BROADCAST PROGRAM OR SERIES Awarded to the television program or series that most effectively advances the appreciation, awareness, and understanding of the oceans, the life within and the Issues it faces.
Finalist - Call of the Killer Whale produced by Ocean Futures Society - Great White Shark-A Living Legend produced by Off the Fence - Sea Ghosts produced by Ocean Futures Society - Secret Shark Pits produced by Off the Fence - The State of the Planet's Oceans produced by Screenscope
Honorable Mention The Underwater City-CINTV March Point-Long House Media Jonathan Bird's Blue World-Jonathan Bird Productions The Hunt for Moby Dick-BBC
CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING Awarded to the film that most effectively relates ocean topics to young audiences. Animations qualify for this category
Finalist - Dugong and Din produced by Animal Planet International - Little Blue produced by Bob Svihovec - Once Upon A Tide produced by Kathleen Frith - Riddle in a Bottle produced by Sisbro - Wonder Water Web produced by Roger Blonder Honorable Mention Aquateam: Night Dive, Arcadia Entertainment Arc of a Diver, Steve Clark Films Plastic Perils of the Pacific, Brandon Strathmann Toxic Secrets, Untamed Science
EMERGING UNDERWATER FILMMAKER Awarded in recognition of the best emerging non-student filmmaker. Recent graduates, independents, hobbyists & amateur are invited to submit to this category
Finalist - Death of a Deity produced by Joe Romiero - Requiem produced by Living Ocean Productions - Sea of Change produced by Jamie Taucher - The Great White Shark Song produced by Andy Casagrande Honorable Mention My Backyard, Choy Aming Perchance to Dream, Lauren Kimball EXCELLENCE IN UNDERWATER CINEMATOGRAPHY Awarded to the filmmaker or cameraman whose work exemplifies artistic and technical excellence in underwater filmmaking.
Finalist - Giant Mantas of San Benedicto produced by Tom Campbell HD Productions - Icy Killers produced by Off the Fence - Ocean Odyssey produced by Feodor Pitcairn Productions - The Great Tide produced by BBC - The Humpback Code produced by Ocean Mind Motion Pictures
Honorable Mention Attack of the Sea Slugs-Nereus Entertainment Expedition Pacific Abyss-Discovery Channel Planet Carnivore: Great White Shark-National Geographic Television The Dugongs of Abu Dhabi-Tom Campbell HD Productions The Florida Manatees of Homosassa Springs-World Wild Productions
LAND-SEA CONNECTION Awarded to the film that best communicates the land-sea connection and/or humanity's interconnectivity to the health of the oceans.
Finalist - Darwin’s Volcano produced by GG Films and Short Attention Span Science Videos - Ice Bears of the Beaufort produced by Polar Art Productions - The Last Days of Shishmaref produced by Renske Meertens - Red Gold produced by Felt Soul Media
Honorable Mention River of Renewal-Jack Kohler Rivers to Reefs-National Marine Sanctuaries The Great Melt-BBC
MARINE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR Awarded to the film or video that is most effective in showcasing the behavior of animals reliant on the oceans. Programs relating to human & animal interdependency and other types of relationships also quality for this category
Finalist -Secret Shark Pits produced by Off The Fence -Shark Nicole produced by NHNZ -Sharkman produced by Off The Fence -The Great Tide produced by BBC -The Humpback Code produced by Ocean Mind Motion Pictures
Honorable Mention Giant Mantas of San Benedicto-Tom Campbell HD Productions Gimme A Hug-Greet Droppers Kingdom of the Blue Whale-National Geographic Television The Secret Weapon-Nereus Entertainment Volcanoes of the Deep-The Stephen Low Company
MARINE AND EARTH SCIENCES Awarded to the film that is most effective and innovative in increasing the public's understanding of marine and oceanographic sciences
Finalist - Crude produced by Richard Smith - Kingdom of the Blue Whale produced by National Geographic Television - Volcanoes of the Deep produced by The Stephen Low Company - Marine Machines: Power produced by Arcadia Entertainment - Into the Abyss produced by National Geographic Television
Honorable Mention Smithsonian Sant Ocean Hall Installation- 42 Degrees North Violent Hawaii-Pangolin Pictures Once And Future Whales- GG Films and Short Attention Span Science Videos
NON-BROADCAST Awarded to the film produced for distribution on the web, educational use, displays in museums, zoos, parks or aquariums that most effectively advances awareness and appreciation of the oceans.
