By MICHELLE KLAMPE/OSU News Service
NEWPORT – Sixteen ocean-themed films will be featured during the inaugural Big Blue Film Fest Friday and Saturday, Jan. 27-28 at Hatfield Marine Science Center.
The festival is designed to raise awareness about marine issues and engage the community in scientific research in an entertaining way, organizers said. It is a new iteration of the popular Hatfield Marine Science Center Film Festival that ran from 2016 to 2019.
“We are thrilled to be bringing a film festival back to Hatfield. Some amazingly talented filmmakers are participating in this inaugural festival and their creativity brings marine science to life in a way that informs, inspires and entertains,” said center director Bob Cowen. “Truly, there is something for everyone …”
Filmmakers from 46 countries submitted 169 films for consideration for the festival. Three of the selected films were directed by Oregon State University students, and one was directed by an OSU staff member.
Four award-winners were selected by a panel of judges, including Cowen and Marine Mammal Institute director Lisa Ballance.
The festival will be held in the auditorium of the center’s Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building. A reception with complimentary food and drinks will be held before the Friday night screening, which also includes an awards ceremony for the winning filmmakers. On Saturday, refreshments will sold between screenings.
The film schedule
Block A, Friday night: Stunning Seascapes, 6-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27. Reception begins at 5:15 p.m. Films: Best film award-winner “Fire Under the Sea,” directed by Gil Kebïili and Roberto Rinaldi; “Oregon’s Edge: The Creative South Coast,” directed by Darryl Lai of OSU Productions; and “The Sanctuary,” directed by Timothy Raymond Brown and Michael Bruce Portway.
Block B, Saturday morning: Exploring the Tides, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 28. Films: Best in education award-winner “Horseshoe Crabs: How 350-Million-Year-Old Sea Creatures are Vital to Survival,” directed by Andrea Kramar; “Oregon Surfing: A Vital Way of Life,” directed by OSU student Maia Insinga; “ISIIS,” directed by OSU student Ellie Lafferty; and “Undersea,” directed by Jannik Splidsboel.
Block C, Saturday afternoon: Untold Stories, 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28. Films: Most inspiring film award winner “Reclaim Your Water: Natasha Smith,” directed by Faith E. Briggs; “Pumping at Sea,” directed by Lafferty; “Salt Lines,” directed by Dan McDougall; “Two Kinds of Water,” directed by Dan McDougall; and “Above Water,” directed by Kentaro Yoshimura.
Block D, Saturday evening: Majestic Marine Life, 4-6 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28. Films: Best student filmmaker award winner “Kelp Me Please,” directed by Fiona Cummings, Helena Miller and Sienna Cooper; “Journey of Theresia,” directed by Jessika Raisor; “Close Encounters,” directed by Daniel Aldaya; and “The Sand-Eating Shark,” directed by Bertrand Loyer.
Additional information about each film is available on the film festival’s website.
All access passes are $20 for adults and $12 for students, including K-12 and college students. Passes provide access to all films shown during the festival; tickets are not available for individual blocks of films. All access passes must be purchased online. To purchase tickets go to festival ticketing website. Seating is limited so purchasing in advance is recommended.
The Big Blue Film Fest is a collaboration of several Oregon State University organizations, including Hatfield Marine Science Center, the Marine Studies Initiative and OSU Productions, as well as community partners.
The festival honors the legacy of Maryann Bozza, who conceived the original Hatfield Marine Science Center Film Festival. Bozza, a program manager at Hatfield who served on the leadership team for the Marine Studies Initiative, died in 2017.
