Mystic Aquarium To Host International Ocean Film Festival Oct. 15-16

Press release from Mystic Aquarium:

Oct. 12, 2022

Mystic Aquarium will host the International Ocean Film Festival (IOFF) October 15-16. Stonington-based Green Planet Films (GPF), in partnership with Mystic Aquarium, will hold “Green Planet Films Presents – The International Ocean Film Festival,” that will screen 12 hours of documentary films from the 2022 IOFF, founded in 2004 in San Francisco, CA.

Mystic Aquarium's Milne Center for Ocean Science and Conservation will be the setting for this acclaimed film festival with events each day on October 15 and October 16. Films will focus on ocean topics significant to the coastal communities of Southern New England. Film modules will include kelp forests and harvesting, restoring coral reefs and important water environment for a variety of species, nearby New York waterways, the emergence of sustainable shipping using wind energy, ocean ecosystems, plus local and international student films.

Each screening will be followed by a discussion and Q&A session with a panel of filmmakers and experts from Mystic Aquarium and area colleges and universities.

“Hosting the International Ocean Film Festival allows us to bring the oceans to life for people who might never have access to it,” said MaryEllen Mateleska, Director of Education & Conservation at Mystic Aquarium. “Green Planet Films is using the power of film as media to connect individuals and communities with ocean ecosystems, sharing experiences and inspiring marine conservation. People will leave here determined to make a difference.”

Education is an important part of the mission of GPF and Mystic Aquarium as both institutions believe it is crucial to engage young people in understanding how to respect and protect the environment they will inherit and steward for generations going forward. TGPF has added an educational focus and will screen international student films from the IOFF, animated shorts co-produced by Mystic Aquarium and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), plus micro-docs created by local area students during a two-day filmmaking workshop called ‘My Favorite Fish Is…” held at Mystic Aquarium. The films produced by the middle school students will be screened during Sunday’s session from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.

On both days three two-hour sessions are scheduled - 10 am to 12 p.m., 1-3 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Attendees can purchase one session ($15), Day Pass (three sessions $40) or all six programs for $75.On Saturday, the films modules: Kids / Family Ocean Shorts, Ocean Ecosystems, and New York Waterways. On Sunday, the films feature Local and International Student Films. Kelp Forests and Harvesting, and Coral Reefs.

On the eve of the IOFF, Mystic Aquarium will cap-off Hispanic Heritage Month by hosting a virtual showing of El Canto Del Mar followed by panel discussion on October 14th at 6:00PM EST. El Canto Del Mar, produced by Hispanic Access Foundation, explores the LatinX and Hispanic relationship to the ocean and our panelists from Hispanic Ocean Foundation and Mystic Aquarium will continue this theme through an interactive panel discussion.

The full IOFF schedule and additional information can be found at https://greenplanetfilms.org/pages/ioff22

This press release was produced by Mystic Aquarium. The views expressed here are the author's own.