalitto de Totora,” the surfers of Peru who ride waves on a reed boat called “Caballito.” This type of surfing is said to have begun 3,500 years ago. —IS Themed Program: SURFING

Mar US Premiere

Olaf Crato | Portugal | 45 min Showing begins April 15

A fresh take on the surfing film genre: plenty of wave-riding sequences and a glimpse into the Portuguese surfer community as told through the eyes of Portuguese big wave surfer Alex Botelho. Portugal’s exposed northwest coast produces powerful and challenging waves, which makes for a life and death moment for Alex during a surf competition. Drone photography allows for exciting camera angles. What could be better than a vicarious surf vacation in Portugal during the pandemic? —ST Themed Program: SURFING

Pause: Heidi US Premiere

Ida Slåtto Neerbye | Norway | 12 min Showing begins April 15

Norwegian female surfer Heidi regards surfing as breathing. On land, the feeling of restlessness and never-ending chase to appease dissatisfaction exhaust her. However, once she is in the water, the ocean frees her from everything and gives her an opportunity to pause and live in the moment. —YI Themed Program: SURFING

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 30 18th Annual IOFF Program Surfing

Sinhala World Premiere

JP Lewis | UK | 4 min Showing begins April 15

A short, stylized film exploring a Sri Lankan surfers relationship with the ocean - from childhood, through the 2004 Tsunami, to becoming a free surfer as an adult. An exploration of life and spirituality. —ST Themed Program: SURFING

UNNUR

Chris Burkard | USA | 17 min Showing begins April 15

Elli Thor is an Icelandic photographer, surfer, and former kayaker. A decade ago Elli nearly drowned under a waterfall while kayaking a challenging Icelandic river. The near death experience became a catalyst for personal growth and his professional career. After walking away from kayaking, a newfound passion for surfing and the birth of his daughter Unnur gave him a new perspective worth living for Themed Program: SURFING

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 31 18th Annual IOFF Program Whales

Echoes In The Arctic

Paul Nicklen, Tahria Sheather, Andy Maser | USA | 17 min Showing begins April 15

The world’s healthiest orca population is found in the fjords of the Norwegian Arctic. The Norwegian government is considering opening up this pristine ecosystem to oil exploration. This movie documents the food web in the fjords, which includes herring, killer whales and humpback whales. —IS Themed Program: WHALES

Entangled in Costa Rica World Premiere

Innoceana / The Vegan Pirates | Costa Rica | 25 min Showing begins April 15

Unfortunately, whale entanglement in fishing lines is not uncommon. A female and her calf being entangled together is rare. Follow the efforts of a local group of Costa Ricans to free a humpback whale mother and her calf. —IS Themed Program: WHALES

Faka'apa'apa Bay Area Premiere

Scott Sporleder | USA | 14 min Showing begins April 15

The humpback whales of Tonga in Polynesia are now safe — from hunting. But burgeoning swim-with-whales tourism has glutted nursery areas with boats and swimmers, and the government walks a tightrope, balancing tourists’ expectations and local economic benefits with the welfare of these endangered whales. But does the income benefit Tongans? Will these whales seek a quieter place to nurse their young unmolested? —MJS Themed Program: WHALES

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 32 18th Annual IOFF Program Whales

Sentinels of Silence?: Whale Watching, Noise, and the Orca Bay Area Premiere Mark Pedelty | USA | 26 min Showing begins April 15

Killer whales live in an acoustic world. Sound enables them to find mates, locate and hunt prey, and maintain their tightly interdependent societies. But the cacophony of whale watch vessels can drown them in a sea of noise. Sentinels of Silence uses dramatic imagery, peer- reviewed science, and interviews with conservationists, scientists, and industry officials to illuminate a fascinating aspect of orca conservation. —MJS Themed Program: WHALES

Whales in a Changing Ocean

Richard Sidey | New Zealand | 21 min Showing begins April 15

The film Whales in a Changing Ocean follows a team of marine mammal researchers from around the globe as they navigate the challenges of working in polar conditions with unpredictable, 40 ton whales from a small boat. The research team voyage to Antarctica to study the acoustics and genetics of humpback whales as indicators of environmental change, to drive the creation of marine protected areas in Antarctica, contributing to the long-term conservation of fragile polar seas. The film offers front row seats to stunning imagery and the life changing experience of of being mugged by a humpback whale. Themed Program: WHALES

Whales Without Walls Bay Area Premiere

Charles Vinick, Dr. Lori Marino, Michael Mountain, Matt Stamm | USA | 5 min Showing begins April 15

Whales and dolphins suffer physically, socially and emotionally while performing for their supper and the public's entertainment. The Whale Sanctuary Project is creating the first North American seaside sanctuary for captive cetaceans in Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, in an effort to give these intelligent, socially complex animals respect and autonomy in a natural environment, so that they may survive and thrive. —MJS Themed Program: WHALES

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 33 18th Annual IOFF Program Female Director

Barbara Crites: Snorkeling St John, US Virgin Islands Andrea E Leland | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

Bluepoint West Coast Premiere

Alexandra Leinweber | USA | 15 min Showing begins April 15

On Long Island’s east end, Bella (Courtney Stallings) and husband Noah (Jack Sachot) struggle to maintain their bluepoint oyster business against an onslaught of algal blooms, red tides and other threats from an ailing ocean. Bella is also struggling to resist a temptation embodied by Celeste, a friend who awakens her to the absence of sensuous warmth in her relationship to the taciturn Noah. Superbly acted, written, directed, shot and edited, with a spot-on soundtrack, this is an absolute gem of a film about a human relationship under stress. —SJPH Themed Program: FEMALE DIRECTOR

Determination - The Farallon Record World Premiere

Danielle Sellwood | USA | 10 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 34 18th Annual IOFF Program Female Director

Finding Letter Six

Andrea Reid, Shannon Switzer Swanson, Mikayla Wujec | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

Into the Deep Unknown West Coast Premiere

Lincoln Else, Bligh Gillies | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

In the summer of 2017, a team of scientists led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution ventured a thousand kilometers off the coast of Brazil to explore the seafloor around a little-known cluster of islets called St. Paul's Rocks. One of those scientists, Diva Amon, a deep- sea biologist from the Natural History Museum of London, describes what it's like to venture into a dark, unknown world 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) below the surface—and why this type of research is key to understanding and protecting our oceans. Themed Program: FEMALE DIRECTOR

Lessons from Jeju

Nicole Gormley | USA | 13 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 35 18th Annual IOFF Program Female Director

Réforme Plastics

Cho Jin Yong | Republic of Korea | 4 min Showing begins April 15

Water Baby

Katherine McRae | New Zealand | 9 min Showing begins April 15

When a world champion freediver, William Trubridge, and his partner Sachiko Judy Fukumoto find out about the pregnancy of their daughter, their emotional and oceanic journey to find the best place to give a water birth begins. Their deep love and the care for the ocean intensify as the birth of their daughter approaches. —YI Themed Program: FEMALE DIRECTOR

Yáa at Wooné (Respect for All Things) West Coast Premiere

Kh’asheechtlaa (Louise Brady), Lee House | USA | 21 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 36 18th Annual IOFF Program Shorts

A Mako Stronghold US Premiere

Shawn Heinrichs | USA | 5 min Showing begins April 15

Aurora Short Film World Premiere

Emilio José Álvarez García | Mexico | 9 min Showing begins April 15

Blackwater: Anilao Style Bay Area Premiere

Walter Marti | USA | 5 min Showing begins April 15

Every night while we sleep, the world's largest animal migration happens in the Philippines, where legions of bizarre and otherworldly creatures from the inky black deep ocean rise to shallow water to feed and mate. Stranger than the Mos Eisley cantina, in Star Wars, this mind- expanding short is spellbinding and brilliantly captured. Jump in if you dare! —BB Themed Program: SHORTS

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 37 18th Annual IOFF Program Shorts

Discover Wonder: The Octopus Garden

John Dutton | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

Join a team of scientists on a thrilling voyage from the decks of high- tech exploration vessels to an extinct volcano two miles beneath the surface of Monterey Bay, and discover the only known hydrothermal octopus nursery in the world. You may encounter unexpected visitors along the way and return to the surface wonderstruck! —BB Themed Program: SHORTS

Diving into the Underwater Galaxy

Fan Ping | China | 5 min Showing begins April 15

Songda Cai is an underwater photographer who prefers to dive at night when he can capture the images of the many bizarre-looking deep- dwelling species that only rise to the surface after the sun sets. —KH Themed Program: SHORTS

