2nd Annual Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast International Film Festival 2026

The film festival brings 10 internationally and locally acclaimed films to our community – helping to drive awareness and conservation of our Great Lakes and Oceans. The event is being hosted by the Friends of Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast NMS, in partnership with the International Ocean Film Festival, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast NMS.

DOORS OPEN AT 5PM, WITH A CASH BAR FEATURING A SPECIAL ONE-NIGHT-ONLY LOCAL BEER!

SHOW IS FROM 6PM-830 PM.

TICKETS ARE ONLY $5.00 each !

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Great Lakes, Great Films / April 10, 2026

In partnership with the International Ocean Film Festival

Shipwreck Coast Friends is thrilled to work with our partners to bring ten international and regional films to our communities – helping to drive awareness and conservation of our Great Lakes and Ocean. Join us on April 10 as we kick off the 2nd Annual Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast International Film Festival in Manitowoc!

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Film Selections

Footprints on Katmai

Max Romey | USA | 22 min

Take this creative journey with artist and filmmaker Max Romey who retraces his grandmother’s footsteps to Katmai years after she journeyed there to sketch the pristine Alaskan wilderness. Rather than sketching the gorgeous scenes—the bears, moose, wolves, glaciers and mountains—as his grandmother once did, Romey feels compelled to sketch an endless collection of shoes that he and his expedition mates find while removing plastic from local beaches.

The Mother Of Diamonds: Kimberlite

Alexander Benedik | Austria | 6 min

Filmed in Eastern Greenland (part of an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark) free diver Anna von Bötticher ventures beneath the Arctic ice in search of Kimberlite— a rare igneous rock that contains diamonds and forms in vertical structures known as Kimberlite Pipes. This visually intriguing film offers a glimpse into the frozen depths.

Immersive

Rohan Thomas | UK | 23 min

Oceanographers descend 8,000 feet to the bottom of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to study hydrothermal vents. Life as we understand it should not exist here – within perpetual darkness, engulfed in toxic minerals, and under extreme heat and pressure. And yet it does. An ancient biosphere thrives with otherworldly organisms that offer extraordinary clues into the origin of life on Earth and beyond.

Above Sinai

Kylie Zarmati | USA | 13 min

The stunning landscape where the waters of the Gulf of Aqaba meet the desert mountains is home to the small Egyptian town of Dahab. Here, young Egyptian woman Sarah Sadek, originally from Cairo, living among the Bedouin tribes soars over the landscape as a professional kiteboarder. She overcomes challenges faced as a woman in the sport and becomes a successful and inspiring competitor.

Deep Look: Watch this Starfish Protect her Babies from Danger

Josh Cassidy | USA | 5 min

This stunning short with breathtaking images centers on the unique six-rayed sea stars’ (most sea stars only have five arms) roles as mothers. They live in Northern California’s intertidal zone, but unlike other species, these starfish stay and ‘hide’ their babies for a long time, going to the extent of not eating for three months, until their offspring are ready to go out on their own.

The Weight: Coming up for Air

Kyle Maddux | USA | 12 min

After years of self-imposed isolation, combat medic Brian carries the weight of believing he failed when it mattered most. When an email about a challenging scuba diving program crosses his desk, he's ready to back out before he even begins. But at Thunder Bay, surrounded by fellow veterans who share his fears and his pain, Brian discovers something unexpected beneath the cold waters of Lake Huron: the possibility of trust, connection, and being present again. Through four certification dives on historic shipwrecks, he learns that healing isn't a solitary journey—it's built one moment at a time.

Sanctuary: Beneath the Surface

Kyle Maddux | USA | 7 min

When a group of combat veterans arrives at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Michigan, they're stepping far outside their comfort zones. Through Warfighter SCUBA, these veterans—many dealing with isolation, fear, and the weight of their service—learn to dive in the Thunder Bay while connecting with NOAA staff who believe natural resources can heal. What begins as a week of diving training becomes something far more profound: a story about community, purpose, and the unexpected ways that protecting our waters can help us protect each other. As the veterans confront their fears beneath the surface, they discover that sometimes the greatest adventures lie in doing the things that scare us most.

Shipwreck OHIO

Yvonne Drebert and Zach Melnick| Canada | 4 min

Travel more than 300 feet below the surface of Lake Huron to visit the shipwreck OHIO in stunning detail. Lost in 1894 after a collision with another vessel, this 200-foot wooden bulk freighter rests in remarkably pristine condition. Once accessible only to technical divers and seen through crude images, this film now offers state-of-the-art, high-definition footage that makes you feel as though you’re swimming alongside history. Prepare for your jaw to drop—and to learn some important lessons about the often-dangerous Great Lakes.

WSCNMS Shipwrecks

Becky Kagan Schott | USA | 5 min

This short film features a number of the stunning historic shipwrecks located within the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Photographer and videographer Becky Kagan Schott explores these nationally significant shipwrecks and highlights the fantastic preservation of a part of Wisconsin’s important maritime heritage.

Wild Hope: The Great Ocean Cleanup

Geoff Luck | USA | 15 min

Plastic pollution is one of the largest threats oceans face today. Boyan Slat, founder & CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, embarked on a mission to solve this problem. The original idea was to create a floating device that would use the movement of the ocean to collect waste. He initially focused on rivers, in order to prevent trash flowing to the ocean. He made several prototypes until the 2021 version proved successful.

Saving Seagrass

Robert Boyd | USA | 15 min

Filmmaker Robert Boyd documents the importance of seagrass by bringing us to the underwater nursery in the estuaries of Mobile Bay, Alabama. We learn of the dependence on healthy beds of seagrass for sea creatures of all sizes, from manatees to tiny seahorses. We understand how rapid growth is challenging this fragile ecosystem, and what we can do to help save it for future generations to enjoy.