Cousteau Tradition Revived at Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Jean-Michel Cousteau's latest film, "Sharks at Risk," in its English language debut, will screen at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 7th at 1:15 pm in Victoria Hall, 33 W. Victoria Street. This is part of the "Special Screenings" section of the 19th annual event.

With reports of shark attacks increasingly in the news, Cousteau revisits what is known about shark behavior and compares myth to reality. He and his team of new explorers find the unexpected, both in the tropical waters of French Polynesia and the frigid waters of South Africa, home to the great white shark.

With a growing market for shark fins, and with sharks' numbers declining, in some cases by 80%, Cousteau takes a calculated risk to call attention to the complexity of the shark's behavior and dispel those fears that are partly resulting in their slaughter.

Using the latest in both diving and film technology, Jean-Michel re-enters the sea with a new generation of adventurers committed to the Cousteau tradition of exploration with a purpose and to the art of meaningful filmmaking.

"Sharks At Risk" is part of a new six-hour, public television series, "Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures," co-produced by Ocean Futures Society and KQED Public Television of San Francisco. Other films in the series include "The Gray Whale Obstacle Course," America's Underwater Treasures," Ghost Ships of Truk Lagoon," and "Voyage to Kure." All the programs will be filmed in high definition television (HDTV), giving viewers of all ages unsurpassed detail from the undersea worlds explored by Cousteau and his divers. The series is intended for national broadcast in prime time on PBS starting in fall 2005.

For information on Ocean Futures Society, please contact 805-899-8899 or www.oceanfutures.org.

For information on "Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures," and KQED, please contact Anne Wintroub, 415-553-2145, or awintroub@kqed.org

KQED Public Broadcasting operates KQED Public Television 9, one of the nation's most-watched public television stations during prime-time, and KQED's digital television channels, which include KQED HD, KQED Encore, KQED World, KQED Life and KQED Kids; KQED Public Radio, the most-listened-to public radio station in the nation with an award-winning news and public affairs program service (88.5 FM in San Francisco and 89.3 FM in Sacramento); KQED.org, one of the most visited station sites in Public Broadcasting; and KQED Education Network, which brings the impact of KQED to thousands of teachers, students, parents and media professionals through workshops, seminars and resources.

The mission of Ocean Futures Society is to explore our global ocean, inspiring and educating people throughout the world to act responsibly for its protection, documenting the critical connection between humanity and nature, and celebrating the ocean's vital importance to the survival of all life on our planet.