GREAT WHITE SHARKS World Premiere

Lakan Duskin | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 38 18th Annual IOFF Program Shorts

How to Raise Baby Corals West Coast Premiere

Andrew Ackerman | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

In the Kelp of the Fjords US Premiere

Guido Schmitz | Germany | 5 min Showing begins April 15

When we think of the fjords of Norway we often think of their big fish, like fish, orcas and humpback whales. However, the lesser known Norwegian kelp forests, similar to rain forests, contain a great diversity of life. The role of the kelp forest in maintaining this diversity is explained, as well as, the variety of creatures live there. —IS Themed Program: SHORTS

Lens of Time: Coral in Motion

Amy Miller | USA | 6 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 39 18th Annual IOFF Program Shorts

Lens of Time: Secrets of Schooling West Coast Premiere

Amy Miller | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

In schools of fish, as in starling murmurations, the individual’s ability to avoid a predator depends on its ability to merge with the group—but not always. Hi-speed video allows us to begin to understand how this behavior happens. One surprising discovery reveals that the success of the group depends on uninformed individuals who do not go along with the group. Listen up homo sapiens. —SJPH Themed Program: SHORTS

Life Below Water

Brian Schulz | USA | 2 min Showing begins April 15

Murder at Sea West Coast Premiere

Mark Benjamin | USA | 10 min Showing begins April 15

A true crime meets ocean environment, this films opens with a multiple murder mystery. Exposing the greater threat, a global fish war, a fish food supply in jeopardy, and increased refugees, this film follows the murder investigations of observers whose role on fishing vessels is to monitor the fish being harvested from the sea. With so many unchecked industrial fishing operations worldwide, and especially in Western Central Pacific, this terrifying exposé will change the way we think of the fish we eat. —AB Themed Program: SHORTS

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 40 18th Annual IOFF Program Shorts

The Ocean Calls

Lauren-ann Smith | Australia | 7 min Showing begins April 15

On the Brink West Coast Premiere

Jeremy Mathieu | Canada | 8 min Showing begins April 15

Sinhala World Premiere

JP Lewis | UK | 4 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 41 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List 66 Meters Max Mönch, Alexander Lahl | Germany | 52 min Showing begins April 20

A comprehensive documentary about sea level rise and its global impacts.How high will the oceans rise? Estimates that were considered panic-mongering just a few years ago are now in the realm of possibility. Already in 2100 the coasts of our planet could look different. The crucial question is: How will Greenland and Antarctica develop? Science is just beginning to include the complex dynamics in its forecasts. The results will determine how the coasts prepare for the impending threat. Up to what level can we protect ourselves? When will we have to think about abandoning areas because the cost of protection is no longer proportional to what is to be protected? Countries like Britain have already decided to abandon whole regions. Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE

50 Shades of Sharks (La vie privée des requins) Alexis Barbier-Bouvet, Didier Noirot | France | 43 min Showing begins April 15

A Mako Stronghold US Premiere

Shawn Heinrichs | USA | 5 min Showing begins April 15

In the waters off New Zealand, where a hook and line tuna fishery thrives, 0001, mako sharks are taken every year as bycatch, threatening the chances of their survival in these waters. A mako female does not mature until the age of 18 or 20, giving birth to up to 15 pups every three years. Releasing these sharks from their hooks will have minimal effect but and needs to be done to protect these magnificent animals.—SJPH Themed Program: SHARK CONSERVATION | SHORTS

Aguugum Tanaa (Our Sacred Place) Part 1, The Seals and the Sea Birds Ryan Peterson, Alaskanist Stories | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 42 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Aguugum Tanaa (Our Sacred Place) Part 2, Balance Ryan Peterson, Alaskanist Stories | USA | 5 min Showing begins April 15

Aguugum Tanaa (Our Sacred Place) Part 3, For the Future Ryan Peterson, Alaskanist Stories | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

Aurora Short Film World Premiere

Emilio José Álvarez García | Mexico | 9 min Showing begins April 15

BAJO : Guardians Of The Reef Alice Colfox, Boris Thompson-Roylance | UK | 5 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 43 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Barbara Crites: Snorkeling St John, US Virgin Islands Andrea E Leland | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

