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17th Annual International Ocean Film Festival Continues Virtually with Reconnecting Summer 2020

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Media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com  

By Popular Demand Extended One Week ‘til August 16!

17th Annual International Ocean Film Festival Continues Virtually with

Reconnecting Summer 2020

Featuring all 54 Films, plus online panels, discussions and audience Q&A
July 30 – August 16

http://www.intloceanfilmfest.org/

2021 Festival Slated for In-Person Viewing March 11 -14, 2021

6 August 2020 – San Francisco, CA. Not even finished with its original run, the 17th Annual International  Annual Ocean Film Festival’s First-Ever Online Virtual Presentation – Reconnecting Summer 2020 – announces a one week extension. Originally slated to end August 9, the virtual experience showcasing all of the official selections of this year’s films will now continue through Sunday August 16.   In addition to the online screenings of all 54 films during the unprecedented now 18-day event, the festival will host livestream interviews, Q&A sessions and panel discussions with filmmakers.  Tickets and information are available on the Virtual Film Festival page at www.intloceanfilmfest.org/ioff2020

“The response has been overwhelming,” said Ana Blanco, Executive Director of the International Ocean Film Festival.  “Next year for our 18th Annual Festival, currently slated for March 11 – 14, 2021, we plan on offering a combination of in-person and virtual online experience. These past few months have shown us how to connect with new audiences around the globe, helping us save the world’s oceans one film at a time.”

The virtual festival includes feature length films, a new program of 14 shorts and nine themed programs: Adventure & Ocean Sports; Coastal Culture; Environment & Conservation ; Innovations in Ocean Sustainability; CineMare International Ocean Film Festival Kiel, Germany; Marine Sciences and Wildlife; Sharks; Surfing and Whales. All films will be eligible for a first ever Global Audience Choice Award – which will now be announced on Sunday, August 16, 2020.

Prices for the Reconnecting Summer 2020 virtual film festival are: Feature Films: $10; Themed Programs: $12; Shorts Program: $12; Special Screening: Pay what you can.  Festival passes are available at the following levels:

  • All Access VIP Pass: $100: Includes access to watch all 10 feature films, nine themed programs, shorts program, special screenings and Q&As throughout the duration of the virtual film festival.
  • Blue Whale Pass: $60 Includes access to watch each of the nine themed programs.
  • Sea Turtle Pass: $45 Includes access to any five feature films and three themed programs of the viewer’s choice.

Since its launch in 2004, the San Francisco-based International Ocean Film Festival has attracted thousands of spectators of all ages from around the world, including film enthusiasts, sea athletes, educators, and environmental activists. Since then, the Festival has presented over 600 films from 50 different countries and featured post-film Q&A sessions with visiting filmmakers, special panel discussions with content experts, and the Annual Free Student Education Program. It was the first event of its kind in North America, inspired by the well-established ocean festival in Toulon, France, which has continued to draw large audiences for more than 40 years.

Current sponsors for the 17th Annual International Ocean Film Festival include National Marine Sanctuary, BigBus of San Francisco, Gray Line Tours, SSA, Alcatraz Cruises, the Port of San Francisco, the Consul General of Canada, Blue and Gold Ferry, RBC Wealth Management, Heidrick & Struggles, Pacific Gas & Electric, Troutman Sanders LLC and newly onboard is RingCentral.

The International Ocean Film Festival encourages its patrons, supporters and partners to follow the most current advice from the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization for preventing the further spread of the COVID-19 in Northern California and beyond, and to stay tuned for announcements about International Ocean Film Festival events once the threat level is reduced. The 18th Annual International Ocean Film Festival is currently scheduled to take place March 11 – 14, 2021 at San Francisco’s Cowell Theatre at Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture. The International Ocean Film Festival is a registered 501(c) 3 non-profit. www.intloceanfilmfest.org and social at: