PICRC set to hold film festival on November 9 to celebrate the anniversary of the PNMS

On Saturday November 9, the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) are hosting a film festival to showcase a series of short videos crafted by students across Palau and American Samoa. This event is run in collaboration with PICRC’s sister sanctuary, the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa and is a celebration of the 9^th anniversary of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS).  Additionally, the film festival will also premier footage of some of the exciting research that has been undertaken in the PNMS this year.

This year, in May, PICRC collaborated with Whaleology, an organization that specializes in the research and protection of whales in the Pacific, to undertake capacity building training and field surveys in the PNMS.  A film ‘Beyond the Reef’, was curated by the Whaleolgy team and will be premiered at the film festival, to showcase behind the scenes footage of these surveys and give viewers an understanding of the intricacies of cetacean research. Most excitingly, the film will highlight some compelling discoveries within the PNMS, some of which have never been documented in Micronesia. The results from this collaboration have been monumental for Palau and the increased understanding of cetaceans in the PNMS. These surveys are crucial in understanding more about the various cetaceans that inhabit the PNMS and how the PNMS is contributing to their protection.

Alongside ‘Beyond the ‘Reef’ and the student films, highlights from the deep-sea expedition, Lebuu’s Voyage I will also be shown. The combination of multiple short films hopes to emphasize the importance of all conservation and research efforts, no matter the scale. “This film festival will not only feature large-scale research that’s occurring in the PNMS, but also the local actions that students are taking within their school, to showcase their love for Palau’s marine environment,” said Adeeshia I. Tellei, Director of Outreach.

The film festival will start at 5:00pm offering the community the chance to explore the aquarium at night, including science stations, art activities and the unveiling of a new aquarium exhibit.