Dr. Sylvia Earle has launched the HATCH Ocean Film Challenge. Hosted by Audience Awards, it is seeking entries from filmmakers showcasing “the impact humans have on the Ocean and the actions individuals can take to save the human race from extinction.” The top ranked films will premiere as a headline event at the DC Environmental Film Festival in March 2018, and then at the International Wildlife Film Festival in Missoula, April 2018 and AudFest in Los Angeles on June 8, 2018.

Each entry should be 8 minute or under and address at least one of the following issues:

• Overfishing
• Plastic Pollution
• Ocean Acidification
• Sea Temperature Rise
• Lack of Marine Protected Areas

In addition to highlighting issues, each film should also address 1-5 actions people can take to help mitigate them:

• Stop eating seafood. Or eat sustainably and infrequently.
• Stop using single-use plastics. Saying no to straws is a great start.
• Support policies that encourage clean energy production.
• Support policies that fund climate change research.
• Support organizations that advocate for marine protected areas.

The contest is open for entries now and closes on 08 February 2018.

“How we treat the oceans in the next 10 years will determine the fate of our planet for the next 10,000 years…There is no other planet. No water anywhere else. We have to save this.” Dr. Sylvia Earle.