The Surfrider Foundation’s West Los Angeles/Malibu Chapter and Patagonia teamed up to put on the 2017 Patagonia Ocean Action & Activism Film Festival at Patagonia’s store in Santa Monica last week. Eighteen short films, all under five minutes, touched on the theme of saving the ocean and our earth.
Indie folk music filled the room as guests took their seats atop white plastic chairs that filled the back room of the store. Surfers, environmentalists, and ocean lovers lined up for donation-supported beer, wine, and pizza as they anxiously awaited the start of the festival. The large screen framed the three person band – Black YaYa, as they played a short set to prepare the crowd for the films that were to show on the big screen.
Black YaYa rocked the house. Photo: Mikaela Duhs
The idea was simple. Submit an environmentally-engaging short film that features ocean activism or thematic elements tied to a love for the ocean. The festival was an opportunity for experienced filmmakers and amateurs to showcase their talent in front of a live, engaged audience while demonstrating the numerous environmental challenges facing the world and our local community.
“As an environmental hub and store it’s important for us to be aware of local issues and start conversations about them. If you love something, you are more apt to protect it and that’s what we are trying to inspire here,” said Michelle Koeppl, assistant manager of Patagonia Santa Monica.
Pollution and rising sea levels aren’t issues affecting ocean lovers and aquatic action sport adventurers alone. And there is a lot more to these complex environmental issues facing the ocean than meets the eye.
“Not everyone is lucky enough to live near the ocean. It’s important to show that protecting the ocean is something that affects everyone. With dirty beaches, plastic pollution, and sea levels rising it’s important to inform the general public. It affects everyone, because we live on an underwater aquifer. The ocean water seeps into the ground and eventually becomes drinking water,” said Tina Segura, chairwoman of Surfrider WLAM. Proceeds from beer, wine, and pizza went to Surfrider WLAM.
Within everyone’s movie guide was a small white postcard – a call to action to protect public lands. Many attendees overlooked them, some fluttered to the ground. But that white piece of paper was possibly the most important part of the night. JJ Huggins, Patagonia Santa Monica assistant manager, and manager of the event got up on stage and pleaded for everyone in attendance to take action – to pick up those white postcards, sign them and leave the card behind, a simple task for a crowd of 640.
“As you visit these protected places and report back to the president, I urge you to follow the tradition of President Teddy Roosevelt and conserve our shared public lands for future generations,” the card read.
Huggins had the idea to send these postcards with signatures to the Department of the Interior in an effort to show solidarity with public lands and encourage policymakers not to renege on their obligation to keep them protected.
“As a surfer, I want to let the people go surfing. Whatever that means from protecting the beach and ocean, promoting access and preventing trash. We have a choice with what we do, but the animals don’t,” said Huggins.
A total prize purse of $4,500 was awarded to the best of the short films selected by the audience in the categories of best action, best environmental story, and best cinematography.
Movies were shot on a range of equipment, from 4k cameras to iPhones. Some of the most memorable of which were about impacting communities through ocean therapy or ocean education. One example, “Sea Walls,” featured San Diego’s dedication to protecting the ocean through huge aqua activism murals painted over graffitied buildings. And “Mud in Hawaii” showed the effect ocean therapy has on children with special needs.
The night was brimming with good vibes, all in the name of the ocean, but more than relishing in the beauty and impact of the ocean the night was about action. The message was loud and clear. If you love it, protect it.
