An ocean-themed festival showcasing short films that capture the ocean from every angle is coming to Bristol and Bath this Autumn.
Featuring bodyboarding grannies, a penguin rescue centre, underwater encounters with whales and heart-pounding surfing adventures, the Ocean Film Festival is a new collection of short films all celebrating the beauty and power of the sea.
The festival offers audiences the chance to explore some of the world’s most spectacular coastlines and marine environments, from the Pacific Ocean to Uruguay’s Atlantic coast, without leaving their cinema seats.
Whether you’re planning a surfing trip, dreaming of a Pacific crossing or simply looking for your next coastal adventure, the films aim to inspire audiences to experience the ocean for themselves.
Among the highlights of the programme is The Raftsmen, the remarkable true story of 12 adventurers from seven countries who set off on an Odyssey of their own, attempting to cross the Pacific Ocean on three handmade wooden rafts in 1973, navigating only by the sun and stars.
Fifty years later, the expedition’s original 16mm footage has been restored in 4K, bringing the longest raft voyage ever completed vividly back to life.
UK tour director Nell Teasdale said: “The ocean connects all of us, and this event is a chance to celebrate that connection on the big screen.
“Each film in the 2026 programme will offer something special, whether it’s extraordinary adventure, breathtaking marine life or people dedicating their lives to protecting the sea.”
The festival films are screened at the Redgrave Theatre in Bristol on three dates in October, and are also shown at Komedia in Bath.
“The Ocean Film Festival World Tour remains a celebration of the ocean in all its beauty, power and vulnerability,” Teasdale said.
For details and dates, search Ocean Film Festival online.