Ocean Film Festival Programme 2024

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THE WORLD’S BEST OCEAN FILMS | 2024 | EDITION 11

SUPPORTING
THE ART OF
STORYTELLING
We are proud partner of the 2024 UK and Ireland Ocean Film
Festival, celebrating stories that inspire action and raise
awareness of the beauty and fragility of our ocean.
Through these inspirational films, we aim to highlight our
dedication to safeguarding the ocean, protecting life on Earth
and fostering a sustainable future for generations to come.
NOC.AC.UK/SUPPORT
National Oceanography Centre is a company limited by guarantee, set up under the law of England and Wales, (Company no. 11444362)
and a registered charity (England & Wales: 1185265 & Scotland: SC049896). Registered address: European Way Southampton SO14 3ZH.
© National Oceanography Centre 2024

HELP US
CONTINUE THE
OCEAN’S STORY
The ocean’s story is at a critical juncture as it faces unprecedented
threats and change. Our mission is to gain deeper knowledge of
the ocean and help every living thing flourish.
Your support is crucial in helping us protect marine ecosystems,
preserve biodiversity and ensure a future where our oceans
remain healthy and thriving.
NOC.AC.UK/SUPPORT
National Oceanography Centre is a company limited by guarantee, set up under the law of England and Wales, (Company no. 11444362)
and a registered charity (England & Wales: 1185265 & Scotland: SC049896). Registered address: European Way Southampton SO14 3ZH.
© National Oceanography Centre 2024
3

Our seas are
home to extraordinary
wildlife and habitats
But our ocean is under severe threat.
Together we can turn the tide on nature loss
and ensure life can thrive
For our tomorrow, take action
for our seas today
Join our community at
mcsuk.org/join
mcsuk mcsuk mcs_uk
Registered charity in England and Wales 1004005 and in Scotland SC037480.
Billy Arthur

contents
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10
12
15
18
20
WELCOME
FILM LINE-UP
ICE MAIDEN
FILMMAKER INTERVIEW: THE CALL
THE WHALE SONG
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
FOLLOW US ON:
OceanFilmFestUK
Cover image: Freediver Anoushka Freedman.
Photo by Andre Rerekura

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WELCOME!
Splash into a night of ocean adventure!
We’re delighted to welcome you to
the 11th edition of the UK Ocean Film
Festival Tour, which is packed with
inspirational voyages and mind-blowing
wildlife from remote corners of the globe.
The 2024 film line-up features six new
films, taking us from the treacherous
waters of the Southern Ocean to the
sunny shores of Hawaii – and many
places in between! The flagship film has
to be Ice Maiden, starring Australian
sailor Lisa Blair as she attempts to become
the first woman to sail solo around
Antarctica. This extraordinary display of
determination, courage, and self-belief
is one for the history books. We’re also
thrilled to feature photographer and
surfer Mike Coots, who turns fate into
purpose after a harrowing encounter with
a shark in The Call. And we think you’ll
enjoy the joyous film Metropolis, which
dives deep below the waves to meet some
entertaining characters going about their
daily lives on a coral reef.
We’d like to thank our fantastic tour
partners for their support (and for
providing some fabulous prizes for the
prize draw). The Marine Conservation
Society, National Oceanography Centre
and PADI (the world’s leading scuba
diver training organisation), are our
presenting partners – look out for them
exhibiting at selected shows so you can
find out more about the exciting work
they do. We’d also like to thank our
excellent band of Ocean Crew – festival
volunteers who help spread the word
about their local shows, as well as
helping out on the night. And lastly we’d
like to thank you, the audience. It’s your
tales of how the films have inspired you
that keep us coming back for more.
We hope you enjoy the show!
The Ocean Film Festival UK Team
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FILM PROGRAMME
THE CALL OF THE COLD
Filmmaker: Brian Hockenstein | 11 minutes
Three athletes embark on a multi-sport adventure in
Iceland, to explore ‘water’ in its many forms. Battling the
bitter temperatures, big storms and strong winds of an
Icelandic winter, they follow conditions and elements
around the island. From surfing wild waves, to climbing
up icebergs, to free diving beneath the icy surface, Tim
Emmett, Jimmy Martinello and Luca Malaguti chase the
fine line between frozen and liquid water.
TESS FELIX: PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST
Filmmaker: Cynthia Abbott | 7 minutes
Dive into the transformative world of artist Tess Felix,
who uses plastic debris to create mosaic portraits as a
vibrant response to the perilous state of our oceans. Tess
seeks to capture the human soul by exploring serious
issues with creativity and humour, aiming to spark
curiosity and imagination. Through the forgotten and
unusual remnants of everyday life, Tess uses art to speak
of the places, people and ocean that she loves.
ICE MAIDEN
Filmmaker: Nathaniel CT Jackson | 59 minutes
Ice Maiden charts the astonishing journey of solo
adventurer Lisa Blair as she embarks on a voyage to
become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop and
unassisted around Antarctica. When unexpected and lifethreatening
weather conditions cause catastrophe, Lisa
needs to dig into every ounce of courage, determination
and self-belief to not only finish the journey, but survive
in the most dangerous waters on the planet. An epic tale
of perseverance, pushing limits and believing you can
achieve something when others say that you can’t.
10
OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR

THE WHALE SONG
Filmmaker: Marco Verhagen | 18 minutes
Delve into the enchanting world of humpback whales
and their remarkable ability to communicate through
song. The film is narrated by renowned marine biologist
Nan Hauser, and we also join DJ Sam Feldt, who
demonstrates the synergy between nature and art by
using whale songs to create a dance floor hit. The Whale
Song’s features captivating cinematography, engaging
storytelling, and a harmonious blend of music and
nature.
METROPOLIS
Filmmaker: Luca Keller | 14 minutes
Plunge into the depths of the ocean’s most vibrant
ecosystem. This mesmerising short film takes a lighthearted
look at the daily lives of the inhabitants of ‘Reef
City’, from the morning rituals of the emperor angelfish
to the nocturnal hunts of the colourful wunderpus.
Exploring the intricate web of relationships that sustain
this underwater society, Metropolis immerses viewers in
the ebb and flow of life beneath the waves.
THE CALL
Filmmaker: Nolan Grose | 11 minutes
Raised on the shores of a Hawaiian island, photographer
and surfer Mike Coots forges a deep bond with the
ocean early on. But at the age of 18, a harrowing shark
attack alters the course of his life. Turning fate into
purpose, Mike becomes a passionate shark conservation
advocate. Using his camera to capture the grace and
majesty of sharks, he shares their story to give back to
the ocean in his own way.
11

ICE MAIDEN
MEET LISA BLAIR, THE AUSTRALIAN SAILOR TAKING ON SOME OF THE MOST
TREACHEROUS WATERS ON THE PLANET. ALONE
eople often think of sailing as this
“Pglamorous experience, where you’re
drinking champagne on deck and having a
beautiful time. The kind of sailing that I do…
it’s not anything like that.”
That’s an understatement. The film Ice
Maiden joins Australian adventurer Lisa Blair
as she attempts to sail solo around Antarctica
– an expedition expected to take about 100
days, in some of the most treacherous waters
on the globe. Facing massive Southern
Ocean waves, extreme cold, strong wind
and storms, plus the risk of icebergs, Lisa
was entirely alone. If anything catastrophic
happened, there was no chance of a rescue.
So what inspired her to make such a voyage?
Lisa had first gone sailing with her mum
when she was 12, but it was a summer job
on a luxury yacht in the Whitsunday Islands
when she was 25 that got her hooked. She
then worked on a tourist yacht in Hawaii,
before being inspired to enter the Clipper
Round the World yacht race, offering novice
sailors the chance to circumnavigate the
globe. After 40,000 nautical miles stopping
in eight different countries, Lisa’s team won
the race, and she said: “I really started to
come into my own as a sailor, and started to
see the potential of this life for me.”
The Clipper race led to other sailing
expeditions, such as Sydney to Hobart in
Tasmania, and racing single-handed across
the Tasman Sea from Australia to New
Zealand. But her plan to circumnavigate
Antarctica was clearly so much bigger,
both in terms of the actual voyage, and also
fundraising and logistics.
“So many people were telling me not to go,”
12 OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR

