Nanaimo and Victoria will both see the internationally acclaimed Ocean Film Festival World Tour come through Vancouver Island this month.
This film festival brings with it several short films for ocean enthusiasts to witness journeys across the open ocean, encounters beneath the surface and stories of conservation efforts across the world.
The festival celebrates its fourth year in Canada, after debuting in 2023 with a screening at Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver.
Organizers say that since the festival’s Canadian launch, it has continued to grow its Canadian following, with sold-out North Vancouver screenings in both 2024 and 2025.
With this success came an expansion to other parts of BC, including Vancouver Island.
“We have loved watching the festival community grow in Canada over the past four years,” said Jemima Robinson, founder and CEO of the Ocean Film Festival World Tour.
“British Columbia has such an extraordinary connection to the ocean, so bringing these stories to audiences here feels incredibly special.”
In 2026, BC audiences will experience six short films from around the globe covering topics such as ocean adventure, exploration, marine life, environmental restoration and the people whose lives are shaped by the sea.
One highlighted film in this year’s program is The Raftsmen, which follows 12 adventurers from seven different countries who set out to cross the world’s largest ocean aboard three handmade wooden rafts while navigating using only the sun and stars.
The mariners on this six-month voyage face storms, hunger and the psychological challenge of months at sea. Their voyage became the longest raft expedition ever completed.
Fifty years after the record setting voyage, the original 16 mm footage from the journey has been restored in 4K, allowing a new generation to experience the expedition.
Along with The Raftsmen, there are five other films, sure to be just as epic in scope.
“The Ocean Film Festival World Tour is a celebration of the ocean in all its beauty, power and vulnerability,” Robinson continued.
“Each film gives audiences a completely different window into our relationship with the sea — through adventure, wildlife, exploration, conservation and the incredible people whose lives revolve around it.”
This festival was founded in Australia and has since grown into an international touring event aimed at sharing ocean stories with audiences around the world.
In Nanaimo, the festival will be taking place on Wednesday, September 9th from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Port Theatre.
The festival will be taking place on Friday, September 11th in Victoria, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Vic Theatre.
BC’s tour dates for the Ocean Film Festival World Tour also include North Vancouver and Squamish.
Tickets and more information can be found online here.
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