Winning the 360 – Pushing for a Complete Turn Around for Sharks

The Save Our Seas Foundation’s (SOSF) Rethink Campaign has won the coveted 360 US Wildlife Film Award at the 2009 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival (JHWFF) for its efforts to turn around the Ocean’s sharply declining shark populations. The Award recognizes the all encompassing campaign designed to reach the full spectrum of audiences across a multitude of distribution platforms.

The SOSF campaign challenges the media-driven public perception of sharks as man-eaters and shows these key ocean predators in their real light. Humans kill over 100 million sharks each year, and SOSF aims to stop their spiraling decline towards extinction. Many are caught primarily for their fins, which are sliced off living sharks and eaten as soup.

SOSF was nominated as a finalist in four categories in the Wildlife Film Festival. Jackson Hole is widely considered to be America’s top wildlife film competition, the natural world’s equivalent to the Academy’s Oscars. SOSF is delighted to have won the 360 Award with their ‘Rethink Campaign’. One of the judges reported that the SOSF campaign was outstanding for innovation, inspiration and its variety of outreach. SOSF Executive Director, Chris Clarke was proud to stand alongside, wildlife ‘giants’ – National Geographic, the BBC and WNET – among others to receive the award.

Success at last year’s Wildscreen Festival in the UK and now at Jackson Hole has given SOSF and marine conservation significant recognition in the world’s wildlife film community. This year, with the Festival’s support, SOSF ran the Seas the Day, short marine film competition. Side Dish, written and directed by Michael Masson and cinematography by Alishia Hemingway came first. The film highlights the bycatch that comes from seafood caught in commercial fisheries; “you are not getting just fish you are getting everything that comes with it.” The two runners up create equally strong messages about ocean conservation and the need for every individual to become involved and help save our seas. All finalists can be viewed on staging.saveourseas.com.

The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival is held at the Jackson Lake Lodge that offers superb views across the lake to the Grand Teton Mountains. Moose and Elk are almost always visible from the main balcony and the lucky may spot bears, wolves and eagles.  The 2009 festival highlighted 3D workshops, films, technical seminars and the Pansonic 3DHD Live In It Tour.