Join the Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center for a day of ocean and Great Lakes Films.
NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary hosts the Thunder Bay International Film Festival in partnership with the International Ocean Film Festival, the premier global platform for ocean literacy and education through independent film.
This ticket is for Program #5 in Theater 2:
Wild Hope: The Great Ocean Clean Up, Geoff Luck (USA) 15 min
Plastic pollution is one of the largest threats oceans face today. Boyan Slat, founder & CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, embarked on a mission to solve this problem. The original idea was to create a floating device that would use the movement of the ocean to collect waste. He initially focused on rivers, in order to prevent trash flowing to the ocean. He made several prototypes until the 2021 version proved successful.
The Human Side of Plastic: Babacar Thiaw, Andrew Lynch, Ben Ayers, & Rush Sturges (USA) 15 min
Rooted in his love for the ocean, Babacar Thiaw, founder of Senegal’s first zero-waste restaurant, turned his passion and dedication into action, creating a movement reaching beyond the coastline of his hometown in Dakar, Senegal. A picturesque, captivating short film filled with inspiration and hope for our planet.
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.
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.
Women on the Water, Haley McHatton and Tim Briggs (USA) 44 min
In the male-dominated industries of fishing and aquaculture, women are breaking down barriers and forging their own paths to success. Women on the Water tells the stories of six women working in seafood on their own terms.
Date & Time
Sat, Jan 24, 2026 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Venue Details
Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center THEATER 2
500 West Fletcher Street Alpena, Michigan 49707
Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Established in 2010 by local community leaders, the Friends of TBNMS is a nonprofit 501(c)3. Its founders envisioned the significant opportunity the sanctuary offered for protecting our Great Lakes and their rich maritime history, hands-on educational experiences for area students, and local economic development. Today, that vision has become a reality with the Friends of TBNMS sharing a close working relationship with the sanctuary staff, playing a critical role in funding the sanctuary’s education programs, community outreach efforts, unique museum experiences, and research.
