2025 Films
5 Degrees, 6 Minutes, 7AM
Jeremy Chapman, Veronique Ebers (Germany) 4 min
Kiel University student filmmakers bring us German swimmers who dip into the 5-degree (C) local waters to enjoy the friendly atmosphere, the water, and the early morning sun. On the pier they meet friends and practice a refreshing ritual to enjoy the sun's golden rays reflecting on the water, to reset, and to wash their worries away.
The Mother of Diamonds - Kimberlite
Alexander Benedik (Austria) 6 min
Filmed in Eastern Greenland (part of an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark) free diver Anna von Bötticher ventures beneath the Arctic ice in search of Kimberlite— a rare igneous rock that contains diamonds and forms in vertical structures known as Kimberlite Pipes. This visually intriguing film offers a glimpse into the frozen depths.
Peixinho (Little Fish)
Kaushiik Subramaniam (UK) 8 min
Right next door to surfing mecca South Africa, Mozambique is a stark contrast. Most of the inhabitants of Peixinho’s (little fish) village don’t even know how to swim, despite depending on the sea for their livelihoods. Our young hero is determined to change that and restore the fishing economy.
Roots
Danny Schmidt (USA) 12 min
In the Dominican Republic, baseball is more than a game—it's a cultural cornerstone. But rapid development is threatening the country’s vital mangroves. Ismael Diaz-Tolentino, an ecologist with Seacology, is using the nation’s passion for baseball to inspire a nationwide commitment to sustainability through his initiative, "Play for the Mangroves”.
Casa Congo - Las Tejedoras
Tabata Piccinelli (Italy) 21 min
In El Astillero, many families face homelessness and the plastic pollution which threatens both sea turtles and tourism. The community has learned to now trust Las Tejedoras, a group of 17 women who upcycle plastic bags into art. With NGO Casa Congo’s support, they’ve become global entrepreneurs and environmental leaders. Their challenge is balancing family life with their craft to sustain income and protect the ocean.
Footprints on Katmai
Max Romey (USA) 22 min
Take this creative journey with artist and filmmaker Max Romey who retraces his grandmother’s footsteps to Katmai years after she journeyed there to sketch the pristine Alaskan wilderness. Rather than sketching the gorgeous scenes - the bears, moose, wolves, glaciers and mountains - as his grandmother once did, Romey feels compelled to sketch an endless collection of shoes that he and his expedition mates find while removing plastic from local beaches.
