DPFF will showcase a collection of films to celebrate the magic of oceans and promote conservation
April 27, 2023 (Dana Point, Calif.)– Today, TheDana Point Film Festival (DPFF) announced the official film lineup for its first-annual oceans film festival. The schedule includes 40+ hours of the world’s best, inspirational and educational ocean films including “Coextinction” and “Into the Ice,” along with shorts “OceanX: Unlocking the Secrets of Red Sea Corals,” “Haulout” and “The Sea Turtle Arribada.” Inspired by the Orange County oceans and surf culture, Dana Point Film Festival is proud to bring the community together to view dozens of films highlighting the magnificent wonder of the ocean. View the full event schedule and purchase tickets here.
“Film festivals are a great way to unite a community and bring attention to missions that truly count,” said DPFF founder Lloyd Bryan Molander. “We love and cherish our Pacific Ocean and coast and seeing our neighboring whales and our dolphins who continually bring magic and soul. We honor them as mascots, name parades after them, build statues, and commission institutes to study them. Now, we at DPFF, celebrate them in film in their precious and awe-inspiring environment.”
OCEAN FILMS
Honoring conservation, preservation, education and ocean adventure, the DPFF will proudly host a category of ocean films. Highlighted films and shorts include:
Directed by Gloria Pancrazi and Elena Jean, this film reveals when impending extinction comes to a tipping point for one of the world’s most iconic species and ecosystems, revealing the true nature of our interconnectedness. For two young female filmmakers, this crisis sparks a stunning journey across the Pacific Northwest, joining activists, scientists and Indigenous leaders, to uncover corruption and stop injustice before it’s too late.
Cast: Will George, Ken Balcomb, Alexandra Morton, Chief Ernest Alfred, K’odi Nelson, Carrie Nightwalker Chapman Schuster
This documentary is a journey of discovery to the vast masses of ice and the secret of our future that the ice is harboring. Director Lars Ostenfeld accompanies three of the world’s leading glaciologists on pioneering scientific expeditions to and into the Greenland ice sheet. Together the cast works to collect new crucial data that can help us answer some key questions of our time.
Cast: Dorthe Dahl, Jason Box, Alun Hubbard
“OceanX: Unlocking the Secrets of Red Sea Corals”
The Red Sea is the hottest, saltiest sea on earth. Despite this extreme environment, super corals and a wealth of the ocean’s most enchanting large animals thrive in these waters. Could a better understanding of the Red Sea better provide the keys to preserving our oceans?
Director: Eben Hall, OceanX
Producer: Adam Wolffbrandt
Directed by Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev, “Haulout” takes us to a remote coast of the Russian Arctic. In a wind-battered hut, a lonely man waits to witness an ancient gathering. But warming seas and rising temperatures bring an unexpected change, and he soon finds himself overwhelmed.
Cast: Maxim Chakilev
Directed by Jordan Miller, this short film tells the story of sea turtle conservation success as ocean conservation group WILDCOAST helps protect 22.5 miles of coastline in Oaxaca, Mexico – the most important olive ridley sea turtle nesting beaches in the world. After near extinction, 72 million sea turtle hatchlings have been born on these beaches since 2017. Witness an arribada, a mass nesting, where tens of thousands of female sea turtles swim thousands of miles to return to the place of their birthright. It’s a miracle to behold.
Producers: Jordan Miller, Yehuda Behamo, Ann Wycoff
The inaugural DPFF will take place between May 4-7 and will host dozens of domestic and international filmmakers, speakers and artists. It is focused on marine life and the oceans and aims to supplement the relationship between the community and this magnificent wonder through the lens of ocean/surf documentary films.
Alongside filmmaking and the presentation of ocean adventure films, the week-long festival aspires to engage the Dana Point community and guests through an outdoor movie series, educational elements, musical guests, cultural events and more.
Tickets are still available for purchase. For more information on DPFF and to purchase tickets, visit the festival online at danapointfilmfestival.org.
Sponsors and Supporters
DPFF has the support of Bruce Brown Films, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Doheny Beach, Guaranteed Rate, Tenacity Entertainment, Dana Point Times, Eterno Verano Tequila, Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Endless Summer Hard Seltzer, Origin Sparkling Water, Purps Energy Drink, Nomadix, Dana Point Times, Killer Dana Surf Shop, and Orange County Supervisor Fifth District Katrina Foley. Nonprofit partners and beneficiaries include Monarch Beach Rotary, Surfing Heritage and Culture Center, Dana Point Entertainment and Arts Council, and SurfAid.
About Dana Point Film Festival
The Dana Point Film Festival (DPFF) is an oceans film festival that focuses on the preservation
and conservation of marine life. The films that are showcased at DPFF will highlight the
festival’s key focuses. Maria Banks serves as the executive director of the Dana Point
Entertainment and Arts Council (DPE&AC). DPFF is a nonprofit subsidiary of DPE&AC, 501(c)(3)
organization. Oceans and Surf Documentary Filmmaker, Lloyd Bryan Molander is the founder of
DPFF and will serve as the managing director to enhance the experience as a festival expert; Todd Wallin is the co-founder.
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