Education Program

Our Mission: To engage middle and high school students in issues of the ocean and documentary filmmaking.

Each year we host a free event where students can view inspirational and informative ocean films and interact with filmmakers and marine scientists. This year we expand our youth program at the Cowell Theatre to 2 days. We expect 1600 young people to attend.

High School Program
Thursday, January 31, 2008
10 am-12 noon and 1 pm-3 pm

Middle School Program
Friday, February 1, 2008
10 am-12 noon and 1 pm-3 pm

We invite Bay Area High Schools and Middle Schools to participate in 2008!

Due to great demand and limited seating, admission is by voucher. Send Registration Form to our Education Outreach volunteers, Bob & Diane Brockob, livearch@oceanfilmfest.org, or call: (415) 447-7992.

Our ultimate goal is to create a week-long youth festival, providing workshops on filmmaking and ocean environments with student films, presentations & panels, and competitions with awards for best student films. We would like to be a working forum for Bay Area film and Environmental Studies programs. The SFOFF will provide an opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds and schools to gather and learn from each other as well as from experts from around the world.

Our hope is that the SFOFF will increase young people’s involvement in the arts, environmental science, and filmmaking through the forum of non-profit organizations.

“The Ocean Film Festival was the best afternoon
we had all year!”

2007 Youth Program, January 19th

Students saw whales, bodyboarders, undersea battles, and one man’s basement full of skulls; heard about the filming process; and had the opportunity to ask local experts more about what they had seen and heard. Each student walked away with a stronger connection to the marine environment – how the ocean affects our lives, how we affect the ocean, and why these things matter.

Schools that participated:

Marina Middle School
Claire Lilienthal School
Galileo High School
The Bay School
University High School
Drew College Preparatory School
Convent of the Sacred Heart
SF Waldorf School
Metropolitan High School for Arts and Technology

Morning session (Middle School students):

Films: Thank You Ocean (2 min.), Favela Surf Dreams (7 min.), Hawaiian Showers (6 min.), La Jolla Seal Short (7 min.), Beach Food: The Importance of Kelp on the Beach (4 min.), Deadly Dance Under the Sea (52 min.).

Q&A with film maker Ramy Hassan

Afternoon session (High School students):

Films: Thank You Ocean (2 min.), Favela Surf Dreams (7 min.), Hawaiian Showers (6 min.), Seals for Real (7 min.), SEASWAP (30 min.), A Life with Skulls (35 min.).

Q&A with film maker Ramy Hassan
Q&A with film maker Beth Cataldo and film star, Ray Bandar

Nearly 800 students participated!