Ocean Film Festival World Tour
UK audiences will once again be able to immerse themselves in the wonders of the ocean without getting their feet wet, as the Ocean Film Festival World Tour returns to theatres this autumn after last year’s highly acclaimed Tour. Originating in Australia, the programme will feature a brand new selection of the world’s most enthralling ocean-themed short films, showing in 30 towns and cities across the UK.
The Ocean Film Festival World Tour showcases over two hours of sublime footage taken above and below the water’s surface. This year features an exceptional and diverse programme of films capturing the raw power and beauty of the Ocean, whilst celebrating the surfers, kayakers and oceanographers who live for the sea’s salt spray; who chase the crests of waves; and who marvel at the mysteries of the big blue.
Inspiring and thought-provoking, the Ocean Film Festival World Tour is filled with incredible cinematography, touching interviews and insightful narrations that will captivate and mesmerise audiences. Featuring awe-inspiring underwater scenes and fast-paced wave sequences that have been captured from unbelievable vantage points, each of the festival’s films also convey a deep respect and appreciation for the world’s oceans and the creatures that call them home.
The 2016 UK Ocean Film Festival World Tour is pleased to be working in partnership with marine conservation charities Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage. By donating 25p from every ticket sold during the Tour, we hope to help raise awareness of the organisations and contribute towards their essential work.
FILM DESCRIPTIONS:
Gold of Bengal - 40 minutes
Join Frenchman Corentin de Chatelperron on a voyage through the islands of Indonesia in a boat crafted entirely from jute composite. Corentin set sail with two egg-laying hens, a small greenhouse to grow potatoes, and various other handmade contraptions for 6 months’ sailing around the deserted islands of the Gulf of Bengal. Weathering storms, lost and broken gear, loneliness, success and failure Gold of Bengal will take you on a voyage of discovery and exploration.
India’s First Surfer Girl - 5 minutes
Meet Ishita Malaviya – she’s truly one in a billion. As India’s first ever professional female surfer, she has broken almost every stereotype that tries to bind the quintessential Indian woman. As Ishita herself says: “in India women are expected to get an education, find a job, get married and then make babies.” Growing up in Mumbai, Ishita tried surfing for the first time as a university student with her boyfriend. Both were immediately hooked and pooled their money to buy a shared surfboard. Taking turns in the water they taught themselves how to surf. Get a glimpse into Ishita’s inspiring journey as she breaks with the expectations of her family and society.
Kayaking the Aleutians - 36 minutes
British explorers Justine Curgenven and Sarah Outen set out to be the first to paddle 2,500km along the Aleutian chain of islands in Alaska - one of the greatest, as yet undone, technical sea kayak expeditions in the world, Alone for 101 days and at the mercy of one of the windiest, roughest places on earth, the two women are swept away from land by unknown currents, pounded by rough seas and approached by bears. Experiencing an edge-of-your-seat journey on this treacherous expedition, they gain a rare insight into themselves, the rich wildlife and this harsh yet beautiful landscape.
Ocean Stories: The Halls - 20 minutes
Howard and Michele Hall have made a life of diving into the unknown in search of unique marine subjects for their IMAX films. With over four decades of marine cinematography experience and winning seven Emmy awards, the Halls are the world’s premier underwater filmmakers, able to capture unique animal behaviours seldom seen and rarely recorded. This film takes us on a visual adventure with them beneath the waves and into the alien world of the deep.
One Voice - 6 minutes
This is the story of the North Pacific Humpback Whale's epic battle to survive from extinction. Hunting decimated the population down to around 500 by the 1970's but just 40 years later and their numbers have increased to over 25,000. In one lifetime we have witnessed one of the greatest success stories in conservation history. Through all the hard work, protests, demonstrations and perseverance, human beings have successfully brought back one of this planets oldest living forms of consciousness.
The Right - 2 minutes
Hold your breath and grab your seats as Australian Gold Coast Surfer Ryan Hippwood takes on one of the world's most dangerous and unpredictable waves - "The Right" in Western Australia. This almost impossible wave nearly took Hippwood's life in 2012. Watch in awe as he returns, joined by a handful of others, willing to take on this monster slab.
The Accord - 18 minutes
Being a surfer in Iceland is an experience unique from anywhere else in the world. The Icelandic landscape is at once breath-taking, but also harsh and unforgiving for the tiny surfing community that inhabit the island. Follow Heiðar Logi Elíasson, Iceland’s first and only professional surfer, on his journey through Iceland’s magnificent terrain depicting the turbulent relationship between an Icelandic surfer and the North Atlantic wind.
Trailer available for The Accord – https://vimeo.com/166216812