The Ocean Film Festival World Tour’s Journey Across the Globe
The Ocean Film Festival World Tour is an annual event, showcasing over two hours of ocean-themed films from independent filmmakers around the world. The festival has a vision to inspire audiences to explore, respect, enjoy, and protect our oceans through the power of film.
Currently, the festival is touring in countries like Australia, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, the US, and the UK. Its curated lineup includes a diverse selection of films ranging in length and style, with topics spanning ocean adventure, marine environments, sea creatures, ocean sports, coastal cultures, and stories of people connected to the sea.
In addition to providing entertainment and education, the festival has a commitment to ocean conservation. At each location, it partners with local ocean charities to support their conservation efforts. This year, as the festival celebrates its tenth anniversary, it continues to connect with audiences and amplify the work of filmmakers and ocean charities alike.
At the Ocean Film Festival World Tour UK, the film Bluetits premiered. The Bluetits Chill Swimmers is a community of open-water swimmers from all over the world. We recently wrote about founder, Sian Richardson’s Bluetits Chill Swimmers Story on ‘Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This?’ Podcast the other day.
Some viewing dates in the UK are still available and there is a vote on the website.
2023 TOUR FILMS
THE STORM CHASER
7 minutes
Big wave windsurfer Thomas Traversa thrives in the most violent weather conditions, harnessing the power of storms to push the boundaries of his sport. But for Thomas, riding in the eye of a storm isn’t about personal achievement – it’s a chance to immerse himself in the elements at their rawest. The Storm Chaser is a genre-blurring short film about the profound encounters between humans and nature at its extremes.
BLUETITS
11 minutes
When Sian Richardson went for a cold-water dip in Pembrokeshire in 2014, she never dreamt she’d inspire an international movement. Sian went on to form the beloved swimming group Bluetits, which now has around 100,000 participants worldwide. A journey of self-discovery and joie de vivre, Bluetits is a heartwarming celebration of chilly older women and the community that brings them together.
BROKEN BREATH
25 minutes (subtitled)
Broken Breath follows Italian free-diving champion Mike Maric, who was at the top of his sport when a tragic accident left his world shattered. Mike went from being able to hold his breath for over five minutes, to being unable to hold it for 10 seconds. From swimming with dolphins to self-discovery, this film shares a journey of how the ocean can be an opportunity to find rebirth.
HYPNOTISE
4 minutes
Hypnotise captures the relationship between the wreck of an Australian Navy ship and the marine life that embodies it. The ex-HMAS Brisbane is now a 130-metre artificial reef that is home to over 200 species of fish. Beautifully shot beneath the waves of Australia’s Sunshine Coast, this short film is an underwater celebration of the old and the new.
SALTY SEA DOGS: SPIKE
8 minutes
From rescue dog to Australian dog surf champion – meet Spike the surfing dog! Spike was adopted by lifelong surfer Rob Lorenzo, and despite having never seen the sea before, expressed a keen interest to get involved with his new owner’s hobby. With a natural talent for riding the waves, Spike went on to become a national surfing star, and is proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks.
TRULUCK
22 minutes
Steve Truluck is a part-time window cleaner and a full-time wildlife enthusiast. A surprise encounter with a humpback whale inspired him to drop his career and focus on his passion: helping people connect with whales and dolphins. Steve is now known as one of the UK’s best whale watching guides, with an unusual talent for finding killer whales. This uplifting film celebrates the life-changing moments that encounters with these incredible animals can bring.
TWO KINDS OF WATER
21 minutes (subtitled)
The 5,500km coastline of West Africa is home to some of the most diverse and dangerous fishing in the world. Skills are handed down from generation to generation, with fishermen putting their lives at risk every time they leave the shore. On the north coast of Senegal (a country whose name means ‘our boat’), fisherman Ishmaila Mbaye and his wife, Koumba, tell the story of these vulnerable fishing communities through poetic voices and lyrical journeys.
THE CUSTODIANS
17 minutes
Meet the Scots who are restoring their local waters, one seagrass bed at a time. Commercial overfishing and bottom trawling have turned Scotland’s once-thriving west coast waters into sparse, lifeless deserts. The Custodians follows the work of four locals who are reclaiming their natural coastlines, restoring wildlife, creating sustainable industries and showing us how we can work with, not against, our ocean.
