Join us at the Vancouver Aquarium on December 16th, 2013, for a special presentation of Stand.

 

This evening will feature not only the full length award winning documentary film, but the audience will have a unique opportunity to meet the extraordinary film makers and adventurers that made this film possible and hear their behind the scene stories.

 

Stand is a visually spectacular and emotionally gripping film that that follows local stand up paddling adventurer Norm Hann as he paddles the length of Haida Gwaii. This stunning documentary showcases the West Coast of British Columbia and what is at stake from the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline tanker route. For more information on the film, please visit www.standfilm.com

 

This screening will be at the Vancouver Aquarium’s 4D theatre at 7:00 pm (doors at 6:30) December 16th. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased in advance by visiting www.vanaqua.org/stand.

On September 24th, join the Vancouver Aquarium and the Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films for the world premiere of Ocean Gybe’s documentary,  “Tide Lines” in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. As a part of this very special evening, the producers and crew will be on hand for a presentation prior to the screening as well as for questions afterward.

“Tide Lines” follows two local B.C. brothers and a friend as they set sail from Mexico with a dream to circumnavigate the world and surf. Over the course of the next three years, their lives would change dramatically through the beaches they visited, the people they met and a newfound sense of global community through the oceans. Tide Lines is the true story of Ryan, Bryson and Hugh on a sailboat called “Khulula” and their inspiring voyage across the sea in search of adventure, plastic awareness and education.

Since its first cleanup 20 years ago, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup has seen over 300,000 individuals across Canada remove over one million kg of litter.  This year the Shoreline Cleanup runs from September 21 through 29, 2013.  There’s still time to get involved.  To find a cleanup site near you, visit ShorelineCleanup.ca

This very special screening will be at the Vancouver Aquarium’s 4-D Theater on September 24th, 2013. Tickets will be $12 and can be purchased through the Aquarium at Tickets

View Trailer here:

http://vimeo.com/oakbayjohnny/tidelinestrailer

THANK YOU!!

To everyone who came out and helped us celebrate World Oceans Day, a massive thank you. You all made the fourth VFOF a very exciting event to be a part of.

To all our sponsors, who seem to come back year after year, you have been so generous with your patience, advice and vision that it keeps us motivated to press on year after year. A special nod goes out to One Ocean Expeditions, Mountain Equipment Coop and the Georgia Strait Alliance, who always say yes and really are engines of the festival.

Enough can’t be said about the film makers. Nic and Anthony, Lindsay and Matt, Mickey, Chris and Mr. B from across the pond. Keep doing what you do, pushing the boundaries, documenting the stories and never be satisfied. Remember, like Mickey says, “you may barely eek out a living, but at least it’s a life worth living.”

Lastly, stay in touch. We are going to be trying a few new things, branching out a bit and starting to build for next year.

Please enjoy the ocean, but please, enjoy it responsibly.

Peter

 

Thank you to everyone who bought tickets for tonight’s presentation of “Stand”. If you weren’t able to get tickets, don’t despair. Contact us through our website, and when we get there at 5pm we will get a better sense of how many more tickets we can release - we will email you!

Also, we have two amazing shows tomorrow too:

At 1pm tomorrow we will be screening last year’s Toronto International Film Festival People’s Choice award winner “The Island President”. This will be followed by a multi media presentation featuring “A Hand to Stand” and Lina Augaitis.

“Jon Shenk’s fascinating documentary feature THE ISLAND PRESIDENT personalizes the threat of global warming, and nationalizes it too”, writes Joe Morgenstern of the THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Then at 7pm we are screening “The Big Fix”. This powerful documentary was an Official Selection at Cannes.

THE NEW YORK TIMES writes “The Big Fix” is an enraged exposé of the crimes of Big Oil, specifically BP, which has been accused of negligence and of taking shortcuts that helped lead to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig off the Louisiana coast in April 2010. The film’s conspiratorial viewpoint makes sense and is probably accurate.”

And if that wasnt enough, everyone who comes to “The Isalnd President” will reciev a gift from the folks at ETHICAL BEAN, and, everyone who comes to “The Big Fix” will receive a treat from DENMAN ISLAND CHOCOLATE

We are thrilled to announce that “Stand” has won the Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films’ grand prize of a ten day trip for two to Antarctica with One Ocean Expeditions!

Ever since we first screened “Stand” we knew we were watching something special. It has everything we look for in a winning film, great technical film making, an important and compelling story, and physical challenges that need to be overcome.

Come out and experience “Stand” June 8th at 7pm. We are also very lucky to have paddler Norm Hann and producers Nic Teichrob and Anthony Bonello on hand for a feature presentation prior to the show.

For more information on One Ocean Expeditions and their amazing trips, visit their website at www.oneoceanexpeditions.com

Congratulations “Stand”!

 

We are again thrilled to be able to count Denman Island Chocolate as one of our loyal sponsors.

