Description
Join us for a night of free movies!
Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary is bringing the world of cinema to New York State. The inaugural International Film Festival will be a memorable evening featuring inspiring ocean and Great Lakes films from around the world, a social reception, and opportunities to connect with sanctuary leaders and community members.
Audiences will experience powerful storytelling from around the globe — from the restoration of ancient Great Lakes species and newly discovered shipwrecks to Arctic diving adventures and inspiring stories of veterans, scientists, and environmental stewards. More than ten films, ranging from two to twenty-two minutes in length, will be presented during the evening.
The festival begins with a social hour at 6:00 PM, followed by film screenings from 7:00–9:00 PM at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center in Oswego.
Questions about the festival? Contact Cait Clemmer at (301) 569-2631
For more information on Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/lake-ontario/
Featured Films:
Caleb - Beyond the Bite Nicola Gerrard (South Africa) 7 min
Years after having lost his leg to a shark, Caleb confronts his disability, his vulnerability, and his fears, and explores his paradoxically deepening connection with the ocean– and with sharks. Now he must choose between a self-image as victim, or survivor. In swimming among them, he experiences a paradigm shift, recognizing his place in the world.
Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/nuL1AYyl-JE
Dinosaur Fish Jason Whalen and Chris Zuker (USA) 22 min
The Lake Sturgeon has existed virtually unchanged for more than 130 million years. It survived a meteor impact and outlived the dinosaurs but we’ve found out it couldn’t survive in the face of human development. With only 1% remaining in the Great Lakes, conservationists in Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay are working to bring this iconic species back.
Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/pfYvej72zfY
Freeing the Falls Kathy Yang (USA) 3 min
This film took first place in the Student Short Film Competition, a highlight of the five-day Thunder Bay International Film Festival in Alpena, Michigan. Inspired by a family vacation, the young filmmaker traces the story of Niagara Falls — from its industrial pollution to its transformation into a protected state park.
Livestream Discovery: Unearthing a Ghost Shipwreck of Lake Ontario Nancy Donnelly (USA) 3 min
Witness the moment a 150-year-old secret was unveiled from the dark depths of Lake Ontario's newest marine sanctuary. This short video chronicles the historic expedition that used cutting-edge ROV technology to live-stream one shipwreck's first exploration, revealing a stunning 3D model while connecting thousands of viewers to maritime history in real time.
300 Feet Below: Ohio Inspired Planet Productions (CN) 4 min
Travel more than 300 feet below the surface of Lake Huron to visit the shipwreck OHIO.
Lost in 1894 after a collision with another vessel, this 200-foot wooden bulk freighter rests in remarkably pristine condition. Once accessible only to technical divers and seen through crude images, this film now offers state-of-the-art, high-definition footage that makes you feel as though you’re swimming alongside history. Prepare for your jaw to drop—and to learn some important lessons about the sometimes dangerous Great Lakes.
Sanctuary: Beneath the Surface Kyle Maddux - Lawrence (USA) 7 min
When a group of combat veterans arrives at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Michigan, they're stepping far outside their comfort zones. Through Warfighter SCUBA, these veterans—many dealing with isolation, fear, and the weight of their service—learn to dive in the Thunder Bay while connecting with NOAA staff who believe natural resources can heal. What begins as a week of diving training becomes something far more profound: a story about community, purpose, and the unexpected ways that protecting our waters can help us protect each other. As the veterans confront their fears beneath the surface, they discover that sometimes the greatest adventures lie in doing the things that scare us most.
Stories from the Blue: Saving Koholā ONMS (USA) 14 min
Saving Koholā offers a rare and intimate look at the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary team who monitors and disentangles humpback whales that migrate to these waters to mate and give birth. Entanglement in marine debris remains a major global threat to marine mammals, often leading to injury, starvation, or death. This film documents the high-stakes work of responding to these incidents, from tracking, approaching, and disentangling whales from dangerous debris. Come along as we follow the response team to capture the urgency, precision, and passion that define this critical conservation work. The film raises public awareness about marine mammal entanglement while honoring the deep cultural and ecological connection Native Hawaiians hold with these migratory giants.
The Deep Dive Nancy Donnelly (USA) 12 min
The 2025 MATE ROV World Championships are set to unfold at Michigan's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, pitting the brightest young minds and their custom-built underwater robots against complex, real-world Great Lakes and ocean challenges. This global competition of engineering skill takes on an unprecedented twist with the local rivalry among members of Alpena's Thomson family, locked in a head-to-head battle to reach the winners’ podium. Family patriarch Bob Thomson serves as mentor for daughter Lydia's high-school team, while daughter Liz mentors the team from the high school where she teaches, and brother Clayton pilots the ROV for his local community-college team. Watch as innovation meets ambition in this high-stakes documentary, where the ultimate prize is not just engineering glory, but family bragging rights. Who will command the winning robot and emerge victorious in this thrilling showdown?
The Mother of Diamonds: Kimberlite Alexander Benedik (Austria) 5 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.
Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/9kba9eHZ4gE
The Weight: Coming up for Air Kyle Maddux - Lawrence (USA) 12 min
After years of self-imposed isolation, combat medic Brian carries the weight of believing he failed when it mattered most. When an email about a challenging scuba diving program crosses his desk, he's ready to back out before he even begins. But at Thunder Bay, surrounded by fellow veterans who share his fears and his pain, Brian discovers something unexpected beneath the cold waters of Lake Huron: the possibility of trust, connection, and being present again. Through four certification dives on historic shipwrecks, he learns that healing isn't a solitary journey—it's built one moment at a time.
This is Force Blue Robert Whitney (USA) 3 min
For many veterans, having a mission is what keeps them going, but when the uniform comes off, finding that sense of purpose can be the greatest challenge of all. This short film tells the story of FORCE BLUE - a nonprofit dedicated to helping former military-trained combat divers and Special Operation veterans transition to civilian life by giving them a new mission: protecting one of the planet’s most endangered ecosystems.
Date & Time
Thu, Apr 2, 2026 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Venue Details
Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center
26 East 1st StreetOswego, New York 13126
