Ocean Film Festival on the shores of the Lucas

I have so been looking forward to this! I look forward to it every year!!!
This is its twelfth year.
Annually, it explores different elements of marine life. This time, it's sharks, dolphins, and whales - and saving their habitats.

I think I would like to visit Gray's Reef. I've never been to a National Marine Sanctuary and it sounds like they do the kind of work I once thought of doing.
I have been to the UGA Marine Extension on Skidaway Island and that is highly advised for all!

Meanwhile, back to the Gray's Reef Ocean Film Festival (aka GROFF)!
When I signed up to volunteer for it, I knew exactly what the event was about and was very excited to be part of it.
Oh, yes!
And I am so glad it was at the Lucas and not the Trustees... so I could serve it this time.

For the most part, I was the only Lucas usher there, too!
That was okay, really it was.
The films were General Admission, so our service as true ushers was not essential.
Primarily, we were there to keep a head count (for the Fire Marshal) and to help the folks from Gray's Reef, however was needed.
This morning, Judy and I were the only two Lucas ushers there and we both were granted official "VOLUNTEER" badges from those at GROFF!
How very cool!


I'm telling you, these past two days have been such a fabulous time for me!
The fun began, officially, at 7 PM yesterday. The two features were "Great White Shark" and "Mission Blue". Of the two, the one which truly drew in the crowd was the latter, which featured Dr. Sylvia Earle.

As someone who once used to dream of becoming a marine biologist, you would think I would know about her.
Somehow, I did not.
But I'm fairly sure my mother did.
I very much liked both films (except for the gruesome stock footage of finning) and very much enjoyed the extended Q&A session with Dr. Earle.
She even held an autograph session afterward! So very gracious!

This morning began a bit early for me - you know how I enjoy my leisurely mornings! But, oh, was it worth the early rise! This session was devoted to the oceans' future stewards: the children of today. It even featured short films created by kids! How absolutely cool is that?!
My favorite was easily "The Coralax", created by four Maui middle-schoolers and admonishing resort developers to not destroy what they're are seeking to celebrate. Fabulous! Dr. Seuss would be so very proud! (Go ahead and click the link above to watch the entire video!)
The other two shorts, "Ain't No Fish" (based on the old song) and "Papa Cloudy's Restaurant", were certainly entertaining, so please don't misunderstand me. And the behind-the-scenes story, "Winter: The Dolphin That Can", was a different perspective from that of the Hollywood film, concentrating on the effect of Winter's tale on an autistic boy. This film held some personal cachet for me, as I had visited the Clearwater Marine Aquarium last month.
But that tale of the Coralax, with its Seussian flair, really tickled me and made me smile!
Afterward, I popped over to the Kayak Cafe to grab some lunch. (Good thing I did, as I relied on popcorn to fill the gaps until the after-party!) The chef had made an awesome chicken and rice soup, which was as good as mine. It was very filling, too!

Then home to the Lucas for the afternoon of shorts! Yep, that's right: shorts!!!
You know how much I love the shorts!
Some were made by children, some by local SCAD students, some by other college students. The student films ("Humpback Whale", "Make Your Ocean Connection Count", and "Going Green") showcased the works of some talented young people. Keep up the good work, y'all!
The other shorts were made by those already on the career path in film-making. For these artists, as in the past, not all dealt with marine, or even freshwater, animals, but they were all tasked to include some water angle. They met that task with varying success.
For example, "Nutria: The Other White Meat" and "Not So Black and White: Argentine Tegu" focused on the effect of invasive species on the marsh environment in the southeastern United States. Those who own dogs may want to check out MarshDog for tasty nutria foods.
For other films, such as "An Appalachian Tale", "God Save The Queen", and "Imperio Karstico", the link was more tenuous, if not invisible. The first dealt with reclaiming lands ruined by decades of coal mining and poor government regulations, the second concerned honeybees, and the third explored the effect of highway expansions on a specialized environment in Puerto Rico.
"Toxic Beauty" could not be screened, due to technical difficulties, so no appraisal is possible for it. (That emphasizes the importance of sending duplicate copies to film festivals!)
"Painted Buntings" and "Taking Flight: The Carolina Raptor Center" had us looking to the skies above the marshes. The film about the "rainbow birds" was particularly nice and beautifully shot.
"Cocodrilos Del Rio Tarcoles" had us back in the water, investigating tour guide practices in Costa Rica. (This link is not the film screened at the festival, but a similar one used in a newscast.) "Black Gill" was another investigative piece, this time dealing with a resurgence in the last two decades of the 1970's issue with local shrimp. While the disease does not affect the taste of the meat, it makes the shrimp unattractive, greatly decreasing marketability. (This is akin to the reality of the thought of "eating rat meat" greatly affecting the nutria market here in the USA. Having lived in Okinawa and Panama, I can attest that for people in most other countries, any animal can be used as a meat source.)
I think my favorite in this collection of shorts was "Gray's Reef NMS". Through that video, we all gained an introduction to some of the people involved not only at the marine sanctuary, but also at the Ocean Film Festival. Hats off to Amy, Jody, Chris, and Allie!

After a short break, the late afternoon session began. As with every group of films at the Ocean Film Festival, the first one screened was "Earth Is Blue". This short can - and should - be viewed here. This 3-minute video summarizes the beauty of our oceans and the need to protect marine life. The film served as an introduction for those who were present only for one or two sessions, or who were new to the GROFF.
A longer short was next up, this time by a teenager. "The Right Whale: Urbanizes" focuses on the work at the New England Aquarium. You can even view the entire video here. As well as being beautifully shot, it's very much like taking a tour, as you get history, biology, and anecdotes from two personable scientists.
Then it was time for the two feature films of the session! Talk about two extremes! "Antarctica: On The Edge" and "Swain's Island: One of The Last Jewels of The Planet" tracked from extreme cold to sublime warmth. An interview with Jon Bowermaster about Antarctica, found here, emphasizes the dire effect that climate change has had on this land - and what that means for coastlines everywhere. The tropical locale of Swain's Island, in the Pacific Ocean, is now protected waters - and land - thanks to local activism in that region. However, as the film reveals, the decree came only after the owners of the island were convinced that its inclusion in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa did not came at the cost of unwanted government interference. Nicely done!
One more brief recess before the final films of the festival. I missed all of the short films, as I was talking with Jody and Chris about GROFF of the past and brainstorming about future incarnations. I left my post as usher in time to catch the introduction to the feature, "DeepSea Challenge". Basically, the film chronicles one man's determination to build a one-man submersible which could withstand the pressures of diving seven miles down. Since that one man was James Cameron, a noted film-maker, it stands to reason that his quest would be fully documented. And it certainly was! What a ride for the rest of us!

Afterward, John Bruno, the director of the sea-going portion of the film, gladly again answered questions.
Oh, did I say "again"?
Did I not mention that he was there for the Q&A after the screening of "Swain's Island" in the previous session?
Well, he was, and that was quite informative, too.


What a wonderful day it had been!
I was even invited to the wrap party afterward!
After knoshing on beef cannelloni, spinach and ricotta cannelloni, and risotto on a stick (my name for it!) from Leoci's Trattoria, sipping on a Coke and mingling, and chatting with a new usher (who's first day of "work" will be this Friday), I took my leave.
Have I mentioned what a wonderful weekend this has been?
(smile)