2009 Archive

The Cove follows a high-tech dive team on a mission to discover the truth about the international dolphin capture trade as practiced in Taiji, Japan. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras in fake rocks, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide.

The Cove exposes not only the tragedy of dolphin slaughtering in Japan, but also the dangerously high levels of mercury in dolphin meat and seafood, the cruelty in capturing dolphins for entertainment, and the depletion of our oceans fisheries by worldwide seafood consumption. We also see how the mandate of the International Whaling Commission has been manipulated by the Japanese Fisheries Agency for its benefit and its subsequent effect on the rest of the world.

Jean-Michel Cousteau and his team investigate the world of the orca, which is the largest species of the dolphin family and is often called a killer whale. The expedition travels to the Arctic and Antarctic, the Atlantic and Pacific.

SAVING LUNA, the true story about the orca who tried to make friends with people, has traveled the worlds film festivals, winning 19 awards along the way.

For six weeks we explored the Antarctic Peninsula by sea kayak, sailboat, foot and small plane, observing the fast changing evolution of this most remote place. Impacted by climate change - temperatures have warmed along the Peninsula faster than anywhere on the planet during the past 50 years - this part of Antarctica is also experiencing a boom in tourism and nations fighting over who owns what as its ice slowly disappears. This National Geographic-sponsored exploration is a one-of-a-kind look at Antarctica from a unique perspective - sea level.

A mighty army of dolphins, sharks, whales, seals and gannets hunt down the billions of sardines along South Africa's east coast each winter. This is the Sardine Run: an underwater Armageddon, the greatest gathering of predators anywhere on the planet, and the most spectacular event in the world's oceans. From intimate moments of the creatures caught up in the run, to the dramatic finale of this spectacular event, The Great Tide is an action-packed feeding-frenzy, filmed underwater, on the ocean's surface, and in the air.

WILD OCEAN is an uplifting cinematic experience capturing one of natures greatest migration spectacles. Plunge into an underwater feeding frenzy amidst the dolphins, sharks, whales, gannets, seals and billions of fish. Filmed off the Wild Coast of South Africa, WILD OCEAN is a timely documentary that celebrates the animals that now depend on us to survive and the efforts by local people to protect this invaluable ecological resource. Hope is alive on the Wild Coast where Africa meets the sea.

Jean-Michel Cousteau and his team investigate the world of the orca, which is the largest species of the dolphin family and is often called a killer whale. The expedition travels to the Arctic and Antarctic, the Atlantic and Pacific.

In The Riddle in a Bottle, by Sisbro Studios. Siblings Robert and Laura Sams solve a riddle from the ocean and learn how life on earth is connected by moving water. Quirky humor, stunning wildlife footage, and original music make this educational children's film a rollicking good laugh. By Laura Sams and Robert Sams

In 2008, The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. opened the largest exhibit in its history, the Sant Ocean Hall. A keynote feature of the hall is the Ocean Odyssey presentation – eight high-definition projections that wrap 200 feet of the hall’s upper bay. The Smithsonian commissioned filmmaker and ocean conservationist Feodor Pitcairn to create this one of a kind installation. A pioneer in underwater HD production, Pitcairn traveled with his team to some of the world’s most remote and magical ocean places to capture stunning footage of marine ecosystems.

Felt Soul Media spent Summer 2007 in Alaska's Bristol Bay following the world's largest run of sockeye salmon.

A mighty army of dolphins, sharks, whales, seals and gannets hunt down the billions of sardines along South Africa's east coast each winter. This is the Sardine Run: an underwater Armageddon, the greatest gathering of predators anywhere on the planet, and the most spectacular event in the world's oceans. From intimate moments of the creatures caught up in the run, to the dramatic finale of this spectacular event, The Great Tide is an action-packed feeding-frenzy, filmed underwater, on the ocean's surface, and in the air.

For the first time you can be 12,000 feet below the ocean's surface, inside an unparalleled undersea volcanic world filled with strange creatures and dramatic landscapes. You've never seen anything like this as brand-new lighting technology far superior to anything that's ever been used before illuminates this secret realm. Exhibited to great acclaim in IMAX and other giant-screen theatres around the world.

In 2008, The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. opened the largest exhibit in its history, the Sant Ocean Hall. A keynote feature of the hall is the Ocean Odyssey presentation – eight high-definition projections that wrap 200 feet of the hall’s upper bay. The Smithsonian commissioned filmmaker and ocean conservationist Feodor Pitcairn to create this one of a kind installation. A pioneer in underwater HD production, Pitcairn traveled with his team to some of the world’s most remote and magical ocean places to capture stunning footage of marine ecosystems.

"A Sheltered Sea" illuminates the pioneering conservation action of the marine life protection act as it creates the first statewide network of marine protected areas in the United States. Directed by Bill Bayne and Produced by The Baum Foundation, "A Sheltered Sea" was the first film of its kind in Northern California, to tell the Marine Life Protection Act story as it was unfolding.

For six weeks we explored the Antarctic Peninsula by sea kayak, sailboat, foot and small plane, observing the fast changing evolution of this most remote place. Impacted by climate change - temperatures have warmed along the Peninsula faster than anywhere on the planet during the past 50 years - this part of Antarctica is also experiencing a boom in tourism and nations fighting over who owns what as its ice slowly disappears. This National Geographic-sponsored exploration is a one-of-a-kind look at Antarctica from a unique perspective - sea level.

Free Swim is an award winning documentary film about the paradox of coastal people not knowing how to swim. Taking place on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas we follow a group of kids as they overcome their fears, gain confidence and reconnect with their environment by learning to swim in open waters. With fresh memories of a friend drowning and the conflicts of growing tourism, for these kids it’s not just about floating, but gaining new skills for their future.

This story was produced for Farmers Almanac TV, a series that aired on PBS. It was also the winner for Best Short in the 2009 Blue Ocean Film Festival. (Producer/Videographer)

The Cove follows a high-tech dive team on a mission to discover the truth about the international dolphin capture trade as practiced in Taiji, Japan. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras in fake rocks, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide.

The Cove exposes not only the tragedy of dolphin slaughtering in Japan, but also the dangerously high levels of mercury in dolphin meat and seafood, the cruelty in capturing dolphins for entertainment, and the depletion of our oceans fisheries by worldwide seafood consumption. We also see how the mandate of the International Whaling Commission has been manipulated by the Japanese Fisheries Agency for its benefit and its subsequent effect on the rest of the world.

Ice Bears of the Beaufort witnesses the truth of polar bears never before seen on film. This film irrefutably documents the cognizant and social nature of polar bears, redefining the popular misconception that they are hostile and solitary. Created by an Alaskan filmmaker living among the hunters of the Beaufort Sea-- the Inupiat Eskimos and the polar bears-- this non-narrated documentary bears witness to the precious and unprotected home that supports a thriving yet threatened way of life.

Directed by Mandee Mallonee, "Ocean Invaders" chronicles the rising threat of invasive ocean life off the Georgia coastline. By diminishing large stocks of ideal fishery species (Snapper, Grouper, Tuna), the Lionfish has become quite comfortable in our waters - perhaps enough so to risk the total extermination of an ecosystem.