Ocean Film Festival World Tour at Carriageworks Theatre
Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
The Ocean Film Festival World Tour stops in Leeds this September, bringing a selection of underwater adventures to Carriageworks Theatre in Millenium Square.
Brought to venues by the team behind the renown Banff Mountain Film Festival, the event aims to showcase the work of some of the world’s most intrepid filmmakers, with dazzling cinematography brought to you direct from the depths. Audiences can expect a mix of marine life: Reef City explores the hidden metropolises that exists below the waves, and the creatures that inhabit them; The Call sees photographer, surfer and shark attack survivor Mike Coots capture the grace and majesty of the creatures he now advocates for; while The Whale Song takes us up close and personal with some of the ocean’s biggest inhabitants.
Of course, there’s also a focus on humanity’s relationship with the sea. Ice Maiden charts the journey of solo-adventurer Lisa Blair as she embarks on a dangerous voyage in an effort to become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around Antarctica. The cold water adventures continue in Call of the Cold, as three multi-sport athletes battle the bitter temperatures, big storms and strong winds of an Icelandic winter. Then, witness the practice of artist Tess Felix, who uses plastic debris to create mosaic portraits as a vibrant response to the perilous state of our oceans, in Tess Felix: Portrait of an Artist.
Leeds might be some miles from the sea, but this continent-spanning collection of films provides a fascinating glimpse into the worlds oceans and those who call it home — all available without getting your feet wet.