Finalist - Ocean Odyssey produced by Feodor Pitcairn Productions - Reflections of the Keys produced by National Marine Sanctuaries - The Florida Manatees of Homosassa Springs produced by World Wild Productions
Honorable Mention The Dugongs of Abu Dhabi – Tom Campbell’s HD Productions Higher Ground: The Battle to Save Florida’s Beaches – CAVU Turtle Dance-Spyhop Productions
OCEAN CONSERVATION Awarded to the film that is most effective in communicating a solution or conservation initiative dealing with an issue facing the oceans, ocean dependent live, or coastal habitat.
Finalist - Re-Think the Shark produced by Save Our Seas - Sheltered Sea produced by The Baum Foundation - The Dolphin Defender produced by Hardy Jones - The Cost of Oil produced by Joshua Dukes - The Cove produced by Oceanic Preservation Society
Honorable Mention Sea Ghosts – Ocean Futures Society Call of the Killer Whale – Ocean Futures Society The Last Wild Oyster – Bojun Bjorkman-Chiswell Sharks In Deep Trouble –Save Our Seas
OCEAN EXPLORATION & ADVENTURE Awarded to the film that most effectively portrays the exploits of ocean voyages, research expeditions or previously unexplored territories.
Finalist - A View From Below produced by Rooftop Pictures - Deep Ocean Explorers produced by A&E TV - Expedition Pacific Abyss produced by Discovery - The Dolphin Defender produced by Hardy Jones - Cracking the Ocean Code produced by Compass Light Productions
Honorable Mention Earthrace – Arcadia Entertainment Into The Abyss – National Geographic Television Volcanoes of the Deep Sea – The Stephen Low Company Galapagos A Tribute to Charles Darwin-Philobates
OCEAN ISSUES Awarded to the film that most effectively raise awareness and increases understanding about environmental and sustainability issues facing the oceans and its inhabitants. Topics may includes: Climate Change, Over Fishing, Coral Reef Degradation, Habitat Destruction, Pollution, Acidification, shark and other critical species depletion, Invasive Species. (This list is not all inclusive and any issue relevant to the ocean is accepted in this category)
Finalist - A Sea Change produced by Niijii Films - Eco-Crimes: Fishing Pirates produced by Heinz Greuling & Thomas Weidenbach - Terra Antarctica produced by Jon Bowermaster - Whale Patrol produced by Sea Dog TV International - Buried At Sea produced by Arcadia Entertainment Honorable Mention The Arctic: The Consequences of Human Folly- James Becket The Deadline- Philip Stebbing Island of the Great White Shark – Richard Theiss Sharks In Deep Trouble –Save Our Seas The State of the Planet’s Oceans – Screen Scope
OCEAN SPORTS Awarded to the film which is most effective and innovative in relating ocean sports stories or competitions to conservation and appreciation of the oceans.
Finalist - BlueGreen produced by Dubious Honor Productions - Free Swim produced by Jennifer Galvin - Sink Faze produced by Grant W Graves
Honorable Mention Musica Surfica – Simon Whitney Out Of My Head – Todd Harter
SHORTS Awarded to the best ocean relevant film submission less than 20 minutes in length.
Finalist - A Sanctuary Worth Protecting produced by Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary - Red White and Green produced by Sierra Club Productions - Oysters produced by Farmers Almanac TV
Honorable Mention Hindsight and Foresight: 20 Years After the Exxon Valdez produced by Gary Shigenaka /National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration In The Eye of The Whale – Kate Miller Lobster – Farmers Almanac TV Plight of the Puffin- Maria Frostic Shrimp – Farmers Almanac TV SUPER – Survey of Underwater Plastic & Ecosystem Response – C-MORE (Center for Microbial Oceanography) STUDENT FILMMAKER Awarded in recognition of the achievements of a student filmmaker enrolled in a verifiable academic program. Includes both secondary and college level programs. No age restrictions. Please include proof of student status with submission Finalist - Ocean Invaders produced by Anthony Dergham/Savannah College of Art & Design - Rising Tide: Hawai’I Parks in Peril produced by Stephani Gordon/Montana State University - Cast Offs produced by Kyle Steinike/ Savannah College of Art & Design - In Deep produced by Woo Lovinger /University of California Santa Barbara - Mirounga produced by Timothy Garbutt/University of Southern California - Mush produced by Michael McAlister/ Savannah College of Art & Design - Secrets of the Sevengill by Michael Mauntler/University of Otago Honorable Mention 6 Feet Deeper – Jacob Hill / Savannah College of Art & Design Saving A River - Marc Casey/ Savannah College of Art & Design
THEATRICAL Awarded to the film whose distribution is in a venue for which tickets are sold (commercial cinema, IMAX theater or other large format, museum theater, etc.) that advances appreciation and understanding of the oceans and the life within.
Finalist Saving Luna produced by Mountainside Films The Cove produced by Oceanic Preservation Society Wild Ocean produced by Giant Screen Films
Honorable Mention Ostindiefararen – Stavro Film Production