Last night, the Blue Ocean Film Festival kicked off this week’s film screenings with an opening ceremony that included short films The Majestic Plastic Bag, Willem and the Whales, and Peter Brown’s feature-length film “Confessions of an Eco-Terrorist.”
Among the luminaries introducing the films were US Congressman Sam Farr, Dan Basta, Director of the US National Marine Sanctuary system, Julie Packard, Executive Director and Executive Director and Vice Chairman of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Board of Trustees, and Mark Shelley, Executive Producer for Sea Studios. All images below were taken by Jason Bradley.
Mark Shelley from Sea Studios kicks off the evening welcoming everyone and also welcoming BLUE to Monterey. This is BLUE’s second event and is it’s first in Monterey, BLUE’s permanent home.
Mark Shelly on stage.
Julie Packard, Executive Director and Vice Chairman of the Monterery Bay Aquarium’s Board of Trustees, has directed the organization since it opened in 1984.
Director of the National Marine Sanctuary System Dan Basta holds up a Jacque Cousteau style beanie,while asking the audience to take responsibility for ocean conservation.
Willem, the star of “Willem and the Whales,” on stage with his mother and BLUE director Arlene Burns. Willem was asking the a bunch of cute questions about a not so cute topic, querying everyone to consider the oceans free of whales.
Peter Brown from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and part of the crew of the hit show “Whale Wars” introduces his new documentary “Confessions of an Eco Terrorist.” Brown’s action-packed look into Sea Shepherd’s conservation efforts officially kicked off the BLUE Ocean Film Festival.