93,899 (and counting). That’s how many underwater images Barbara Crites has taken in photo-documenting marine life in the US Virgin Islands. Not bad for someone who’s “not really a water person”. She is proof that anyone can contribute to citizen science if they follow their curiosity, jump in with both feet and discover the world around them…and in turn, themselves. —BB Themed Program: CORAL REEFS | FEMALE DIRECTOR

Betty Would Go Andrea Hausstätter | Germany | 86 min Showing begins April 20

Blackwater: Anilao Style Bay Area Premiere

Walter Marti | USA | 5 min Showing begins April 15

Every night while we sleep, the world's largest animal migration happens in the Philippines, where legions of bizarre and otherworldly creatures from the inky black deep ocean rise to shallow water to feed and mate. Stranger than the Mos Eisley cantina, in Star Wars, this mind-expanding short is spellbinding and brilliantly captured. Jump in if you dare! —BB Themed Program: SHORTS

Blue Breath Rodrigo Areias | Portugal | 75 min Showing begins April 20

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 44 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Blue Calling Sarah Ziegler, Janis Klinkenberg | Germany | 6 min Showing begins April 15

Bluepoint West Coast Premiere

Alexandra Leinweber | USA | 15 min Showing begins April 15

Caballito de Totora Surfriders of Peru US Premiere

Phil Wilson | USA | 22 min Showing begins April 15

Surfboard riding in Hawaii has a long well-documented history, but little is known about the Cabalitto“ de Totora,” the surfers of Peru who ride waves on a reed boat called “Caballito.” This type of surfing is said to have begun 3,500 years ago. —IS Themed Program: SURFING

Changing Seas: "A Decade After Deepwater" Liz Smith | USA | 27 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 45 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Changing Seas: "American Samoa's Resilient Coral Reefs" Alexa Elliott | USA | 27 min Showing begins April 15

Changing Seas: "Peru's Desert Penguins" Alexa Elliott | USA | 27 min Showing begins April 15

Chicks on Boards Dörthe Eickelberg | Germany | 90 min Showing begins April 20

Coral Resiliency: The Marine Protected Areas of Taytay World Premiere

Gabriel Malvar | Philippines | 14 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 46 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Current Sea Christopher Smith | Malaysia | 90 min Showing begins April 15

The Deep Med Gil Kébaïli | France | 96 min Showing begins April 15

Descent US Premiere

Nays Baghai | Australia | 52 min Showing begins April 30

Determination - The Farallon Record World Premiere

Danielle Sellwood | USA | 10 min Showing begins April 15

If you are in San Francisco with plans to be the first woman to row across the north acific,P where is the best place to practice? Lia Ditton chooses a circumnavigation of the Farallon Islands 25 miles off the coast, and why not try to complete the journey in record time? —KH Themed Program: OCEAN SPORTS & EXPLORATION | FEMALE DIRECTOR

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 47 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List dhīvaraḥ World Premiere Giridhar Nayak K | USA | 12 min Showing begins April 15

Discover Wonder: The Octopus Garden John Dutton | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

Join a team of scientists on a thrilling voyage from the decks of high-tech exploration vessels to an extinct volcano two miles beneath the surface of Monterey Bay, and discover the only known hydrothermal octopus nursery in the world. You may encounter unexpected visitors along the way and return to the surface wonderstruck! —BB Themed Program: SHORTS

Diving into the Underwater Galaxy Fan Ping | China | 5 min Showing begins April 15

Songda Cai is an underwater photographer who prefers to dive at night when he can capture the images of the many bizarre-looking deep-dwelling species that only rise to the surface after the sun sets. —KH Themed Program: SHORTS

Echoes In The Arctic Paul Nicklen, Tahria Sheather, Andy Maser | USA | 17 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 48 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Emperors of the Deep William McKeever | USA | 76 min Showing begins April 15

Entangled David Abel | USA | 75 min Showing begins April 15

Entangled in Costa Rica World Premiere

Innoceana / The Vegan Pirates | Costa Rica | 25 min Showing begins April 15

Escape from Extinction Bay Area Premiere

Matthew R. Brady | USA | 82 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 49 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Faka'apa'apa Bay Area Premiere

Scott Sporleder | USA | 14 min Showing begins April 15

Finding Letter Six Andrea Reid, Shannon Switzer Swanson, Mikayla Wujec | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