Denman Island Chocolate is run on the principle that it is important to make positive change in the world and every business decision it makes is focused on this objective. From using recycled packaging materials, sourcing organic Fair Trade chocolate or using energy saving measure in its factory, Denman Island Chocolate is an inspirational leader for us all.

This year DIC is presenting the feature documentary “The Big Fix”. We are very lucky to have DIC’s own Daniel Terry joining us for a feature introduction. We are also really lucky because he is bringing samples! Yes, everyone who comes to see “The Bix Fix” will get some DIC chocolate.

For more on the story of Denman Island Chocolate, please visit their site at www.denmanislandchocolate.com

Check out the view from the factory floor. This shot looks out toward the sea and over land set aside, by DIC with a conservation covenant, ensuring that the trees will never be cut down. I wonder if they need interns?

It’s one week away and we’re really excited with how everything is coming together, it’s truly going to be an amazing year! Don’t forget to use your discount codes and get your tickets early before they sell out. Remember, if you buy them before June 5th, you’ll also be entered into a draw for a 2 ½ hour harbour cruise with Outershores Expeditions!

Here’s a quick overview of our pick of films and speakers for the festival.

SATURDAY JUNE 8th- 7PM

 Stand

We are also very lucky to have paddler Norm Hann and Directors Nic Teichrob and Anthony Bonello joining us for this show. They will delivering a feature presentation with never before Stand with never before seen footage and images that will cast the show in a new light. This is sure to be an amazing event!

Through b4apres Media’s unique style of mashing adventure with real world issues, Stand will take you into the heart of the largest temperate rainforest on the planet―the Great Bear. Hung on the skeleton of a good ol’ fashioned adventure undertaken by a group of surfers, the potential effects of introducing super tankers to these pristine waters will be articulated. As the crew moves through this remote region under their own power, the landscape will be unfurled one paddle stroke at a time and punctuated by the faces and fears of the Gitga’at First Nation people who call this garden of Eden their home. Not just an efficient mode of transport, a stand up paddleboard expedition along the proposed tanker route will be symbolic of “standing up” to preserve this last bastion of rainforest. Captured in cinematic High Definition, the film will bring the Enbridge Pipeline debate into the the collective consciousness in a way that will have you fishing in your basement for that old fluorescent wetsuit.

SUNDAY JUNE 9th- 3PM

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A Hand to Stand

If you missed her in March at FEAT, Lina Augaitis will be here to deliver another inspirational presentation leading up to A Hand to Stand.

Lina spends most of her free time exploring the outdoors and take great pleasure in inspiring and motivating others to enjoy the outdoors. Lina does love to race. Lina believes her competitive nature and the desire to race was first developed way back when Lina was a 6 year old competitive gymnast. Lina has since competed in a variety of sports such as wrestling, rugby, pole vault, power lifting, triathlons, ski mountaineering, marathons, and waterpolo. Recently, Lina has competed internationally as an adventure racer and now as a stand up paddler. Lina also enjoys activities and movements that don’t involve a race or competition like yoga, climbing, and slacklining. Lina cherishes the feeling of freedom and reward during and following expeditions and adventurous endeavors. Lina is an outdoor education and physical education teacher, kayak and SUP guide/instructor, elite athlete, and a loving wife! Lina has taken on new challenges for this year that require her to step out of her comfort zones and enjoy the challenges that come with that. Lina is currently training to race the Molokai to Oahu SUP crossing in late July.

Lina lives every day by by her mantra; Live, love, laugh,..DREAM!

 A Hand To Stand focuses on the Bella Bella Community School within the Heiltsuk First Nation reserve on B.C. ́s coastal Inside Passage. The 13,000 square miles of land and sea!is the largest of 23 Canadian reserves. A Hand To Stand is a short film and trans-media journey to document and share their story, as this group of teenagers craft their own Stand Up Paddleboards. Made out of locally-sourced red and yellow cedar, the boards allow students to propel themselves through their traditional territory in a contemporary experience. Blending traditional knowledge of woodworking and the coast, and applying it to a modern sport, this is an inspiring group. This is the future of hope.

JUNE 9th – 7PM

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The Big Fix

On April 22, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig sank into the Gulf of Mexico creating the worst oil spill in history. Until the oil well was killed on September 19th, 205 million gallons of crude oil and over 1.8 million gallons of chemical dispersants were spread into the sea.

By exposing the root causes of the spill, film makers Josh and Rebecca Tickell uncover a vast network of corruption.

The Big Fix is a damning indictment of a system of government lead by a powerful oligarchy that puts the pursuit of profit over all other human and environmental concerns.

Check out this great blog from our friends and go to coffee roasters at Ethical Bean. They are also generously presenting “The Island President” (hint, they might be bringing java)….

What Does Water Mean to You?

