The Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network and Surfrider Georgia are thrilled to present the 2nd Annual Changing Tides Ocean Film Festival! This year, we dive into the theme "Water and Our Relationship to It," exploring the profound connections between humans and the oceans that sustain us. Our curated selection of films, chosen by a distinguished panel of marine scientists and environmental advocates, will showcase the ocean's beauty, challenges, and mysteries. Panel discussions will round out the night's screenings of top-category movies. Join us for an inspiring journey through captivating stories highlighting our shared responsibility to protect and cherish the waters shaping our world. This year's journey is dedicated to the memory of Wallace J. Nichols, a pioneering marine biologist, author of Blue Mind, water-lover, turtle nerd, explorer, and movement builder.

Awards & Prizes

Awards vary by year, but generally, the top winner from each category will receive a small cash award and plaque.

Rules & Terms

CATEGORIES
Feature/Special Screening (under 90 minutes)
Shorts (under 20 minutes)
-Narrative
-Documentary
-Animated
Music Videos (under 4 minutes)

1) All submissions should focus on exploring the intricate relationship between water and humanity. This includes highlighting ocean conservation, marine life, the impact of climate change on aquatic ecosystems, the cultural significance of water, and innovative solutions for protecting our oceans. Films that tell compelling stories about the beauty, challenges, and importance of our oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water are highly encouraged.

2) Films may be submitted by professional or emerging filmmakers.

3) Each submission must be accompanied by a submission title, category, and description.

4) Your submission’s total runtime (TRT) must NOT exceed the specified time limit for the category you are submitting (See categories and time limits below). Credits are not included in your TRT, and credit runtime must NOT exceed 30 seconds.

5) Films must be submitted electronically via FilmFreeway. We do not accept any films that must be downloaded (ex: Dropbox, Google Drive, WeTransfer, etc.). We cannot accept DVD or Blu-Ray submissions.

6) All accepted films must provide captions in order to be screened. Films without captions are eligible to submit but will be required to create a caption file upon acceptance to screen.

ACCEPTED FILMS
Upon acceptance into the 2024 Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network Film Festival, you grant the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network the right to utilize an excerpt and/or stills from your film for promotional purposes.

COPYRIGHT
If selected, all commercial/private property including all trademark/copyrighted materials shown or recorded on the project is the responsibility of the filmmaker. SERSTN and Surfrider GA will NOT take responsibility for any infringement of copyright materials.

SCREENING FEES
The Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network does not pay screening fees for submitted films. By submitting your project, you acknowledge that the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network will not pay to present your project.

The Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network reserves the right to decline any submission for consideration for any reason.

If you have any questions that are not answered here, please email info@serstn.org.