WANT TO BE A RECORD BREAKER?
Lisa Blair has 5 world records. They are...
2017 – first woman to sail solo around
Antarctica with one stop
2018 – first woman to sail solo, nonstop
and unassisted around Australia
2018 – fastest mono-hulled yacht to sail
solo, non-stop and unassisted around
Australia
2022 – fastest non-stop, unassisted,
solo navigation of Antarctica
2022 – first woman to sail solo, nonstop
and unassisted around Antarctica
59 minutes
Filmmaker: Nathaniel Jackson
says Lisa. “When you get these perceptions,
these expectations and these people who don’t
believe you’re capable, it just fuels your desire
even more.”
The astounding expedition saw Lisa climb
unprotected onto the front of her out-ofcontrol
yacht to hammer free her fallen mast in
pounding waves – a manoeuvre that could have
killed her, but would have led to certain death
if she didn’t try. She then fashioned a makeshift
mast to sail and motor to Cape Town for repairs
before, incredibly, carrying on to complete the
voyage, 183 days after she’d started.
The story in the Ice Maiden film stops here,
but Lisa didn’t. She later returned to the
Southern Ocean and completed the Antarctica
circumnavigation without stopping, knocking
10 days off the previous record set by Russian
sailor Fyodor Konyukhov. She has also set
new records for sailing solo around Australia;
sailing solo from Australia to New Zealand;
and established a new record for sailing solo
around New Zealand. Her next plan is to sail
around the Arctic, starting and finishing in
London, on an 8,000-mile expedition that noone
has previously done. Part of the project
will be to highlight climate change that has
opened up the Arctic route, as well as ramping
up research into volcanic fibre as a cleaner
alternative to fibreglass boats.
Lisa’s story is an epic tale of perseverance,
pushing limits and believing you can achieve
something even when everyone tells you that
you can’t. As she says: “Many people will tell
you that you can’t do it. If you listen to them,
then you’re not going to do it. But if you know
within yourself that this is what you want to
do, and if you really believe that, then you just
have to figure out how to make it happen.”
13

get changed.
stay warm.
dryrobe.com

filmmaker
interview:
the call
nolan grose
We chat to filmmaker Nolan Grose, about his filmmaking background,
and how he met mike coots - the star of the film the call
Hi Nolan – can you tell us how you became
a filmmaker?
I was given a Canon ZR65 camcorder by
my late grandmother, which triggered a
fascination with capturing both videos and
stills. My grandfather was also a hobbyist
photographer and had a creepy darkroom
that I loved to explore. And in junior high,
the class everyone wanted was a filmmaking
class. From then on, I was hooked.
This was pre-Instagram and even pre-
YouTube, so I was just doing it for fun
and never imagined myself as a proper
filmmaker. It wasn’t until finishing school
that I got the nudge that hey, filmmaking in
its current form is different than it has been
historically. You don’t only have to go down
the Hollywood or broadcasting route. So
we started a production company in 2016
without any clue what we were doing.
‘This was pre-Instagram and even
pre-YouTube, so I never imagined
myself as a proper filmmaker’
The main thing I’m drawn to is the idea
that, as a filmmaker, you are trying to
control how someone experiences a story. I
have always revered the duty and privilege
of that.
OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR
15

Tell us about your relationship with the
ocean?
Growing up in landlocked Colorado, I was
always drawn to the ocean – mostly out of
fear of it! Ironically, I was obsessed with
sharks growing up. But I didn’t spend much
time on the water until we had some clients
put us on the ocean for different stories.
Through watching some amazing watermen
from Hawaii and Alaska, I grew to love,
respect and enjoy the ocean.
How did you meet Mike Coots?
We were in Hawaii for a shoot featuring
a local surfer and hired Mike for the day
to help shoot it. We only spent a couple of
hours with him but I was struck by how
much everyone sung his praises. Literally –
and I mean literally – everyone likes Mike.
So that was our first experience with Mike
and then years later, the brand OluKai asked
us about shooting a film series centring
around what the team was calling ‘aloha
moments’ – moments in time where your
life is forever altered. The honour was truly
all ours. I cannot say enough about how
amazing Mike and his Ohana [family] are.
What were the most difficult / memorable
moments from filming?
The chickens on the island are a common
filmmaking issue… They make it almost
impossible to get clean audio on the entire
island! So in almost every interview,
you could hear them screeching in the
background. But I think my most memorable
moments were really just spending time
with all the locals.
‘Chickens are a common
filmmaking issue on the
island … They make it almost
impossible to get clean audio’
What is Mike up to now?
Mike is still pushing on with his shark
conservancy, and continuing to bring his
voice to advocating for our oceans. He took
a trip down to New Zealand to swim with
great whites shortly after our shoot with
him. He is so talented and continues to push
the envelope on capturing sharks in ways we
have never seen.
16 OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR

the more likely we are to care for it
underwear and tees made from trees
sueme.com • @wearesueme
145