By: Janet Faveri

Posted on: Tuesday, May 28th, 2013

Ethical Bean Coffee is a proud sponsor of the Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films, being presented June 8th and 9th at the Vancity Theater. We are title sponsors of  The Island President showing Sunday, June 9, at 1pm, and if you haven’t heard of this film, take a moment to check out the website for the VFOF and all the movies being presented.

Reading about the VFOF documentaries and films, I started thinking about my own interactions with water. In 2007, I camped my way around Southern Africa. It was a trip that opened my eyes in a hundred clichéd ways and has led me back Mama Africa twice since. Every adventure was incredibly different from the other, but I often tell these 3 stories, one from each trip, and what a coincidence – they happen to revolve around water!

On that first excursion in 2007, I rafted down the Zambezi River with 4 friends. October is low season when it comes to water over Victoria Falls and through the gorge, but Rapid 4, “Morning Glory”, was raging that day and our raft flipped. I’ll spare the scary and spiritual details, but know this–I thought I was a goner. I let my body be whipped and ravaged underwater for what felt like forever, all the while thinking clearly about how amazingly powerful this water was (and then thinking, “these are my last seconds- shouldn’t I be thinking about my family? My boyfriend? Who gets my car?”). This was a far cry from the carefree day before where I had hiked along, and even sat on an edge of, a portion of Victoria Falls (Zambian side) that had dried up. I was never afraid of water, and am fortunate that this experience didn’t shake me, but it really was my first physical experience with the extreme power of water.

My next adventure to Africa was the east coast of South Africa in KwaZulu-Natal. St. Lucia is small town in the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park, which is a United Nations World Heritage site. I was a volunteer photographer documenting the eight ecosystems comprising the Park. We also used the photos to educate children in Khula village about the special and protected environment they live in. One day we took all the kids to the beach on the Indian Ocean. Some didn’t know they lived five minutes from the ocean and had never seen it before! I couldn’t get my camera out fast enough to take a picture of those 40 kids running and screaming like crazy across the hot sand. The multi-coloured underwear on their tiny brown bodies aiming for the blue and white water- it was a hilarious and a beautifully coloured moment. Those kids had no fear of the water and we splashed, ran from, and jumped waves for hours. The joy we all shared that afternoon in the water created treasured memories for all.

Then there is the reality of water in Africa–sometimes there isn’t any. In 2011, I volunteered to work at a game reserve tracking wildlife and conserving the land.  It wasn’t hard to do either as the area hadn’t had rain in months. There were no grasses hiding the animals and the earth was bone dry so it was easy to work the land. Did I mention it was hot? The water truck came to camp twice a week, and when we heard it roaring down the road and saw the trailing dust cloud from the middle of the reserve, we ran like cheetahs to the cabins at the bottom of the hill (because there was never enough water pumped in to fill the pipes to the cabins at the top of the hill). I will never forget those 3 precious minutes in the shower.  I will also never forget the walk back to my cabin after that shower when out of nowhere it started to rain. And rain it did for 24 hours straight! This was a great development for the animals whose water sources had been replenished. Also for the plants and trees which needed this rain to spur on their growth and in turn provide food for the animals and insects. More importantly though, the rainfall was a very happy time for the locals who struggle valiantly and with much more calm and grace than we would with their water issues.

Nature. It’s phenomenal.

Living on the ocean creates daily opportunities to be impacted by water–from the weather to recreation. Help support our oceans by supporting the Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films and watch Ethical Bean Coffee’s twitter and Facebook for posts for information on the festival as well as a ticket give-away!

 

 

Everyone who buys a ticket before June 5 will be entered into a draw for two spots aboard the Passing Cloud, a 70’ schooner, for a 2.5 hour tour of English Bay on June 8th.

 

Outershores Expeditions has generously donated their amazing ship for this incredible experience. What a way to celebrate World Oceans Day.

 

Remember, look for a discount code when purchasing tickets in advance.

 

For more on Outershores Expeditions and their amazing trips visit them at www.outershores.ca

Your patience has paid off, tickets are now available online!

How do I get them?

You can either opt to purchase tickets from the 2013 Program page on our site or go directly to www.viff.org . Upon arriving at the “Tickets and Memberships” page, there is a box on the left asking for your promo code; enter it, then proceed.

 How does it work?

When you buy a ticket, it is to a screening and not a single film; for example the matinee on June 9th will get you A Hand to Stand and The Island President.

Where do I get a promo code?

Right here. We’d like to encourage everyone to support the organizations who support us and our oceans. To do that, we are offering a $3 discount to members of the following groups:

Mountain Equipment Coop,

The Georgia Strait Alliance,

The Vancouver Aquarium,

The Vancouver Maritime Museum , and,

The Vancouver International Film Festival Theater.

To obtain your code, please or the organization of which you are a member. Please note that these discounts are only good for advanced purchases.

 I still have questions….

Don’t hesitate to at any time