The Ocean Film Festival World Tour originated in Australia 11 years ago but every year it takes in Britain with a new set of short documentaries. For 2024 it starts on 12 September in Leeds and follows up with 25 more screenings at another 21 venues into November.
The locations are mainly in England but also include Edinburgh, Swansea and Llandudno.
Sponsored by the Marine Conservation Society, PADI and the National Oceanography Centre, this year the tour brings six ocean-themed films to big screens, each one introduced live by a compère. Screenings last more than two hours and each one is accompanied by a prize giveaway.
This year’s line-up starts with THE CALL (12min): Raised in Hawaii, photographer and surfer Mike Coots has forged a deep bond with the ocean, but a shark attack when he was 18 turned him into a passionate shark-conservation advocate, who uses his camera to share their storyICE MAIDEN (62min) is the longest of the films, charting the journey of solo adventurer Lisa Blair as she sets out to become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around Antarctica. Weather conditions threaten catastrophe, and she has to dig into every last resource in her determination to survive and complete the voyage (PIC: Dean Koopman)THE WHALE SONG (18min) is a documentary fusion of music and nature, delving into the world of humpback whales. It takes in dj Sam Feldt using whale song to create a dance-floor hit, and is narrated by marine biologist Nan HauserCALL OF THE COLD (11min): Three athletes embark on a multi-sport adventure in Iceland to explore water in its various forms. Battling the bitter temperatures, big storms and strong winds of an Icelandic winter, they surf, climb icebergs and freedive to “chase the fine line between frozen and liquid water” (PIC: Jimmy Martinello)TESS FELIX: PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST (6min): Felix uses plastic debris, the forgotten and unusual remnants of everyday life, to create mosaic portraits in response to the perilous state of the oceans (PIC: Fabian Aguirre)METROPOLIS (14min) is a lighthearted look into the heart of a coral reef’s daily life, from the morning rituals of the emperor angelfish to the nocturnal hunts of the wunderpus
Steve has been a scuba diver for 32 years and became editor of Diver magazine in 1996, following 10 years with BBC World Service and the 10 before that in motoring journalism.
