Award winners & official selection

2025 Award Winners

The 22nd Annual International Ocean Film Festival (www.intloceanfilmfest.org), dedicated to showcasing films that inspire appreciation and care for the ocean, announces this year’s award winners in the categories: Coastal Culture, Conservation, DEI, Director, Environment, Exploration, Golden Gate (bestowed to San Francisco Bay Area filmmaker), Marine Sciences, Short and Jury. Entries included documentary films in short, animation and full-length categories. Ten honorees were selected from more than 200 entries representing 35 countries. These 10, plus a juried selection of additional outstanding films, will be presented April 11 - 13 at the Cowell Theatre, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture in San Francisco. An advance screening showcasing two films will take place on Saturday, April 5, at the Smith San Rafael Film Center in San Rafael--home of the Mill Valley Film Festival. Festival Passes, plus Individual, Student, Youth and Senior Sunday tickets available: https://intloceanfilmfest.org/2025-tickets-passes. 

“This year’s submissions were of the highest quality production wise, spanning a broad range of ocean-inspired topics. Selecting our official selections was very challenging, as all film submissions were outstanding,” said Ana Blanco, Executive Director. “A competitive, award-winning festival, the International Ocean Film Festival is a global platform for ocean literacy and education through independent film. Engaging audiences with what lies below the ocean waterline through the power of film is what makes our festival so special and provides a unique opportunity for filmmakers around the world.”

Filmmakers for this, the 22nd year, took on a wide variety of themes, including ocean plastic, the beauty of nature, loss of biodiversity, and personal stories about moving forward after a near-death experience in the water. Judges cited “Turtle Walker,” winner of the Conservation Award, as a majestic account of the power of one person and what he or she can do to help save a species. Blanco added, “We were also impressed with the in-depth reporting presented in “Monsters,” winner of the Golden Gate Award. Audiences are seeking inspiring stories that are hopeful and affect change in our global effort to protect our planet.”

2025 Category Winners

Coastal Culture Award: One With the Whale Pete Chelkowski, Jim Wickens, USA

Conservation Award: Turtle Walker Taira Malaney, India

DEI Award: Above Sinai Kylie Zarmati, USA

Director Award: The Big Sea Chris Nelson, Lewis Arnold, UK

Environment Award: Sequoias of the Sea Ana Blanco, Natasha Benjamin, USA

Exploration Award: Arctic Dive Philipp Herrman Griess, Germany

Golden Gate Award: Monsters Skyler Thomas, USA

Marine Sciences Award: Defend the Deep Liz Rubin, Richard Charter, USA

Short Award: The Mother of Diamonds – Kimberlite Alexander Benedik, Austria

Jury Award: Peixinho Kaushiik Subramaniam, UK

Italicized are San Francisco Bay Area filmmakers.

2025 Official Selections (Alpha List) 

1. 5 Degrees, 6 Minutes, 7AM, Jeremy Chapman and Veronique Ebers, (Germany) 4 min 

2. Above Sinai, Kylie Zarmati*, (USA) 13 min - DEI

3. A Living Shoreline, Packard Jennings*, (USA) 17 min 

4. A Sentinel's End, Thomas John Dietz Ph.D*, (USA) 9 min 

5. Arctic Dive, Philipp Herrman Griess, (Germany) 75 min - EXPLORATION

6. Battle of the Blues, Adam Ryokichi Ernster*, (USA) 26 min 

7. The Big Sea, Lewis Arnold* and Chris Nelson*, (UK) 75 min - DIRECTOR

8. Caleb - Beyond the Bite, Nicola Gerrard, (South Africa) 7 min 

9. Casa Congo -  Las Tejedoras, Tabata Piccinelli*, (Italy) 21 min 

10. The Cigarette Surfboard Ben Judkins*, (USA) 93 min

11. Deep Look: A Coral is Born, Rosa Tuirán*, (USA) 6 min

12. Deep Look: Watch this Starfish Protect her Babies from Danger, Josh Cassidy*, (USA) 5 min

13. Defend The Deep, Liz Rubin* and Richard Charter, (USA) 23 min - MARINE SCIENCES

14. Footprints on Katmai, Max Romey, (USA) 22 min 

15. Her Shark Story, Ignacio Walker*, (Chile) 76 min 

16. The Human Side Of Plastic: Babacar Thiaw, Andrew Lynch, Ben Ayers, and Rush Sturges, (USA) 15 min

17. Immersive, Rohan Thomas*, (UK) 23 min 

18. Monsters, Skyler Thomas*, (USA and South Africa) 70 min - GOLDEN GATE

19. The Mother Of Diamonds: Kimberlite, Alexander Benedik, (Austria) 6 min - SHORTS

20. Ocean Watch - A Story of Deep Sea Exploration, Leo Richards, (USA) 40 min

21. One with The Whale, Pete Chelkowski, Jim Wickens, (USA) 80 min - COASTAL CULTURE

22. Peixinho (Little Fish), Kaushiik Subramaniam*, (UK) 8 min - JURY AWARD

23. Salmon Run, Pieter J. Kruit*, (USA) 81 min

24. Saving Seagrass: Alabama’s Critical Underwater Nursery, Robert Boyd*, (USA) 15 min 

25. Sequoias of the Sea, Natasha Benjamin* and Ana Blanco*, (USA) 51 min - ENVIRONMENT

26. Roots, Danny Schmidt, (USA) 12 min

27. Souls, Ian Mun*, (Singapore) 12 min 

28. Turtle Walker, Taira Malaney*, (India) 75 min - CONSERVATION

29. Wild Hope: The Great Ocean Cleanup, Sarah Arnoff, (USA) 15 min 

30. Wild Hope: Whale Shark Homecoming,  Bethany Jones, (USA) 15 min 

Virtual Screening:

1. Eating: the power to save the ocean, Julien Challandes, (France) 52 mins 

2. Face to Face, Florian Launette, (France) 47 mins

3. Salmon Run, Pieter J. Kruit*, (USA) 81 min

4. Her Shark Story, Ignacio Walker* (Chile) 76 min 

5. Roots, Danny Schmidt, (USA) 12 min

Opening Night Musical Guest:
1. The ClimateProject (USA) Wendy Loomis, (USA) 13 min

*Filmmakers who plan to attend their screenings in-person.