Fort Pierce - Wednesday May 31, 2023: Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is hosting the Florida tour of the 2023 International Ocean Film Festival this Friday, June 2, from 5 to 9 p.m.
The event will feature screenings of six independently produced films focused on themes about the ocean, ranging in length from seven to 30 minutes. Topics include whale migration in Hawaii, seagrass recovery efforts in Australia, and the clam industry in Cedar Key. This year’s official selections included more than 40 films to choose from for screening.
“We selected a half-dozen films that really are of interest to our public in Florida and tie well with our research,” said Jim Masterson, Ph.D., assistant research professor at FAU Harbor Branch.
Following the screenings, Masterson will moderate a panel discussion with researchers from FAU Harbor Branch and one of the documentary filmmakers. The panel discussion offers a special opportunity to delve into the topics addressed in the films from the perspectives of some of Harbor Branch’s leading scientists in oceanographic research and to hear directly from the filmmaker behind “Changing Seas: Vanishing Whales.” There also will be a cocktail reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres.
The International Ocean Film Festival is a nonprofit organization based out of San Francisco. The film festival has been in existence for 20 years, but this is the first time Harbor Branch will participate in its Florida tour.
FAU Harbor Branch is located at 5600 N. U.S. Highway 1, in Fort Pierce.
Tickets are $75 and must be purchased in advance. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.fau.edu/hboi/filmfest.