Viva la Tortuga

This year's filmmaking team ventured to Magdalena Bay, an 870-square-mile haven for whales, dolphins, sea birds and five species of sea turtles tucked along the Pacific coast of Mexico's Baja peninsula north of the tourist hub of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The documentary chronicles how communities that once depended on sea turtle poaching and other extractive activities depleting the region's rich natural resources are now testing with a new economic model, one built around conservation and sustainable tourism. The short film provides an intimate portrait of those working to balance economic advancement with environmental protection and striving to create a better life for both the community and the endangered sea turtles.