2026 Films
Juan Fernández UNOC Announcement
Andy Mann (UK, USA) 8 min
At the third plenary session, Chile announced its commitment to ocean protection by expanding Juan Fernández MPA. This effort will add 350,000km2 of protection. With this, Chile’s EEZ protection will go over 50%, placing it among the world’s leading ocean guardians.
Lands End
Steve Peletz (USA) 9 min
With the Golden Gate Bridge as the backdrop, seasoned open water swimmers brave the frigid waters of the San Francisco Bay for an exhilarating swim in the cold waters. While the health benefits of a cold plunge have been clearly documented, it’s more than the spike in dopamine that attracts these swimmers - it’s the tight knit community. A community that came together during the pandemic seeking a new place to swim and continues to thrive long after. It gives new meaning to the phrase “the ocean connects us all”.
Life on the Edges - Stories from the Frontlines of Climate Resilience
Andi R. Cross, Adam Moore (Australia) 22 min
The edges of the Earth that is - across 45 countries and a time span of three years, this expedition set out to explore some of the planet’s most remote and rapidly changing ecosystems - both above and below the waterline. Traveling by sailboat to some of the most remote places on Earth, we learn that the future is already being built in some of the most unexpected places by the most unexpected people, and climate resilience is already happening.
Monterey Bay White Sharks
Kip Evans, Dr. Barbara Block (USA) 15 min
Off the Central California coast renowned Monterey Bay Area scientist Dr. Barbara Block and her team are using the latest technology to uncover some of the most amazing secrets of great white sharks. Directed by National Geographic photographer Kip Evans, the goal of this film is to not only raise awareness but to adnvace research, conservation and the protection of great white sharks and their marine ecosystems.
Replanting a Garden
Anthony W. Wallace (Canada) 15 min
After a devastating coral bleaching event, Jamaican fishers, scientists, and wardens unite to restore their reef and their livelihoods. Replanting a Garden follows the Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary as they replant resilient coral, protect fragile waters, and rebuild community - revealing how caring for the ocean strengthens both ecosystems and the people who depend on them.
The Bottom Line
Ben Mallaby (UK) 2 min
This entertaining and eye-opening short is filmed at a restaurant. The dinner guest asks the waiter if the fish is caught sustainably and he responds it is. Then the waiter explains the way that fish are being caught in the UK (including MPAs) and the impact it has, something that clearly the guest wasn’t aware of.
