Written by Amy Stoltenberg
Photos courtesy of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary
The 12th annual Gray’s Reef Film Festival will take place this weekend, Jan. 16 and 17, at the Lucas Theater in downtown Savannah. The festival aims to raise awareness about Gray’s Reef. Located about 20 miles off the coast of Georgia, it is one of the largest “live bottom” reefs off the southeastern coast of the United States.
“Gray’s Reef is currently a healthy habitat. It’s still a pristine area,” said Communications and Outreach Coordinator for Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Amy Rath. “It’s not a hard coral reef like Florida has; it’s a living carpet of organisms over a rocky outcropping in the middle of an otherwise sandy area.”
“Donations received through the Gray’s Reef Ocean Film Festival will directly benefit the new Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation,” said Rath, “which will help to support the sanctuary’s research, resource protection and community outreach programs.”
The weekend will begin with a gala to launch the foundation on Thursday night at 24 E. Broughton St. Friday evening features the film “Great White Shark,” which addresses the misconceptions about the sharks and how people understand their role in the ocean. It will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Sylvia Earl, an American marine biologist and National Geographic explorer.
Saturday features a full afternoon of children’s programs, short films and documentaries, with the film “Deep Sea Challenge” closing out the night. After the film, director James Bruno will host a Q&A session. Bruno is known for his work in the special effects world with films such as “Titanic,” “Avatar” and “Ghostbusters.”
Following the Q&A, tickets are available for $15 to attend the Saturday night reception on the Lucas Theater stage and mingle with the explorers, reporters and filmmakers who were featured.
To learn more about the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, sponsoring partner of the film festival, visit the foundation’s website. Admission to the film festival will be by
suggested donations.
To learn more about Gray’s Reef, visit their website.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been revised since its original publication.