Two Free Films at 'Celebration of the Seas,' May 20

Enjoy an evening of ocean-themed art at the “Celebration of the Seas,” at the Carnegie Institution for Science, Friday evening, May 20. It’s free and part of the four-day Blue Vision Summit 3, a gathering of the international marine community to work towards the enactment and enforcement of national ocean policy, addressing climate change impacts and Gulf restoration.

The Friday night free events include an 8:00 p.m. screening of “This Is Your Ocean: Sharks,” directed by a former colleague of mine from AOL, George C. Schellenger. Back then, he would use his vacation time to swim with sharks and film them. I'm glad to see it has paid off with an acclaimed documentary (the film won the MacGillivray Freeman Films Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking)!

According to the film’s website:

“This is Your Ocean: Sharks” looks at the global plight of sharks and introduces the audience to a massive 14-foot tiger shark named Emma. (Shark expert) Jim Abernethy’s connection and love for this animal plays a key role in the film with never before seen footage that will have some revaluating their perception of sharks. “We can no longer look at sharks as monsters. My relationship with Emma hopefully dispels that misconception and reveals the truth about these awesome animals. It’s time to share this message with the world.”

You can view the trailer here.

The May 20 event will also feature Jon Bowermaster's film, "SoLa: Louisiana Water Stories," as well as art, dance, live music, authors and book signings, and a silent auction, all ocean-themed. If you're interested in ocean and shark conversation--or learning more about these efforts--go to Celebration of the Seas and check out George's film!