The Georgia Straight proudly sponsors the Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films

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      Mountain Equipment Co-op presents the Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films at the SFU Goldcorp Theatre (149 West Hastings Street) from Tuesday to Thursday (June 3 to 5).

      The fifth annual festival features films focused on adventure, surf, and the environment. Each screening will be introduced by speakers. The goal of the festival to encourage audiences to explore their relationship with the ocean, with net proceeds from the festival benefiting the Georgia Strait Alliance and its mission to protect the marine environment and promote sustainability.

      On Tuesday (June 3), Canadian adventurers Kevin Vallely and Frank Wolf will present Solo: Lost at Sea. The 2008 documentary from Australia follows Andrew McAuley and his quest to be the first person to kayak from Australia to New Zealand—crossing one of the wildest and loneliest stretches of ocean on Earth. Haenyo: Women of the Sea, a 2013 film from the U.S., will also be shown that night. This short documentary provides a portrait of Chuwar Park, an 82-year-old free-diver from Jeju Island, South Korea.

      On Wednesday (June 4), catch Canadian documentary Fortune Wild, which follows a small group of surfers on some of the most remote beaches in Canada. Also screening is Bella Vita. The new film by Jason Baffa chronicles surfer, artist, and environmentalist Chris Del Moro and friends as they explore the growing surf culture in the Mediterranean.

      On the final evening of the festival, photographer Daisy Gilardini and artist David McEown will present The Last Ocean, a 2012 documentary by New Zealand’s Peter Young. The Last Ocean is a David and Goliath story about Californian ecologist David Ainley and commercial fishermen in the Ross Sea, Antarctica.

      Tickets to film screenings are $15 and can be purchased online in advance. 

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