Celebrate World Ocean Day with Loggerhead Marinelife Center during the Third Annual World Ocean Day Film Festival, hosted in partnership with the International Ocean Film Foundation, on June 8. Kicking off at 5 p.m., guests will hear stories from a panel of local underwater filmmakers and photographers, tour the center’s outdoor sea turtle hospital, and view a series of 11 short, ocean-inspired films in the Gordon & Patricia Gray Auditorium.
The evening’s festivities begin with cocktail hour and a silent auction on the Ocean Sky Deck. Proceeds from the auction will support Loggerhead’s ocean conservation and education.
The event continues with a panel discussion and film screenings from 6 to 9 p.m. Panelists include Tom Fitz, an Emmy- and BAFTA-winning cameraman, producer, and director for the BBC, PBS, and National Geographic; Andrea Whitaker, a biologist and underwater photographer who has collaborated with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and Lee Burghard, an award-winning underwater filmmaker, Nauticam Ambassador, and an equipment specialist for Reff Photo and Video.
The festival’s film lineup includes: WILD HOPE: Return of the Manatees; The Granny Grommets; Shark Researchers: A New Approach to Shark Conservation; A Disappearing Forest; Return of the Mangroves; Konstantinus’ Legacy – Awakening the Love for Nature; Kingdom of Ice: Antarctica’s Leopard Seals; Blue Habits: Baja, Mexico; Deep Trouble; Deep Look; and Dahican.
For a family-friendly experience of the World Ocean Day Film Festival, join Loggerhead on June 9, from noon to 2 p.m. for a free, curated screening of award-winning, ocean-centered films. The event will feature 10 professional and youth-directed films from around the world in collaboration with Florida-based student film organization, Youth Making Ripples. Learn about the importance of conservation from a sea turtle scientist and enjoy a special appearance from Pip the Sea Turtle.
Tickets are $40 per person, which include one beverage courtesy of Sailfish Brewing Company and full access to the evening’s events. The film festival and panel discussions will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
For more information and to purchase tickets to the festival, visit marinelife.org/wod-film-festival.
