Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films starts Tuesday!
If you haven’t heard, the Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films starts tomorrow… Tuesday June 3, 2014 at the SFU Goldcorp Theatre. Here’s the full release:
VANCOUVER FESTIVAL OF OCEAN FILMS – OPENS DOORS FOR 5TH YEAR
VANCOUVER – Returning for its fifth season, the Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films (VFOF) will open its doors to the SFU Goldcorp Theatre on June 3, 4 and 5. Adventure, surf and the Antarctic environment are the themes of this year’s multimedia event and film competition, which once again has attracted local and international filmmakers and presenters. Each evening’s screenings will be introduced by world-renowned speakers including Canadian adventurers Kevin Vallely and Frank Wolf.
“The VFOF’s goal is to inspire and stimulate audiences to explore, and get excited about their relationship with the ocean”, says Peter Alfred, VFOF’s founder. “We think that this year’s films will leave audiences breathless. We’re very grateful to MEC for their title support and to our presenting sponsors One Ocean Expeditions and Michael Green Architecture, along with our supporting sponsors the Georgia Strait Alliance, Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak, Denman Island Chocolate, and our media sponsor, the Georgia Straight newspaper.”
Some of the films being screened over three evenings include:
- Solo: Lost at Sea (watch trailer here)
This gripping and compelling film chronicles Andrew McAuley’s quest to become the first person to kayak solo from Australia to New Zealand across one of the wildest and loneliest stretches of ocean on Earth.Having survived a harrowing and torturous month at sea, conquering monstrous swells and terrifying storms, McAuley lost his life only a day from completing his journey. While his body was never recovered, the camera tapes from his kayak were and they form the basis of this moving and questioning portrait of a complex man, his family, his supporters and his attempt to conquer the ferocious Tasman Sea.
- Haenyo: Women of the Sea (watch trailer here)
Haenyeo refers to the women free-divers of Jeju Island, South Korea who for centuries have collected seafood without the use of scuba equipment. This short documentary provides a portrait of Chuwar Park, a still active and unbelievably vibrant 82-year-old diver. Examining her daily routine as well as her past, Park sheds light on this unique matriarchal culture that has changed little since the 19th century.
- Bella Vita (watch trailer here)
This award winning film chronicles surfer, artist, and environmentalist Chris Del Moro on his pilgrimage back to his ancestral Italian homeland to explore a culture where old world-convention and traditional craftsmanship have matured into a modern surf lifestyle and destination. A visual epic captured in stunning 35MM, Bella Vita is an intimate and powerful journey of self-discovery, seeped in culture, tradition, and passion- where family comes first.
- The Last Ocean (watch trailer here)
The Ross Sea, Antarctica is the most pristine stretch of ocean on Earth. Largely untouched by humans, it is one of the last places where the delicate balance of nature prevails. This film chronicles a group of scientists, a nature photographer and a filmmaker in a race to protect Earth’s last untouched ocean from our insatiable appetite for fish.
Net profits from the festival will be donated to the Georgia Strait Alliance (GSA).
About VFOF
The VFOF is dedicated to protecting our environment for the next generations by raising interest and awareness of the ocean not only as a place for positive recreation, but also as a place of sustainable and responsible commerce, and a wilderness to be respected. The VFOF aims to inspire and stimulate people to explore their relationship with the ocean by bringing together local and international filmmakers and presenters in a multimedia event and film competition.