FISH & MEN Bay Area Premiere Darby Duffin, Adam Jones | USA | 85 min Showing begins April 15 A comprehensive approach to better understanding the high cost of cheap fish in the modern US seafood economy, this film shows the dire consequences on five specific fish species. With an estimated 91% of our fish being imported amounting to six billion tons of imported seafood, we need to become more aware of the origin of our seafood. With the help of local fishing communities, pioneering fishermen, and celebrated chefs, a movement is underway to embrace a more local, seasonal and sustainable seafood industry. Reconnect with fishermen who risk their lives to harvest our seafood and also discover new varieties of seafood. —AB Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

Gáax’w Ka Haaw: Herring Eggs & Branches Bay Area Premiere

Tessa Ellie Schmidt, Lee House | USA | 36 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 50 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List The Green Wave - Tahiti US Premiere

Bouvet Emmanuel | France | 26 min Showing begins April 15

GREAT WHITE SHARKS World Premiere

Lakan Duskin | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

Guardians of the Turtles West Coast Premiere Naman Govil, Mithun TM | India | 17 min Showing begins April 15 Climate change, ghost fishing and human impacts such as plastic pollution threaten the sustainability of a tiny fishing community called Tambaldeg on the western coast of India. Community members mean to prevent it from happening — they clean the beaches year round, collecting 2-3 tons of plastic per year. Community-led turtle conservation has helped to educate those who once ate turtle eggs and encourage them to throw out their old fishing gear into the sea. Conservation must start with the community, not just wait for a government mandate. —GC Themed Program: MARINE ECOSYSTEMS - RESTORATION & CONSERVATION

Healthy FISHing US Premiere

Shawn Heinrichs | New Zealand | 6 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 51 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List HIGH AS A KITE World Premiere

Steven Kovacs | USA | 36 min Showing begins April 15

Homecoming: Journey to Limuw Bay Area Premiere

Nick Zachar | USA | 15 min Showing begins April 15

How to Raise Baby Corals West Coast Premiere

Andrew Ackerman | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

In the Kelp of the Fjords US Premiere

Guido Schmitz | Germany | 5 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 52 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Into the Deep Unknown West Coast Premiere

Lincoln Else, Bligh Gillies | USA | 3 min Showing begins April 15

In the summer of 2017, a team of scientists led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution ventured a thousand kilometers off the coast of Brazil to explore the seafloor around a little-known cluster of islets called St. Paul's Rocks. One of those scientists, Diva Amon, a deep-sea biologist from the Natural History Museum of London, describes what it's like to venture into a dark, unknown world 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) below the surface—and why this type of research is key to understanding and protecting our oceans. Themed Program: FEMALE DIRECTOR

Ireland's Deep Atlantic Ken O'Sullivan | Ireland | 90 min Showing begins April 20 Irish underwater cameraman Ken O’Sullivan sets out on a series of voyages over two years from Ireland’s coast into the deep waters of the North Atlantic to try and find some of the largest animals ever to have on planet Earth, blue and sperm whales and attempt to map their migration routes. His journeys take him out to the edge of the continental shelf and 3,000 metres down into dark, cold Atlantic waters in search of life cold water coral reefs to see how life in the surface ocean waters is affected by what happens on the deep sea bed. Combining wildlife sequences of animals and behaviour filmed for the first time in any television documentary, with an enlightening, educational central narrative from passionate scientists and people who’ve built their lives around the ocean, this 90 minute documentary also seeks to pays homage to our earliest sea farers and investigates the health of our deep Atlantic waters and recent human impact. Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE Jin Yu (Metal Fish) World Premiere

David McGuire | USA | 13 min Showing begins April 15

Kaitiaki (Guardians of the Sky, Sea and Land) US Premiere

Shawn Heinrichs | New Zealand | 4 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 53 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Kiligivak (Mammoth) West Coast Premiere

Laura Tejero, Jake Chamberlain | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

The Last Lightkeepers West Coast Premiere

Rob Apse | USA | 60 min Showing begins April 15

Lens of Time: Coral in Motion Amy Miller | USA | 6 min Showing begins April 15

Lens of Time: Secrets of Schooling West Coast Premiere

Amy Miller | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 54 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Lessons from Jeju Nicole Gormley | USA | 13 min Showing begins April 15

