The Florida Sea Grant College Program and Beneath the Waves will host an ocean-themed film festival at the Reitz Union on Saturday.
“Living on the Edge: Striking a Balance between the Economy and the Environment” will consist of three films focusing on issues facing Florida’s coast. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for refreshments and mingling. Film screenings will begin at 6:30 p.m.
The event is free, family-friendly and open to the public. Faculty members from UF and Stetson University will provide commentary and answer audience questions after each film presentation.
According to its website, “Florida Sea Grant is a university-based program that supports research, education and extension to conserve coastal resources and enhance economic opportunities for the people of Florida.”
“We fund a lot of researches at universities across the state, as well as provide scholarships for students to conduct their own research,” said Rebecca Burton, the communications coordinator for Florida Sea Grant.
Burton, 26, had the idea last year to start what she called “science cafés,” where local scientists would address a topic and answer audience questions. Last year’s café was held at First Magnitude Brewing Company.
“We received a lot of positive feedback last year,” Burton said. “We wanted to add film into the mix to make it more entertaining.”
Florida Sea Grant wanted the films to revolve around the theme of balancing the economy with the environment. According to Burton, Beneath the Waves worked with Florida Sea Grant to suggest films that matched this theme.
Ed Pritchard, the executive director of Beneath the Waves, said the company is a global non-profit ocean conservation organization that focuses on research, outreach and education.
“Film festivals are the platform for our outreach efforts,” Pritchard said. “We solicit films from all over the world, amateur to professional, on all different ocean topics.”
According to Pritchard, Beneath the Waves averages three film festivals a year and has reached audiences in 15 different countries since 2009.
The final film at the UF festival, entitled “The Global Connection: Little Island, Big Fish,” is the pilot episode of Beneath the Waves’ in-house film series. The film was directed by Sami Kattan, a UF graduate and director of digital media for Beneath the Waves.
“The point of this series is to highlight localized issues and how ways to solve these problems can be applied globally,” Pritchard said.
Kattan’s film focuses on whale sharks and how tourism affects their living environment. It features research that Beneath the Waves is currently conducting in Mexico.
“It’s important for students and people in the Gainesville community to come to this event and understand that even though they are not in direct contact with the ocean every day, there are still things they do in their daily lives that affect the oceans,” Pritchard said.
The open discussion after the films will be highly beneficial toward gaining a better understanding of how local issues can be applied globally, he said.
“We want people to know that no matter where you are, you can still have a positive impact on ocean protection,” Pritchard said.
