Words by Ashley Thieme

The audience of all ages settle into their seats at the Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl, located on the sea front. This is the perfect location for the incredible films at the World Tour of 10 years of Ocean Film Festival.

Every short film shown at the festival was inspiring, telling the stories of our oceans from different perspectives. The first film, Bluetits, follows the international movement started by Sian Richardson inspiring women on a journey of self-discovery. Sian was in attendance to introduce the film, giving the audience a deeper connection to the short.

The cold-water dip phenomenon started in 2014 helps to support mental health, creating a community of support and friendship. This is a must watch for anyone considering taking up a new hobby and stepping outside of their comfort zone. The stories from the women featured will inspire you.

Hypnotise, a four-minute short complimented by an orchestral arrangement, follows the movement of a school of fish around a shipwreck off the coast of Australia. The film demonstrates the symbiotic relationship between over 200 species of fish and the 130-metre artificial reef. It is celebrating what the oceans are becoming. And in some areas how oceans are benefiting from human interference.

Broken Breath will leave you heartbroken and hopeful. It recounts the life of free-diving champion, Mike Maric, and how he lost his diving partner to a tragic and unexpected accident. After this, Mike could no longer hold his breath underwater. He lost touch with the sea after it took away his friend. The story of self-discovery sees Mike welcomed back to the sea by a pod of dolphins, as he is reborn into the water. This 25-minute film will pull on your heart strings but teaches forgiveness for the things that hurt us most.

A film by Patagonia, The Custodians, follows a group from Scotland fighting commercial overfishing and bottom trawling. Four locals are working to reclaim a natural coast and to work with the ocean. This film paints a vivid picture of how the government turns a blind eye to the devastation facing our coasts by big fishing companies, but also what can be done to counteract the effects as much as possible.

Next we have an interval, where a free raffle is drawn. There are great prizes which included sunglasses, a cold-water dipping bundle with magazines, and a sea jacket.

Following the interval, The Storm Chaser grips the audience with CGI. The visual effects add to the narrative, making the message hit harder for the audience. The story follows windsurfer Thomas Traversa as he risks his life for the extreme sport he loves, and how he knows the sea can be cruel and has to think about his family back home.

My personal favourite of the films on offer this year is Truluck. Steve Truluck, once a daily commuter in the London area, was transferred to Scotland. After that, he found his true passion; whale watching. He dropped everything to become a part-time window cleaner and full-time whale enthusiast.

TruluckÔÇÖs dog steals the limelight though, and TruluckÔÇÖs love for animals shines through in his relationship with his dog. Truluck takes a fellow whale and dolphin enthusiast to see the 27s pod, a pod of Orcas, for the first time. This was wholesome and demonstrated how the community come together to care for these amazing animals. If youÔÇÖre going to watch any of these films, this is the one.

The penultimate film is bittersweet. How a familyÔÇÖs love for where they come from can be tainted when the sea takes away their family. Two Kinds of Water follows the heart-breaking account of a husband and wife.

She worries every day that he will not return, because he ventures further and further out to sea. They have no choice but to stray further from shore as the big fishing boats deplete their coastlines. This film is hard to watch. You can see the grief that has struck this village time and time again. Most importantly, you see the love and support they all give to one another holds hope for the future.

Finally, the audience is met by an awesome pup who knows how to hang-five better than most pro-surfers. Salty Sea Dogs: Spike introduces the relationship between owner Rob Lorenzo and his adopted dog, Spike. One day Rob came out of the water after a surf and Spike was not where he left him. However, Spike was on the front of another surferÔÇÖs board way out in the water ÔÇô the rest is history.

Spike won surf championships with no training, just picking up what he had seen Rob do on his board. This is a real crowd pleaser and an amazing end to the night. The best audience reaction was for Salty Sea Dogs: Spike. Although, Truluck, wins the audience over with his passion for conservation of ocean wildlife.

Each film is full of incredible love for our oceans. The staggering facts about how our waters are treated are greeted by the audience with awe and shock. The distinct nature of each of these films is captivating but the message that lies within each ÔÇô that we must protect our oceans ÔÇô leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, but for all the right reasons.