Life Below Water Brian Schulz | USA | 2 min Showing begins April 15

The Long Coast West Coast Premiere

Ian Cheney | USA | 81 min Showing begins April 15

After watching this beautifully moving and rich visual excursion through Maine’s varied coastal communities, you will know not to whistle or bring bananas on a lobster boat. You will also know about digging for clams, farming kelp, setting 600 lobster traps, and even how those traps are made. And you will sense the deep attachment to the sea these Downeasters have for the waters that provide them—for now—with their bounty. —SJPH Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

Lost at Sea West Coast Premiere

Johnny Burke | UK | 48 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 55 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Magical Iceland Jan Haft | Germany | 50 min Showing begins April 20

Mar US Premiere

Olaf Crato | Portugal | 45 min Showing begins April 15

Murder at Sea West Coast Premiere

Mark Benjamin | USA | 10 min Showing begins April 15

Nanuq - An Arctic Journey from Past to Future West Coast Premiere

Emanuele Licitra | Italy | 55 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 56 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List No Part Too Small World Premiere

Stanley Lin, Spencer Lin | USA | 19 min Showing begins April 15

The Ocean Calls Lauren-ann Smith | Australia | 7 min Showing begins April 15

OCEAN SOULS US Premiere

Philip Hamilton, Scott Wilson | UK | 58 min Showing begins April 15

Ocean to the Everglades, Part 1 US Premiere

Isaac Mead-Long | USA | 10 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 57 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List On the Brink West Coast Premiere

Jeremy Mathieu | Canada | 8 min Showing begins April 15

One Word Sawalmem Natasha Deganello Giraudie, Michael "Pom" Preston | USA | 19 min Showing begins April 15

Our Sea of Waste Morade Azzouz, Anca Ulea | France | 26 min Showing begins April 15

The Mediterranean’s only opening is Gibraltar, which partly explains why it is the most polluted sea in Europe, with over 200,000 tons of plastic among the other debris dumped annually into its waters. A French government report of all groups combating this destructive assault allows people to pick a group suited to where they live and their interests. Former spear fishers cleaning the beach at Antibes declare: eW won’t give up.—SJPH Themed Program: OUR BLUE OCEAN

Pause: Heidi US Premiere

Ida Slåtto Neerbye | Norway | 12 min Showing begins April 15

Norwegian female surfer Heidi regards surfing as breathing. On land, the feeling of restlessness and never- ending chase to appease dissatisfaction exhaust her. However, once she is in the water, the ocean frees her from everything and gives her an opportunity to pause and live in the moment. —YI Themed Program: SURFING

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 58 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Reducing the Risk of Disasters through Nature-based Solutions - Mangroves World Premiere Leo Thom | USA | 9 min Showing begins April 15

Restoring the Natural Mangrove Forest World Premiere Leo Thom | UK | 10 min Showing begins April 15 Coastal communities are intrinsically connected to the sea and their lives depend on it. This film takes us to the Andaman Coast in Southern Thailand to eliminate the importance of mangrove forests to coastal communities, underpinning the livelihoods of an estimated 210 million people. They store vast amounts of carbon, support a rich biodiversity, provide protein for communities, and replenishing the seas by acting as critical breeding grounds and nurseries for many marine species. Half of the mangroves have been cut down for development of shrimp farms to supply the global seafood demand. The Mangrove Action Project is working to solve this problem by restoring mangrove forests with local communities using a holistic, science-based approach. —GC Themed Program: MARINE ECOSYSTEMS - RESTORATION & CONSERVATION Seafever World Premiere Lisa Hoffmann | Germany | 58 min Showing begins April 20 What draws humans to the sea? How can the connection with the sea and its meaning be described for those who choose to live with and on the sea? How does it affect their lives, their families and personal interactions and what challenges does this intense bond with the sea cause for social life? The film SEAFEVER is the last work of the project Meersucht (Sea Addiction), which deals with those who have dedicated their lives to the sea and their intense connection with it. The artist Lisa Hoffmann went to sea for several years as a cadet, sailor and technical officer‘s assistant on merchant and search and rescue vessels. The conversations originate from this time. Through her own work and relationship with the sea, and participant observation on board various vessels, she gained profound insights into life on and with the sea. These experiences formed the guiding, central questions of this film. Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 59 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Sentinels of Silence?: Whale Watching, Noise, and the Orca Bay Area Premiere

