SMM2024 FILM FESTIVAL

Where your work comes to life and inspires others, with open doors welcoming a wider audience to join us on this special night!

SMM2024 FILM FESTIVAL

The 25th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals will feature a film festival, showcasing the work of our attendees and inspiring others. This event will be open to the public, expanding our audience and sharing the experience with the broader community.

Join us at the Riverside Theatre at the Perth Convention And Exhibition Centre from 6:30 pm (7:30 pm start) to 10:30 pm on Monday, November 11, to relax and unwind with a selection of entertaining films—a perfect way to wind down after a day of conference activities.

The Film Festival is complimentary with conference registration.

For those not attending the conference, tickets are available for sale! Tickets are $35 AUD for adults, $25 AUD for youth under 16s, and free for children aged 0–2 years. All ticket prices are subject to 10% GST/VAT tax.

Click the button below to buy your tickets now!

FILM SHOWCASE AND Q&A

The evening will feature a variety of presentations, followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers. An intermission will provide a chance to purchase concessions, network and reflect on the films.

6:30-7:30 PM

Doors Open

DESCRIPTION:

Doors open at 6:30 PM, allowing you to socialize and enjoy drinks and concessions before the main event begins at 7:30 PM.

7:30-7:35 PM

Welcome and Introduction to Films

7:35-7:43 PM

Marralik/Ungunniavik Camp 2023

CREDENTIALS:

Jacob Seguin

RUNTIME:

7 mins

DESCRIPTION:

This film shows the Inuit point of view and inspires viewers to consider the impacts that top-down government conservation measures can have on Indigenous communities. In Nunavik, beluga whale conservation has been implemented mainly with a western science viewpoint, and from authoritative government bodies. But the people who are affected most by these measures endure significant burdens such as reduced food security, and reduced transfer of Inuit Knowledge to the next generation. Two Nunavik Inuit communities, Kuujjuaq and Kangiqsualujjuaq, are leading a research program on beluga whales in a traditional harvesting site in an estuary called Marralik-Ungunniavik. Almost 40 years ago beluga hunting was outlawed by the federal government based on sparse aerial survey counts. But the counts recorded by government aerial surveys do not reflect the observations made by Inuit land users, creating an atmosphere of distrust. Nunavik Inuit are hosting a PhD researcher to record beluga observations by their calls, traces of their DNA in the water, harvest samples, and visual observations by land and by boat. Using Inuit Knowledge and community values as the guiding principles for the research, the film shows how training youth and maintaining traditional knowledge through the next generation is a powerful conservation tool.

7:57-8:05 PM

Large Whale Disentanglements

CREDENTIALS:

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Western Australia

RUNTIME:

8 mins

DESCRIPTION:

This short film highlights the collaboration between government and industry to ensure the best possible outcome when responding to large whale entanglements in Western Australia.

8:05-8:15 PM

Fishing On-Demand in Atlantic Canada

CREDENTIALS:

Canadian Wildlife Federation

RUNTIME:

10 mins

DESCRIPTION:

In Atlantic Canada, fisheries closures are being implemented to prevent entanglements of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. On-demand gear is being used to mitigate negative impacts these closures have on the livelihood of impacted fish harvesters, while co-existing safely with marine mammals. This short film by the Canadian Wildlife Federation highlights the efforts being made to fish with on-demand gear to protect North Atlantic right whales in Atlantic Canada. Featuring fish harvesters who have trialed or used on-demand gear to fish, they discuss their experiencing using this gear.

8:15-8:22 PM

Mysterious Crab Bait Thieves

CREDENTIALS:

Producer and Directors: Megan Diment & Axel Grossmann, Dolphin Discovery Centre Bunbury
Camera: Megan Diment, Axel Grossmann, Rodney Peterson
Edit: Megan Diment, Axel Grossmann
Support: Dolphin Discovery Centre Bunbury, Rodney Peterson, Dr Simon Allen, Dr Delphine Chabanne, Prof Dr Lyn Beazley, Parks and Wildlife Service WA (DBCA)

RUNTIME:

7 mins

DESCRIPTION:

World-first footage of wild bottlenose dolphins learning to steal from crab fishermen.
A conservation film team of the Dolphin Discovery Centre Bunbury, an environmental charity, captured never seen footage of dolphins outsmarting crab fishermen by learning how to steal crab bait out of crab pots and nets. The group of dolphins including calves have adapted to human life in the local Leschenault Estuary System and Koombana Bay over time by observing fishermen how they fish for popular blue swimmer crabs. The dolphins have worked out using eyesight, echolocation, rostrum, and teeth how to remove bait from pots, nets, and boxes. Even hiding the bait underneath does not hinder the dolphins to raid the pots for food, and fun by turning them. Some appear to work like locksmiths opening closed bait boxes.
Internationally recognised researchers Dr Simon Allen of Shark Bay Dolphin Research and the University of Zurich as well as Dr Delphine Chabanne from the Harry Butler Institute at Murdoch University in Perth have been stunned by the vision and called for more research to be carried out into this ‘special’ behaviour.
Especially the question how the dolphins learned to use humans and their passion for crabs to find food for themselves, and what can be done to deter them from doing so was an important conservation aspect. Stealing from pots and nets is not only unhealthy but dangerous. An entanglement into the crab pot lines could kill the dolphin. The team developed and tested a baiting technique that keeps dolphins safe and crab fishermen happy. This technique will now be circulated amongst the local crab fishermen to protect the dolphins and support a co-existence between dolphins and humans. The film team has been working on a wildlife documentary for over two years with locals, conservationists, and researchers to document this and other intriguing behaviours that showcases the intelligence of bottlenose dolphins to a level rare to see in the wild.

8:22-8:32 PM

Every Otter Counts

CREDENTIALS:

Lars C. Nelson
Conservation and Natural Science Communicator
Master in Environmental Science and Management
BS Environmental Science and Management
BA Visual Media Arts

RUNTIME:

9 mins

DESCRIPTION:

Every Otter Counts chronicles the efforts of the organization Sea Otter Savvy, and their vision of "community" that drives their mission. As southern sea otters continue to return from the brink of extinction, Sea Otter Savvy's work aims to ensure a place for this iconic keystone species along California's human dominated coast. In this film, we hear from the organization's directors and partners to explore how they use scientific research to promote community engaged stewardship for sea otters in California's Central Coast.

8:32-8:52 PM

INTERMISSION

8:52-9:47 PM

The Witness Is a Whale

CREDENTIALS:

Directors and Producers - Cheryl and Nick Dean

RUNTIME:

52 mins

DESCRIPTION:

The Witness Is a Whale reveals the magnitude of one of the greatest environmental crimes of the 20th century, the secret and illegal slaughter of hundreds of thousands of whales by the Soviet Union and Japan during the Cold War. Through never-before-seen archival footage, hidden documents, and personal records kept by Soviet scientists, The Witness Is a Whale exposes this ruthless killing for the first time on film. Our documentary also recounts the post-whaling recovery of many different whale species and highlights their overall importance to the health of our oceans.

9:47-10:30 PM

Q&A with Film Makers

DESCRIPTION:

Join us for an engaging Q&A session following the final screening of the festival. This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from the filmmakers, ask your burning questions, and gain behind-the-scenes insights into their creative process, challenges, and inspirations. Don’t miss the chance to connect with the minds behind the films!