ALTHOUGH ignorant of the fact, an octopus found on a Rosebud beach is part of an effort to “inspire the world to explore and enjoy our oceans [and] to protect and respect them”.
A short film by Sheree Marris woven around her finding of the octopus is one of seven on the program of the Ocean Film Festival World Tour.
The film festival has been shown annually in 14 countries since its inception 10 years ago.
This year’s 10-year anniversary program runs for two and a half hours and starts with Victorian Andrew Englisch’s attempt to cross Bass Strait on a wing foil (Gone With the Wing) and raise himself out of the depths of depression.
Marris’s Casey the Octopus, her “rescued” octopus found in Rosebud, follows a woman’s morning beach walk that leads to “a decision that will either give or take life”.
Aquatic scientist and environmental campaigner, Marris says her film is “a remarkable reminder of the connections that can be formed between humans and animals”.
Festival founder Jemima Robinson said the Ocean Film Festival World Tour had been started “with big dreams, not only to inspire the world to explore and enjoy our oceans but further to protect and respect them”.
“With a personal passion for film and all things ocean, I wanted the festival to become an avenue for promoting ocean conservation and bringing people together to celebrate mother nature.
“We have done this through sharing unique stories from independent filmmakers from around the globe, reaching many exciting milestones, and now set our sights towards the next 10 years of making an even greater impact.”
This year the festival will tour Australia, Italy, Spain, Denmark, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, the US and the UK.
Screenings will include filmmaker Q&As, live music at events, and art and photography exhibitions.
“Our aim over the next 10 years is to continue to support independent filmmakers getting their work seen, highlight important ocean environmental causes and continue to foster our audiences’ love of the ocean,” Robinson said.
Other films on this year’s tour are Broken Breath, Hypnotise, Corners of the Earth: Kamchatka, In Search of a Frozen Ocean and Whale Dreaming.
The Ocean Film Festival World Tour will be shown on Saturday 4 March at Rosebud Cinemas.
Details: oceanfilmfestivalaustralia.com.au/tickets/
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 28 February 2023