The
WHALE SONG
Find out more about marine biologist Nan Hauser from The Whale Song –
including how a humpback whale saved her life
ears ago, my PhD advisor asked me,
“Y‘How do you get such incredible
footage of whales?’ So I said, ‘unconditional
love.’ And I can say this very comfortably
as a scientist, because it makes sense for
anybody who works with animals. When
you trust them, you emit this unconditional
love, and they pick up on that.”
Marine biologist Nan Hauser grew up in
Pennsylvania, where her Quaker family
rehabilitated wild animals such as racoons
and foxes. She became fascinated by whales
on family trips to Bermuda, where they
would see the majestic mammals from the
shore. Nan originally trained as a nurse,
before becoming a whale biologist. She’s
now been president of the Centre for
Cetacean Research and Conservation for
over 30 years, and spends her time either
on the Cook Islands in Polynesia, or in
Bermuda.
As documented in the film The Whale Song,
Nan found fame beyond the scientific world
for the incredible story of how a humpback
whale protected her from a tiger shark. While
filming in the water off the Cook Islands,
the whale moved her on to the front of its
head and carried her back to the boat. Nan
realised that not only was there a tiger shark
nearby, but that it was displaying aggressive
characteristics, such as arching its body with
its pectoral fins pointing downwards.
18
OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR

18 minutes
Filmmaker: Marco Verhagen
The video of the encounter has racked
up millions of views on social media, and
the story doesn’t stop there. Nan saw the
same whale in the Cook Islands a year later,
recognising him from distinct markings on
his tail and head, and it was only the third
time she’d seen a whale return to the Cook
Islands. It was an emotional reunion where
she once again thanked the creature that had
saved her.
It’s not only an incredible story, but it
gives Nan a wider platform to talk about her
research. Nan highlights that by protecting
whales, we’re protecting the whole planet.
Sperm whales in the Southern Ocean help
sequester over 19 million trees’ worth of
carbon. Whale poo, called the whale pump,
releases nitrogen and circulates a great soup
of nutrients, fertilising phytoplankton. And
when a whale dies and the crabs, worms
and clams start to eat it, the whale carcass
transports about 190,000 tons of carbon –
the amount produced by about 80,000 cars
every year.
“I don’t think a lot of people realise how
absolutely important whales are, and not
just because they’re beautiful and they make
people happy,” Nan says, talking to The
Creative Process (www.creativeprocess.
info). “If we just leave them alone, that could
be an incredible solution for us to help with
the mess we’ve made.”
19

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
CATCH UP WITH THE STARS OF LAST YEAR’S OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL
THE BLUETITS
Capturing the hearts of audiences on
the 2023 Ocean Film Festival Tour, the
inimitable swimming group The Bluetits
Chill Swimmers continues to thrive, with
social swimming groups worldwide, from
Estonia to Canada.
In June 2024 seven Bluetit swimmers from
Pembrokeshire, including the group’s
founder and ‘chief tit’ Sian Richardson,
took on an epic challenge. They completed a
relay swim of the English Channel, battling
choppy seas, exhaustion, seasickness and
pitch-black darkness to complete the swim
in 17 hours 24 minutes. As well as an
inspirational achievement, the team raised
almost £5,000 to provide water safety
training for the Bluetit community, and to
buy a portable defibrillator to use at Bluetit
events. Great work team!
Bluetits swim groups are free and open
to everyone, regardless of gender, age or
ability. See www.thebluetits.co, or follow
them on Facebook @TheBluetits.
20
OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR

TOURING NATIONWIDE
THE WORLD’S BEST MOUNTAIN FILMS!
FOR DETAILS &
TICKETS VISIT:
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TRULUCK
The heartwarming tale of window-cleaner
turned whale-watcher Steve Truluck won
our 2023 People’s Choice Award, with
49% of viewers choosing Steve’s story as
their favourite film. Since then, Steve has
continued to offer people life-changing
wildlife watching experiences, both in
Scotland and further afield. Spending
winter in Skjervøy, far northern Norway,
Steve not only witnessed his beloved orcas,
but also humpback whales, walruses and
porpoises… plus the Northern Lights!
Steve was also involved with the filming
of Steve Backshall’s TV series Whale, saying
it was one of the best weeks of his life. He
says: “That week of filming was the week
when I looked around me and realised how
far I have come on my journey, and felt the
love and support of the whale watching
community in Scotland.” Keep on being
you Steve!
If you missed the 2023 Ocean
Film Festival you can still watch
it at home on demand – see
www.oceanfilmfestival.co.uk/virtual
22
OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR

Our seas are
home to extraordinary
wildlife and habitats
But our ocean is under severe threat.
Together we can turn the tide on nature loss
and ensure life can thrive
For our tomorrow, take action
for our seas today
Share your love for the ocean at
mcsuk.org/gift-a-membership
mcsuk mcsuk mcs_uk
Registered charity in England and Wales 1004005 and in Scotland SC037480.
Mark Kirkland
23

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