Surfing survivors, friendly sharks and Alaskan plastic: the 2022 Ocean Film festival

The latest UK tour of aquatic documentaries highlights the beauty and fragility of the blue planet – and human interaction with it

This summer, many families had their first holiday abroad since the pandemic began. But as autumn sets in and the cost of living crisis deepens, that week or two by the sea may soon seem a distant memory. Perfect timing, then, for the Ocean Film festival’s UK tour. Nell Teasdale, the tour director, says audiences can “dive into a night of wild seafaring voyages and astounding marine life, without getting their feet wet”.

An offshoot of the Banff Mountain Film festival, the Ocean Film festival started in Australia in 2012 with the hope of inspiring people to enjoy, explore and respect the sea. This is the ninth year the festival has been touring the UK; over the next two and a half months, there are screenings at venues from Inverness in the Highlands to Truro in Cornwall. The tour will raise money for two charities that help to protect the oceans: the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage.

Brendon Prince in Circumnavigate. Photograph: Will Reddaway