Learn|Oceans
Karina Holden talks about finding new ways to communicate environmental issues #SaveOurOcean
"If you're coming on set with me, you're not going to be eating swordfish or bluefin tuna. You will not be going to drink your coffee out of the toss-away cup. We try to put in practice what we preach and minimize our footprint. Every single time our crew got in the water to film something whether it was with seals, dolphins, or if it was a story about coral bleaching, we were taking plastic out of the ocean."
Karina Holden, Filmmaker, and Director of Blue
Karina has a dynamic track record working in both the independent sector and within the national broadcaster. Her career in television started in 1996 within the ABC Natural History Unit. For five years Karina worked on multi-million dollar blue chip productions, including international co-production between the ABC and BBC.
Karina became Head of Production for Oxford Scientific Films Australia, leading a team of 12 staff in the Sydney office. Returning to the ABC after ten years in the independent sector, Karina joined the Documentary Department as Commissioning Editor for Science and Natural History, as well as overseeing internal science TV production as the Head of Catalyst. In July 2013, Karina joined Northern Pictures as Head of Production and Development. With the company’s expansion as super indie, with offices in Singapore, Beijing, New Zealand and Washington, her role is now to drive blue-chip programming for the international marketplace.
Blue: North-American premiere at Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF)
Karina Holden's Blue film is going to be showcased at Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) on Monday, October 9 at 12:15 PM (SFU Goldcorp) and on Thursday, October 12 at 6:45 PM (Vancouver Playhouse).
About Blue:
Nothing is as important to life on this planet as our oceans. The omnibus Australian BLUE plunges us into glorious waters in Australia, Hawaii, the South Pacific, the Philippines and Indonesia, introducing us to individuals who have devoted their lives to direct action and education on our seas’ behalf. A cogently argued, beautifully shot and truly inspired call to battle, this film provides a beautiful but bracing view of what needs to — and can — be done now.
Valerie Taylor is a pioneering diver, shark advocate and conservationist. A diver for more than 60 years, she and her husband made countless shark films including Blue Water, White Death. Her young counterpart is feisty Madison Stewart, who grew up on a yacht on the Great Barrier Reef and has now dedicated her life to the protection and preservation of sharks. Tim Silverwood, meanwhile, travelled the globe with his surfboard. Growing appalled by the state of the world’s premium surf spots, he made a personal decision to clean plastic on a large scale, co-founding the Take 3—a Clean Beach Initiative. Dr Jennifer Lavers is a marine eco-toxicologist with expertise in seabird ecology, plastic pollution, invasive-species management and fisheries by-catch. The long term monitoring of sea bird colonies has taken her from a childhood in Alberta to remote locations around the globe. Lucas Handley, marine biologist, underwater photographer and freediver, is helping villagers in the Solomon Islands and the Philippines keep their reefs intact by developing their own ecotourism enterprises.
Being immersed in the worlds of individuals like these is an unforgettable and galvanizing experience. It’s pretty incredible armchair travelling, too!
Director: Karina Holden
Country of Origin: Australia
Year: 2017
Running Time: 76 mins
Format: DCP
Executive Producer: Sue Clothier, David Haslingden
Producer: Sarah Beard, Karina Holden, Sue Clothier
Cinematographer: Jody Muston
Editor: Vanessa Milton
Music: Ash Gibson Greig
Production Company: Northern Pictures
Print Source: Northern Pictures
VIFF Sustainable Production Forum: Action Now
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Motion pictures are part of our culture, providing a powerful medium for entertainment and education. Any genre, from features to shorts, documentaries to animation, go through the production process. Resources are used every step of the way, whether it be in the supply chain, fuel, lumber, energy, water, paper or human resources, these have an impact. The nature of filmmaking allows for vast creativity yet there can also be vast resource use if left to business as usual.
Climate change is widely thought of as the number one threat facing humanity. It is critical for the motion picture industry to consider how it will adapt. The risks of climate change will likely affect global supply chains, goods and services used as well as our locations and processes for making entertainment.