Mark Pedelty | USA | 26 min Showing begins April 15

Killer whales live in an acoustic world. Sound enables them to find mates, locate and hunt prey, and maintain their tightly interdependent societies. But the cacophony of whale watch vessels can drown them in a sea of noise. Sentinels of Silence uses dramatic imagery, peer-reviewed science, and interviews with conservationists, scientists, and industry officials to illuminate a fascinating aspect of orca conservation. —MJS Themed Program: WHALES

Sharks of the Icy North Christina Karliczek Skoglund | Germany | 51 min Showing begins April 20

Sinhala World Premiere

JP Lewis | UK | 4 min Showing begins April 15

Sockeye Salmon Red Fish Dmitriy Shpilenok, Vladislav Grishin | Russia | 51 min Showing begins April 20

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 60 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Stories from the Blue: Discovering Inner Earth Bay Area Premiere

Nick Zachar | USA | 6 min Showing begins April 15

Three Arts in Antarctica Bay Area Premiere

Bartosz Stróżyński | Poland | 57 min Showing begins April 15

This is not the typical expedition to Antarctica. Instead of scientists, three different types of olishP artists explore Antarctica by sailboat. A photographer documents up-close, above and below the water, the wildlife encountered. A second artist attempts to use an early form of photography (wet-plate collodion) to capture unique images. Lastly, a musician performs a guitar concert from an iceberg that is broadcast back to Poland. The ultimate goal is to bring awareness and understanding of Antarctica through the arts. —ST Themed Program: FEATURE FILM

Tsunami Memories US Premiere

Isaac Kerlow | USA | 10 min Showing begins April 15

UNNUR Chris Burkard | USA | 17 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 61 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Voice Above Water Dana Frankoff | USA | 11 min Showing begins April 15

In this lyrical first film by Dana Frankoff, she focuses on 90-year–old Wayan Nyo, who has been fishing since the age of 10. Wayan goes out alone in his rowboat off the coast of Indonesia every single day. It is where he wants to be. “I look one way and it is beautiful. I look another way and it is beautiful.” Since 2000, the focus of this fisherman now is not fish, but plastic, which has mostly replaced the fish. “If I clean here and others ’tdon clean where they are, it will be useless.” Amen. —SJPH Themed Program: OUR BLUE OCEAN

Water Baby Katherine McRae | New Zealand | 9 min Showing begins April 15

Whales in a Changing Ocean Richard Sidey | New Zealand | 21 min Showing begins April 15

Whales Without Walls Bay Area Premiere

Charles Vinick, Dr. Lori Marino, Michael Mountain, Matt Stamm | USA | 5 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase tickets here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 62 18th Annual IOFF Program Alpha List Wild Caribbean - Whales and Volcanoes Florian Guthknecht | Germany | 60 min Showing begins April 20

Vulcanism, on the one hand is a cause for the biodiversity of the Caribbean, also means a great danger. On the islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe, this natural phenomenon has many faces: boiling lakes, toxic sulfur eruptions, bubbling flat underwater volcanoes like the famous Champagne Reef and, in thousands of meters, the black smokers in the deep sea. But precisely because the titanic forces from the earth's heart are so fast, they also open up new niches. In this way, an animal and plant world could emerge which is untypical for the Caribbean, both above and below water. Gigantic Leather back turtles - up to three meters in length - lay their eggs in the black volcano sand. On the steep mountain slopes of the volcanoes enormous frogs and insects, like the over 15 cm long Hercules beetle, could develop during the course of the evolution. Almost every one of the deeply incised valleys is home to species of animals which exist only here. Because of these special conditions special behavioral forms could also arise. The sperm whales of Dominica eat smaller squid than elsewhere, dive much more often per day and live differently than their fellow-species in direct coastal proximity. But their population is shrinking seemingly unstoppable. If the development is not stopped, there will probably be no sperm whale in 2030. The same applies to the turtles and the giant frogs, which are still being hunted here. The documentation is not just a journey to these unique animals. The shooting also accompanies locals and scientists who try to stop the destructive developments. Themed Program: FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CINEMARE

Yáa at Wooné (Respect for All Things) West Coast Premiere

Kh’asheechtlaa (Louise Brady), Lee House | USA | 21 min Showing begins April 15

Purchase a showing here: https://watch.eventive.org/ioff2021 63