a sea turtle swims in beautiful blue water

A large wolf fish with blue-grey mottled skin rests on the ocean floor, surrounded by small sea urchins and shells—a striking scene reminiscent of those featured at the Ocean Film Festival.

A man in a denim jacket faces away; inside his silhouette, a surfer rides a large ocean wave as stormy water surrounds them both, capturing the adventurous spirit of the Ocean Film Festival.

Ocean Film Festival

Sat 5 Sep 2026

Venue: Festival Theatre

Enjoy breath-taking marine life and wild seafaring voyages in a cinematic celebration of our oceans.

Climb aboard for a night of ocean adventure!

The Ocean Film Festival features a new collection of the world’s most incredible ocean films!

Brought to you by the team behind the Banff Mountain Film Festival UK & Ireland tour, this selection of short films combines breath-taking marine life and wild seafaring voyages in a cinematic celebration of our oceans.

Venturing to rarely explored depths of the planet, meet the surfers, paddlers, divers and scientists who have dedicated their lives to answering the call of the ocean. Plunge into the wonders of the big blue – without getting your feet wet!

Snow-covered mountains border a calm fjord under a pastel pink and blue sky at sunset or sunrise, creating a breathtaking scene reminiscent of landscapes showcased at the Ocean Film Festival. — Stone Biter: Saving the Arctic Sea Forests

A scuba diver underwater holds a large camera rig, surrounded by bubbles in dim blue lighting—capturing breathtaking footage for ocean films destined to inspire audiences at the Ocean Film Festival. — Stone Biter: Saving the Arctic Sea Forests

A wooden raft with a large white sail decorated with three red-ringed circles sails on the ocean under a blue sky. A person in the foreground watches from another boat, capturing the adventurous spirit celebrated at the Ocean Film Festival. — The Raftsmen

Two scuba divers swim underwater above brown seaweed, wearing full diving kit and wetsuits, surrounded by greenish water—a breathtaking scene reminiscent of the Ocean Film Festival. — The Kelp Collector

Three people in wetsuits stand on a beach, smiling and holding surfboards, with the sea and a forested hill in the background—capturing the adventurous spirit celebrated at the Ocean Film Festival. — Granny Grommets

Older person holding a surfboard with a black flame design and red leash, standing in shallow sea water under a cloudy sky—capturing the spirit of adventure celebrated at the Ocean Film Festival. — Granny Grommets

A group of surfers wearing wetsuits sit on their boards in the sea during sunset, with waves in the foreground and hills in the background, capturing the adventurous spirit celebrated at the Ocean Film Festival. — Granny Grommets

A person in a yellow jacket holds two penguins on a sandy beach at sunset, with the sea visible in the background, capturing a scene reminiscent of those celebrated by the Ocean Film Festival. — Tides of Life

A person in a yellow jacket stands on a beach at sunset, facing three penguins walking towards the water—an inspiring scene reminiscent of those celebrated at the Ocean Film Festival. — Tides of Life

Films

Stone Biter: Saving the Arctic Sea Forests

When Italian photographer Ismaele moves to Northern Norway, he dreams of exploring the icy Arctic waters and filming iconic wolffish among lush kelp forests. But beneath the surface, he finds a stark reality: an ocean floor stripped bare, where the once-thriving sea forests have nearly vanished. As he meets people fighting to restore the underwater world, he finds hope – and a powerful call for collective action.

The Raftsmen

In 1973, 12 adventurous misfits from seven countries embarked on a seemingly impossible mission – to cross the Pacific Ocean on three handmade wooden rafts. Navigating by the sun and stars, and battling storms, sharks and frayed nerves, the largely inexperienced crew headed out into the blue. Fifty years later, with previously unseen footage, the survivors of one of maritime history’s most astonishing adventures finally tell their story.

The Kelp Collector

After a career in science, Sandy Webb has found a new passion in retirement: collecting and cataloguing the diverse algae species that inhabit the waters near her Melbourne home. With the precision of a scientist and the eye of an artist, she transforms her discoveries into exquisite pressed-seaweed specimens. The Kelp Collector reveals how Sandy’s dedication to documenting local marine life connects her to the coastal environment she calls home.

Granny Grommets

There’s no age limit on enjoying the ocean, and this heartwarming short film proves just that! In surf lingo a ‘grommet’ is a young surfing newbie, but the Granny Grommets – some of whom are in their 80s – are reclaiming the word. Ignoring the looming threat of sharks and concerns of their worried offspring, this joyful group take to the waves every week with their bodyboards.

Tides of Life

Driven by a lifelong love of wildlife, charismatic entrepreneur Richard Tesore opens Uruguay’s first rescue and rehabilitation centre for marine mammals. Caring for injured penguins, sea lions, otters and more, this short film explores Richard’s unwavering mission to protect the fragile marine life along Uruguay’s coast, and the legacy he’s building on the shores of this small South American country and beyond.

Ride of a Lifetime

As a child, a big, perfectly formed wave was Alo Slebir’s obsession. Influenced by the famous big waves at Mavericks just up the California coast, he trained in all conditions for those magical days when he’s the waverider. Going on to become a professional big wave surfer, this film joins Alo as he investigates the science, training and raw danger of tackling these mighty waves.