International Ocean Film Tour Comes to Santa Barbara

Living at the waters’ edge makes Santa Barbarans especially attuned to the ebbs and flows of the planet’s oceans, as the health of the sea directly affects our human and wildlife population. As such, our hamlet is the perfect place to host the International Ocean Film Tour, which, thanks to Toad&Co, is coming to town Friday, April 20, at The Sandbox.

Celebrating its fifth year, the tour features shorts from around the globe that focus on the power, beauty, and vulnerability of the earth’s watery worlds. The roster includes the following celluloid stories:

The Ocean Rider (35 min., Switzerland) Swiss sailor Yvan Bourgnon embarks on a solo trip around the world in his cockpit-less catamaran.

Paradigm Lost (14 min., U.S.A.) Waterman Kai Lenny takes audiences on a watery adventure that includes kitesurfing and big-wave, tow-in, and stand-up-paddle surfing around the world

Vamizi (24 min., Mozambique/Sweden) This eco doc examines one of the oldest coral reefs, which sits off the coast of Mozambique, and how global warming is threatening the biodiverse sanctuary.

Water II (5 min., U.S.A.) In this ode to the sea, photographer Morgan Maassen captures the ocean from a new perspective.

The Big Wave Project — A Band of Brothers (7 min., Australia) Sebastian Steudtner, Garrett McNamara, and Andrew Cotton tackle the “mountains of water and massive waves” that push the big-wave surfers to their limits.

And Then We Swam (35 min., U.K.) Rowing rookies Ben Stenning and James Adair decide to row across the Indian Ocean. The 3,500-mile journey from Australia to Mauritius grows daunting after 116 days on the ocean, when a huge wave capsizes their boat.

The film tour takes place Friday, April 20, at The Sandbox (414 Olive St.) at 6:30 p.m. All proceeds go to Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. See oceanfilmtour.com/us.