By Gina Yarbrough
La Jolla, CA–The 7th annual Blue Water Film Festival will return March 19 to 22, bringing four days of environmental storytelling, special screenings and tributes to coastal venues across La Jolla.
Presented by the Blue Water Institute, the festival will feature 10 feature films, 15 short films and six animated works from filmmakers around the globe. Organizers say this year’s slate highlights stories at the intersection of water, the environment, innovation and human impact.
Among the festival’s top honors, the Eco Hero Award will be presented to Jon Rose, a former professional surfer and founder of Waves For Water. The organization has delivered clean water solutions to millions of people in 51 countries and responded to more than 40 major disasters worldwide.
Festival organizers said the award recognizes Rose’s achievements as a “world-class waterman” and his advocacy for ocean conservation, climate awareness and the protection of the planet’s waterways.
The Pioneer Award will go to Dr. Janet Gibson for her decades of leadership in marine conservation and efforts to safeguard coastal and marine ecosystems. Gibson is a key figure in the Global Hope Spots movement, working alongside oceanographer Sylvia Earle and Mission Blue to identify and protect critical ocean habitats worldwide.
Actors Kathleen Quinlan and Greg Reitman, who also serves as festival director, will present the honors during the Blue Water Awards ceremony March 22 at UCSD Park & Market. The evening will open with a live performance by Costa Rican artist Tito Oses and conclude with a performance by Grammy-winning blues musician Taj Mahal.
The festival begins with an opening-night reception and screenings at the Scripps Seaside Forum, featuring the short films “Guardians of the Wild,” directed by Benjamín Soto, and “Love Birds,” co-directed by Elliott Kennerson and Angel Morris. The feature documentary “Wealth Untold,” directed by Eladio Arvelo, will also screen.
Additional highlights include Georgia Scott’s “Kuleana,” narrated by Woody Harrelson, and Santiago Burin des Roziers’ “House of Fish” at The LOT La Jolla.
A special centerpiece presentation of “Jaws at 50: The Definitive Inside Story,” directed by Laurent Bouzereau, will screen poolside at the La Valencia Hotel. Marking the 50th anniversary of Jaws, the documentary features filmmaker Steven Spielberg reflecting on the making and legacy of the iconic thriller.
The festival will close with a screening of “The Eyes of Gana,” a feature documentary by two-time Academy Award winner Ben Proudfoot at UCSD Park & Market.
Screenings and special events will take place at venues including Scripps Seaside Forum, The LOT, the La Jolla/Riford Public Library, La Jolla Shores, La Valencia Hotel, Mangelsen Nature Gallery, RE Agency, The Hillel House and UCSD Park & Market.
Organizers say the festival’s mission is to raise awareness and inspire engagement around the planet’s water resources — oceans, aquifers, rivers, lakes and waterways — through cinema and community dialogue.
Passes for the 2026 Blue Water Film Festival tickets are on sale and can be purchased at bluewaterfilmfestival.org.
