Saturday, March 10

10:00 a.m. – Program 5

Bird Island: The Story of Isla Rasa

(Mexico), Sara Poisson, 39 mins
Journey to tiny, guano-encrusted Isla Rasa in Mexico’s Gulf of California, one of the world’s densest seabird nesting colonies. Here its two dominant species, the Heermann’s Gull and Elegant Tern, maintain the dynamic balance that enables a quarter-million birds to occupy prime avian “real estate” and engage in the timeless rituals of mating, protecting fuzzy chicks from pillaging predators, and survival. —MJS

Connection

(USA), Skyler Thomas*, 2 mins, World Premiere
In 2005, diver James Moskito and several others risked everything to save the life of an endangered humpback whale. Undaunted by cold Pacific waters, white sharks, and the massive size of the entangled whale, they removed the heavy fishing gear, which would have led to its certain death. This experience would change the lives of all involved. —MJS

Cool Critters: Lake Erie Water Snakes

(USA), Toivo Motter, 3 mins
Lake Erie: not quite the ocean, but those in Ohio would argue that it’s as big as the ocean! And who doesn’t like snakes? Meet ‘The Snake Island Lady,” herpetologist Kristin Stanford, who handles the snakes with ease while studying their survival over the last decade. Very cool indeed! —AB

Into The Deep with Elephant Seals

(USA), Sheraz Sadiq*, 12 mins
Each winter thousands of giant elephant seals — some weighing nearly 4,500 pounds — arrive to breed at Año Nuevo State Reserve south of San Francisco. Scientists seize this chance to use state of the art technology to unwrap the secrets of these world-class deep divers and amazing breath-hold specialists. Plunge to new depths of discovery with these gnarly marvels! —MJS

Project Shiphunt

(USA), Paul Bozymowski, 44 mins
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary on Lake Huron is the notorious shipwreck alley where the Choctaw went down on July 12, 1915 and has never been found. Five high school students from Saginaw, Michigan, are tasked with using the latest technology to hunt for the sunken ship and learn that their experience isn’t just a ship hunt but a lesson about life. —DB

1:00 p.m. – Program 6

Purpose

(USA), Skyler Thomas*, 2 mins
After the great white shark was all but removed from the coast of South Africa, the ecosystem went haywire and everything–seals, fish, and fisherman suffered. Fortunately, the slaughter was stopped and order restored. We have a good understanding of the white shark niche in marine ecosystems, but we’re not so sure about ours. —GC

Surfing and Sharks

(Netherlands), Julian Watson*, 54 mins
What is the risk of a shark attack along the coast of South Africa while surfing? Are we on their menu? The truth is sharks are all around us when we surf, whether in Africa or California, but only occasionally are they curious enough to investigate. Only one shark attack occurs for every estimated one million surfing hours. —GC

This is Your Ocean: Sharks

(USA), Jim Abernethy 45 mins
Climb aboard the Shear Water with artists Dr. Guy Harvey, Wieland, and Jim Abernethy, and explore sharks of the Bahamas like you’ve never seen – including Emma the 14-foot tiger! But don’t forget Jim’s 10 rules for diving with sharks. Find out how marine life art can help us share the beauty of this apex predator and save the sharks—it’s your ocean! —GC

4:00 p.m. – Program 7

Crustaceans of Ambon Bay

(USA), Nannette Van Antwep*, 5 mins
Meet an amazing array of exotic creatures from the bright and brilliant to the astonishingly camouflaged. Shrimps, crabs, amphipods, and other crustaceans are on this otherworldly tour of macro-cinematography filmed in Ambon Bay, Indonesia. —JO

Miss South Pacific: Beauty and the Sea

(USA), Mary Lambert, 39 mins
During a week-long pageant, “queens” from Pacific island nations, through dance and words, celebrate their lands and cultures–and fear of their loss to rising sea levels. Beautifully and eloquently, they declare their determination to slow the juggernaut of climate change. This award-winning documentary juxtaposes joyous jollification with the troubling question: Can they turn back the rising tide? —MJS

The Woman Who Swims with Killer Whales

(UK), Mark Woodward, 60 mins
The killer whale is among the ocean’s most feared predators, but New Zealand’s Ingrid Visser thinks differently–and by swimming among her beloved whales she has come to know nearly all of them by sight. An unusual number of recent deaths spurred her to investigate the cause. Her findings reveal disturbing new information about the health of our oceans. —MJS

7:00 p.m. – Program 8

Plastic Tide

(USA), Jeremy Konner & Skye Kelly*, 5 mins
Beaches throughout the world are strewn with plastic. Hawaii, though far from heavily populated areas, is close to the infamous North Pacific garbage patch and the recipient of floating pollution from all its distant neighbors. —KH

Whale Disentanglement Network

(USA), John Dutton*, 5 mins
Help wanted: Men and women who can jump in a small Zodiac inflatable to search for and free large whales from life threatening entanglements. Must perform as a member of a highly trained and experienced team, in potentially dangerous situations. Knowledge of whales, small boat handling, and lines under load a plus. If you meet these criteria and stay calm despite the adrenalin rush, please apply.

People of a Feather

(Canada), Joel Heath* and the Sanikiluaq Community, 90 mins, USA Premier
Presented in partnership with the Consul General of Canada, San Francisco | Silicon Valley
Currents around southern Hudson Bay’s Belcher Islands once created a favorable environment for eider ducks essential to the Islands’ Inuit people. Starting in 1974, hydroelectric development on rivers flowing into Canada’s James Bay has altered those currents and even seasonal cycles. Using extraordinary cinematography and complementary acoustics, this film argues that these northern people’s struggle to preserve their world is our struggle, too. —SH