2009 Earthwatch Film of the Year Award
On March 19 Earthwatch will honor Wild Ocean, a Giant Screen Films and Yes/No Productions release, as its 2009 Film of the Year with a screening, award presentation, and panel discussion in Washington, DC.
Written, directed, edited, and scored by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas (the UK-based, Oscar and Emmy-nominated creative duo behind the internationally acclaimed Stomp), Wild Ocean is presented in theatres worldwide by Nokia.
Wild Ocean celebrates the annual feeding frenzy in the oceans of South Africa as billions of sardines migrate up the KwaZulu-Natal Wild Coast, causing breaching whales, frenzied sharks, herding dolphins, and diving gannets to compete in an epic struggle for survival. While this migration provides food for sea life and the people along the shore, global warming and over fishing threaten its continued existence. In South Africa, business, government, and the local people have joined forces to protect this migration, and Wild Ocean presents the stunning beauty of what they're trying to save.
Wild Ocean was a finalist for two Panda Awards-otherwise known as "The Green Oscars"-at the 2008 Wildscreen Festival: "Best Film-Theatrical" and "Best Music". Wild Ocean is the first of three documentaries that will comprise the "Earth and Man Environmental Film Series" from Giant Screen Films. This series was developed to explore critical environmental issues in an uplifting manner, using the giant screen to showcase the power and the delicate balance of the natural world.
As Earthwatch President and CEO Ed Wilson puts it, "Wild Ocean thrills all who encounter it with the stunning beauty of the Wild Coast's ocean ecosystem. It's a perfect demonstration of why Earthwatch has a film award: full of artistry, passion, and hope for a healthier planet, Wild Ocean draws the public's attention to the health of our oceans, inspiring audiences to gain greater knowledge about and feel greater passion for the oceans that sustain us."
This 23rd Annual Earthwatch Film of the Year Award is given in cooperation with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital. Earthwatch's film award program has honored environmental filmmaking for more than two decades, recognizing the power and potential of visual media to reach mass audiences and inspire them to take action on behalf of our shared environment.
Earthwatch will screen Wild Ocean at 7:00 PM the Johnson IMAX Theater at the National Museum of Natural History, in cooperation with the Smithsonian Associates, at 10th Street and Constitution Ave., NW.
Following the screening, Ed Wilson will present the award to the directors, who will join him in a panel discussion about ocean research and conservation.
Also joining the discussion will be world-renowned explorer and environmentalist Philippe Cousteau Jr., President and CEO of EarthEcho International, and Dr. Clapperton Mavhunga, Earthwatch Principal Investigator (Traditional Knowledge of South African Villages) and MIT Asst. Professor of Science and Technology.
Order tickets online or call 202.633.3030 by March 12.
Advanced ticket prices for Earthwatch and Smithsonian Resident Members: $10 ($9 for Seniors)
General Admission prices: $13 ($7 for children under 10)
Earthwatch Institute is the world's largest environmental volunteer nonprofit organization. Its mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Earthwatch was founded in 1971, is headquartered in the US, has a European Office in the UK, and affiliate offices in Australia and Japan. With more than 85 projects fielding in more than 35 countries worldwide, Earthwatch focuses its research efforts on climate change, oceans, sustainable cultures, and sustainable resource management.