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SYNOPSIS
SHARKWATER
2007, 89 mins., English, Documentary
Director: Rob Stewart
Studio: Alliance Films
Producer: Rob Stewart
Screenplay: Rob Stewart
Cast: Rob Stewart, Paul Watson, Dr. Erich Ritter, Susan Backlinie, Godfrey Merlin, Mark Butler, Dr. Boris Worm, William Goh, Vic Hislop, Dr. Samuel Gruber, Rex Weyler, Carlos Perez Cembrero, Patrick Moore, Lisa Anastario, Larissa Gilligan
TRFF/NOFFA Environmental Film Selection of 2008
Place: Clearview Cinemas, Red Bank, NJ
Screening Time:
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
7:00 PM - 8:28 PM
In this award winning film, Mr. Stewart joins with renegade conservationist Paul Wilson in an unbelievable adventure in the shark rich waters of the marine reserves of the Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands. Stewart’s beautiful and remarkable journey changes from a mission to save the world’s sharks to a fight for his life.
Sponsored by the National Ocean Film Festival Alliance, The Two River Film Festival, The Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute, and Clearview Cinemas Alliance Films, with support from the National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation. |
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In an effort to protect sharks, Stewart teams up with renegade conservationist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Their unbelievable adventure together starts with a battle between the Sea Shepherd and shark poachers in Guatemala, resulting in pirate boat rammings, gunboat chases, mafia espionage, corrupt court systems and attempted murder charges, forcing them to flee for their lives.
Through it all, Stewart discovers these magnificent creatures have gone from predator to prey, and how despite surviving the earth's history of mass extinctions, they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed.
Stewart's remarkable journey of courage and determination changes from a mission to save the world's sharks, into a fight for his life, and that of humankind.
Driven by passion fed from a lifelong fascination with sharks, Stewart debunks historical stereotypes and media depictions of sharks as bloodthirsty, man-eating monsters and reveals the reality of sharks as pillars in the evolution of the seas.
Filmed in visually stunning, high definition video, Sharkwater takes you into the most shark rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world's shark populations in the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. |
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As a Founding Partner of the National Ocean Film Festival, the aim of the Two River Film Festival is to inspire, entertain and foster a spirit of ocean stewardship for generations through the eyes of the film-maker.
All of us have the responsibility to serve as good stewards of our natural environment. The Two River Film Festival is honored to be working alongside Tony MacDonald, Director of the Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University; and with our distinguished NOFFA partners.
Together, we hope to explore the ocean frontier through the powerful force of film, revealing the complexity and beauty of our precious oceans.
Two-thirds of the world's surface is covered by water, film helps us focus on worldwide ocean stewardship opportunities as we attempt to moderate our "ecological footprint" in relation to marine life, coastal impacts, and water quality.
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Rosellen Otrakji |
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This project has been made possible with support of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation www.NMSFocean.org |
Alliance Films
 Dean W. Fessler, Jr. encountered his first shark in 1978 while snorkeling as a marine biology student at the Univ. of Miami, FL. Upon returning to New Jersey and logging > 500 shipwreck dives along the Northeast (from Long Island to North Carolina) Dean joined the Shark Research Institute (www.sharks.org) in 1991 and began diving with and researching Caribbean reef sharks off the Bahamas and sandtiger sharks off North Carolina. In 1992, Dean relocated to San Diego to become a research diver for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography where he researched Blue Shark and Mako shark populations off San Diego and Hammerheads and Whale sharks within the Sea of Cortez. In 1995, Dean joined the Stephen Birch Aquarium and Museum where he lectured from within the aquariums kelp tank display about resident shark populations while giving "live" feeding demonstrations. In 1998, Dean relocated to South Africa to research ("Great") White sharks and work with underwater photographers and documentary filmmakers on board a white shark ecotourism vessel where he was certified as a NAUI divemaster in 1999. Dean was elected into the Explorers Club and is currently the Education Director and an Expedition Leader for the Shark Research Institute. Dean's current projects include: Great White Sharks off Guadalupe Island. Student and Sandtiger Sharks off the Carolina coast. Premiering and introduction of the new film: "Sharkwater" on Times Square, NYC highlighting the global issue of shark finning worldwide which will be officially released in the USA in Sept. 07.
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