Waves of Cinematic Wonder Crash Ashore for Blue Water Film Festival’s 5th Anniversary!

Eco-conscious cinephiles, prepare to dive deep into a celluloid sea of 44 captivating features, shorts, and animated gems as the Blue Water Film Festival makes a splash across San Diego for its 5th annual toast to our big blue planet’s most precious resource!

Global Guardian Award

Maude Barlow will receive the Global Guardian Award, which is presented to an industry world leader whose contributions to protecting the natural laws of the environment have improved the world.

Matthew Oppenheimer from the Canadian Consulate will present the award on Sunday, March 24, during the Blue Water Awards show.

Feature Films at Blue Water Film Festival

BWFF kicks off on March 21 with the opening night reception and screening of Jean-Albert Lievre’s WHALE NATION, presented by the French Consulate Julia Duhaut-Bedos at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.

The festival centerpiece presentation will be presented by Austrian Consulate Michael Postl for the feature documentary film ORCA BLACK WHITE & GOLD, directed by Sarah Norenberg.

The festival will close with Boston Globe, featuring reporter David Abel’s INUNDATION DISTRICT and IN THE WHALE.

• CANARY, Director Danny O’Malley, Alex Rivestert
• DOWNWIND, Director Mark Shapiro, Douglas Brian Miller
• HERRING PEOPLE, Director Scott Renyard
• IN THE WHALE, Director David Abel
• INUNDATION DISTRICT, Director David Abel
• ORCA: BLACK WHITE & GOLD, Director Sarah Nörenberg
• RELENTLESS, Director Thomas Lindsey Haskin
• SEA SICK, Director Simon Mark-Brown
• SEND KELP, Director Blake McWilliam
• SINGLE-USE PLASTIC, Director Steven Cowan
• TREASURES OF THE CARIBBEAN, Director Margreth Olin
• WHALE NATION, Director Jean-Albert Lievre

Short Films

• AGRICULTURE IS OVER, Director Antoine de Bujadoux
• AXINOS, Directors Anna Maria Kakona, Calliopi Villy Kotoula
• BELLE RIVER, Directors Guillaume Fournier, Samuel Matteau, Yannick Nolin
• CIRCLES, Directors Oliver Rienzner, Christoph Amort
• CONNECTION, Directors Daniel Lir, Bayou Bennett
• CREATURES OF THE KALEIDOSCOPE, Director Hannah Jodie Alexander
• DISAPPEARING FORESTS, Director Tyler Schiffman
• DOWN TO THE LAST DROP, Director Harry Putz
• DROWNING FISH, Director Amir El-Shenawy
• EYES ON THE SEAFLOOR, Director Natasha Benjamin
• FOR EVERYTHING THERE WAS A SEASON, Director Trevor Bloom
• GREAT OCEAN LOVE, Director Ella Bourne
• INSIDE GREENPEACE, Director Florian Noethe
• NATTURBOND, Directors Sven Peetoom, Gríma Irmudóttir, Jonathan Damborg
• OLDER THAN TREES, Director Pippa Ehrlich
• PROTECTING THE RIVER KRUP, Director Ciril Jazbec
• SLAVES TO WATER, Director Bertrand Loyer
• SWIM TUFF Director Matt Corliss
• WHALES OF THE HIGH DESERT, Director Joseph Adam LeBaron
• WILD HOPE: THE BIG OYSTER, Unaccredited

Animated Films

• CODE ROSE, Directors Taye Cimon, Pierre Coëz, Julie Groux, Sandra Leydier, Manuarii Morel, Romain Seisson
• DISAPPEARING JEWELS, Director Will Kim
• FOREIGNER, Director Giovanni A Lodigiani
• IN BETWEEN BEINGS, Director Isaac King
• PLSTC, Director Laen Sanches
• RESILIENCE, Directors Irène Mopin, Angèle Nicolas, Noémie Barcat
• TAHLEQUAH THE WHALE: A DANCE OF GRIEF, Director Daniel Kreizberg

Locations

The feature, shorts, animated and television films will screen at:

• Museum of Photography (MOPA) in Balboa Park
• The Conrad
• UCSD Innovation Building
• Encinitas Community Room
• La Jolla Riford Public Library
• La Jolla Recreation Center
• UCSD Park & Market
• Patagonia
• Cardiff by the Sea Retail Store
• And virtually at Blue Water Streaming

Supporting Filmmakers

The Blue Water Film Institute supports the Blue Water Film Festival as an emerging festival whose intention is to bring greater awareness to and engagement for our big blue planet’s precious life supply of water—our oceans, aquifers, rivers, dams, lakes, streams, and waterway systems through cinema and engagement.

BWFF, known for its environmental programming, works to provide opportunities for support and mentorship of the emerging voices of up-and-coming environmental filmmakers. Blue Water Film Festival is a boutique event beloved by conscious and environmental film fans and auteurs alike.

Over 80% of the films in the 2024 BWFF slate will have filmmakers in attendance and participate online in Q&As following the screenings.

See you there!

Passes for the 2024 Blue Water Film Festival, showing March 21–24, are available now and can be purchased here.

See you there, San Diego!