If any open water swimmers find themselves in San Francisco in early February, we strongly suggest they stop and enjoy North America’s leading cinemaquatic movie festival in the heart of the city.

The San Francisco Ocean Film Festival is now in its seventh year.

The San Francisco Ocean Film Festival showcases 50 inspirational films that celebrate the sea and increase our appreciation of ocean sports, coastal cultures and the importance of the world’s largest ecosystem.

The five-day event on February 3-7 produces ocean-themed films from all over the world that are largely unavailable to the general public with the purpose to entertain, educate and encourage active participation in ocean conservation.

With so many great films to choose from and limited time, open water swimmers may be particularly interested in the following films:

Journey to an Undersea Rainforest (see below) tells the story of the swaying forest of the world’s largest kelp thrives off of Souther California – invisible to land dwellers, but very well-known to Catalina Channel swimmers – nearly 800 species of invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals seek shelter and sustenance amid its 100-foot stalks.



The Comfort of Cold tells the story of San Francisco Bay swimmer 75-year-old Joe Illick who swims twice a day throughout the winter and is often in the running for endurance awards. When he isn’t swimming, he’s carving, painting, and writing poetry. —KH

Rowing the Atlantic (see below) tells of the story of Roz Savage’s 3,000-mile trans-Atlantic rowing solo that became a trial by sea and the challenge of a lifetime. The towering waves, heaving swells and equipment failure make for a harrowing film – that Dan Martin, the similarly heroic trans-Atlantic non-wetsuit-wearing solo swimmer may face this April on his swim from New York to France.



White Shark Cafe (see below) tells the story of the great white sharks that visit the waters around the Farallon Islands to feed on the pinnipeds – that famed San Francisco swimmer Karen Rogers may face on her swim from the Farallons to San Francisco later this year.



Surfing Dolphins is a magical, lyrical montage showcasing dolphin with excellent water imagery and sound, the beautiful creatures who frequently escort open water swimmers throughout the Pacific Ocean.



From the Badlands to Alcatraz follows the story of five Native American swimmers from land-locked South Dakota who travel to San Francisco to swim Alcatraz Island, from their first plunge into the cold bay to their leap into the challenging waters off The Rock.



Following the footsteps of the famous, well-established ocean festival in Toulon, France (Le Festival du Film Maritime d’Exploration et d’Environnement à Toulon), now in its 41st year, the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival will show the following films:

1. Sylvia Earle: A Profile (USA) by Amy Miller and Joan Johnson
2. The End of the Line (UK) by Rupert Murray
3. Dieci Chili di Mare (Seaside Out) (Italy) by Francesco Uboldi
4. To Save the Whale (UK) by Gavin Newman
5. Symbiosis Mashup – Ocean for Life (USA) by Jeremy Polk & Lauren Demko
6. Journey to an Undersea Rainforest (USA) by Roger Uzun
7. The Cove (USA) by Louie Psihoyos
8. Physics of Sailing (USA) by Josh Rosen & Joan Johnson
9. Herring Gut Learning Center (USA) by Morgan Kirkham
10. Shaping a Life (USA) by Denise Galvao
11. In Altro Mare (In Other Sea) (Italy) by Franco la Cecla
12. In the Eye of the Whale (USA) by Kate Miller
13. The Comfort of Cold (USA) by Sara Newens
14. Rowing the Atlantic (USA) by J.B. Benna
15. Sounds of the Sea (Germany) by Volker Barth
16. Surfbus (USA) by Sachi Cunningham
17. Bicycle Trip (USA) by Patrick Trefz
18. Sea of Darkness (USA) by Michael Oblowitz
19. In Awe of the Shark (UK) by Caroline Brett
20. The Great White Shark Song (USA) by Andy Brandy Casagrande IV
21. Save Our Sharks (UK) by Caroline Brett
22. Whale Shark Island / Isla Holbox (USA) by Kip Evans
23. White Shark Cafe (USA) by Sean Aronson
24. Requiem (USA) by Bryce Groark
25. 2009 SAP 505 World Championship (USA) by Vincent Casalaina
26. Surfing Dolphins (USA) by Greg Huglin
27. Tragedies in the Mist (USA) by Jefferson Gray
28. Terra Antarctica (USA) by Jon Bowermaster
29. Vegetables from the Sea (New Zealand) by Adam Hermans
30. Wastewater Woes (USA) by Amy Miller & Sheraz Sadiq
31. What Would Darwin Think? (USA) by Jon Bowermaster
32. Arctic Cliffhangers (Canada) by Julia Szucs
33. Sea Horse Sleuths (USA) by Joan Johnson & Jenny Oh
34. Hobab e Sard (Frozen Bubble) (Iran) by Amir Joghataei
35. The Edge of the Sea (USA) by Maria Jose Calderon
36. The Whale that Ate Jaws (UK) by Jonathan Hughes
37. Indonesia’s Reef Warriors (USA) by Roger Uzun
38. Ocean Melody – Ocean for Life (USA) by Danny Ledonne
39. Lost on a Reef (USA) by Stephani Gordon
40. Dipole (Netherlands) by Edward Snijders
41. From the Badlands to Alcatraz (USA) by Nancy Iverson (see photo above)
42. Reef’s End (USA) by Shawn Heinrichs
43. The Bering Sea: An Ecosystem in Crisis (USA) by Brent Balalas
44. Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification (USA) by the Natural Resources Defense Council
45. Magic Blue Wave (France) by Guy Chaumette
46. Free Swim (USA) by Jennifer Galvin
47. Ocean Chronicles (Spain) by Leandro Blanco
48. Life by the Tide (USA) by Joshua Cassidy
49. The Southern Passage (USA) by William Bayne
50. Alexandra’s Echo (Canada) by Helen Slinger
51. South Georgia Island: A Southern Ocean Paradise (USA) by Corina Gamma, JJ L’Heureux and C. Hunter Johnson

The trailer for the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival follows:



Copyright © 2010 by World Open Water Swimming Association