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17th Annual International Ocean Film Festival Goes Virtual with Reconnecting Summer 2020

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

17th Annual International Ocean Film Festival Goes Virtual with
Reconnecting Summer 2020
Featuring all 54 Films, plus online panels, discussions and audience Q&A
July 30 – August 9
www.intloceanfilmfest.org

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


23 July 2020 – San Francisco, CA. Buoyed by enthusiastic response to the online Student Film Competition, the International  Annual Ocean Film Festival will present  Reconnecting Summer 2020,  a virtual experience showcasing all of the official selections of this year’s 17th annual event July 30 – August 9.   In addition to the online screenings of all 54 films during the unprecedented 11-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

“We’re all connected by our oceans, and one thing we’ve learned from the ongoing global pandemic is how much we all benefit by staying connected,” said Ana Blanco, Executive Director of the International Ocean Film Festival.  “Our global online student film competition earlier this spring was incredibly successful, so we know our audience is ready to keep saving our oceans, one film at a time, from the comfort and safety of their own homes.”

The virtual festival will include 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.

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 and Troutman Sanders LLC.

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: