The Turn the Tide Film Tour is a global program of ocean conservation films created to educate, inspire and mobilise audiences. The 90 minute curated program showcases the most inspirational, educational and visually captivating short films from independent filmmakers around the globe — each united by a commitment to protecting our oceans.

"We want to give ocean advocates and educators a compelling storytelling platform that not only sparks meaningful conversations about marine conservation, but also empowers communities to take action and raise vital funds for their own environmental initiatives. Film has the power to move hearts — and when hearts are moved, change follows."

Jemima Robinson, Tour Curator, Turn the Tide Film Tour

THE 2026 PROGRAM — EIGHT FILMS

The 2026 Turn the Tide program brings together eight short films from across the globe, each offering a distinct and urgent perspective on the state of our oceans:

Beneath Steep Point | Australia | 7 minutes | Filmmaker: Jake Mason

At the wild edge of Australia, Steep Point's towering cliffs hide a devastating secret beneath the waves. Beneath Steep Point follows a small team of divers as they descend into an underwater world choked by discarded fishing lines, toxic lead, and human waste — collected over just two dives on a single day.

Shape the Future | Germany | 14 minutes | Filmmaker: Lorenz Naegele

From the craft of wooden surfboards to the fight against plastic pollution, Shape the Future tells the story of how a passion for the ocean transforms into a vision for a sustainable future. The film invites audiences to reflect on their connection with the sea and demonstrates that each of us has the capacity to make a meaningful difference in protecting it.

Coral's Last Stand | Australia | 28 minutes | Filmmaker: Jane Hammond

Three hundred kilometres from the Australian mainland lies Scott Reef — an ancient coral atoll formed more than 15 million years ago, home to over 1,200 species including endangered sea snakes, green turtles and spectacular corals. Now, energy giant Woodside and its joint venture partners want to sink 50 oil and gas wells in the waters surrounding this extraordinary ecosystem.

Now You See Me – Great Barrier Reef | Australia | 9 minutes | Filmmaker: Sarah & Sebastian

A visually stunning portrait of the soaring reefs, deep canyons, and sculptural coral forms of the Great Barrier Reef — and an urgent warning of what we stand to lose. Fuelled by a warming global climate and rising ocean temperatures, marine heatwaves are increasing in frequency, starving coral of the nutrients vital to its survival.

Change Makers | Greece | 28 minutes | Filmmaker: Casey Beck

Lefteris Arapakis was born to be a sixth-generation fisherman in Greece. Instead, he started the country's first-ever fishing school — training fishermen to remove plastic from local waters and convincing an ancient profession, including his own family, of the urgent need to protect the Mediterranean Sea.

Humpback – Adapting to Humanity | Australia | 8 minutes | Filmmaker: Alexander Forrest

Once on the edge of extinction, the humpback whale has staged one of the great wildlife recoveries — a rebound of over 1,500 per cent. But their survival now depends not on fleeing from harpoons, but on adapting to an ocean being fundamentally reshaped by humanity.

Born to Dive | Thailand | 6 minutes | Filmmaker: Thomas Cristofoletti & Chidapha Srai

The Moken — a nomadic sea tribe living in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Thailand and Myanmar — face an uncertain future. Climate change, tourism, fishing restrictions and natural disasters have made their traditional aquatic way of life increasingly untenable.

Together, these films offer a compelling blend of breathtaking cinematography, urgent storytelling and hopeful solutions — inviting audiences to reflect on their relationship with the sea and consider how they can contribute to its protection.

See the Trailer HERE

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Friday 24 July

Time: 7:00 to 8:30pm

Tickets: $15

Proceeds: All profits will go towards restoring Tathra's beautiful rocky reefs by rehabilitating severely degraded areas known as urchin barrens. This work will be undertaken by volunteers who have been conducting monitoring and habitat restoration works beneath the Tathra wharf since its renovation in 2024. Atlas of Life in the Coastal Wilderness

Contact the host of Turn the Tide Film Tour