Behind the scenes at the sixth Ocean Film fest

Learn something new “Cuttlefish: The Brainy Bunch” provides fascinating information about a remarkable creature. (Courtesy photo)

The San Francisco Ocean Film Festival, now in its sixth year, celebrates all aspects of the sea and the environmental, social and cultural importance of marine ecosystems. We talked with Festival Director Rachel Caplan:

What inspired the founding of the Ocean Film Festival? Krist Jake founded it; he’s an ocean swimmer and was inspired by the [Canadian] Banff Film Festival that celebrates mountains. It’s really about bringing people together to watch and to share and to discuss the issues covered in the film.

The selection of films is highly eclectic, with everything from surfing to conservation, in locales from the Czech Republic to South Africa. What’s the most unusual film in the festival? “Peace with Seals” is  a fabulous, fantastic fable that takes us all around the Mediterranean in search of the monk seal. It’s a fantastic journey that spans the breadth of 20th century history, politics and science, with a good amount of [Jan] Švankmajer-ish animation thrown in.

Given that you are immersed, pardon the pun, in ocean-related knowledge, did any film surprise you with new information? “Cuttlefish: The Brainy Bunch,” by Gisela Kaufmann, is remarkable. The cuttlefish is surprisingly intelligent and intuitive, can perform complex tasks and solve puzzles. And the cinematography and the editing are spectacular.

Since the festival was inspired by the Bay Area itself, are you screening anything of particular local relevance? Oh, yes. In addition to “Call it Home: Searching for Truth on Bolinas Lagoon,” we have a program of two films about the local shark population inside the Golden Gate, and a series of three films celebrating our national marine sanctuaries, including the Farallones.

What film might best qualify as an overlooked gem?  “Ice Bears of the Beaufort.” It’s a wordless documentary following a bear and her two cubs for a year. The film makes the point very poetically about the change that is happening in the Arctic — without any narration. The score, which is original, is beautiful as well.

What’s lined up for the opening night party? It’s a benefit, because we’re an all-volunteer festival. We’re thrilled to be back at the Aquarium of the Bay, and we’ll have sustainable seafood from great Bay Area restaurants, live music from the Mighty Mississippi, Huna Wei Hawaiian Band and Mike Gibbons, and live fish — the whole aquarium will be open to us.


IF YOU GO

San Francisco Ocean Film Festival

Where: Cowell Theater, Fort Mason, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, San Francisco
When: Thursday through Feb. 22
Tickets: $10 for most screenings 
Contact: (415) 561-6251; www.oceanfilmfest.org