The first Pavlopetri Eco-Marine Film Festival was held in conjuction with Pavlopetri Watch Day 2019.

As part of Pavlopetri Watch Day 2018, Greek ARCH screened the film Dolphin Man at the Limira Mare Hotel Conference Center and also on Elafonisos Island. Attendees responded very favorably. 

In 2019, as a separate but integrated part of the weekend of activities dedicated to the preservation, protection and promotion of Pavlopetri, a small group of local activists organized the Pavlopetri Eco-Marine Film Festival. 

Seven films were shown free of charge over the course of the three-day event. In Neapolis, all films were screened at the Limira Mare Hotel Conference Center. On Elafonisos Island, films were screened at the Elementary School, either in a classroom or in the school courtyard. To accommodate both Greek and English speakers in the audience, all films were either subtitled or simultaneously translated.

Opening the Festival on Friday, Petros Parthenis, producer of the feature film Akra, spoke about the inspiration for the film, the process of creating the film, and his own involvement in the venture. Akra is a moving story, beautifully directed by Dimitra Babadima. The audience became completely engaged in this personal quest. The film was in Greek with English subtitles. 

Guardians of the Aegean, directed by Omiros Evangelinos, the second film on the program, is a documentary about interactions between environmentalists and artisanal fishermen. Both groups wish to increase fish stocks: fishermen, so they can continue to make a living, and environmentalists, to improve the overall health of the marine environment. Their solution meets both objectives. The film was bilingual in Greek and English. 

Preceding a presentation by the Greek Mimistry of Culture on Saturday evening, we screened the twenty-minute film Akra Malea, which was produced by the Ministry of Culture for use at the Archeological Museum in Neapolis. This fascinating, informative film showcases the archeological sites stretching from Plytra to Pavlopetri to Geraka, all along the southern edge of the Malea Peninsula. We screened the Greek version of the film. The English version is available at the Museum.

Pavlopetri was also featured in the next film, the Legends of Atlantis episode of National Geographic’s innovative series Drain the Oceans. The film was in English with Greek subtitles. 

Sunday morning, the classic Disney children’s film Finding Nemo delighted a young and not-so-young audience. The film was dubbed n Greek. 

Sunday evening, we screened six short films that were the winners of the International Ocean Film Festival’s 2019 Student Film Competition. The films were each five minutes or less in length and were made by middle school and high school students from around the globe. Each film told a memorable story and demonstrated how young people can contribute to saving the marine environment. They were simultaneously translated into Greek. 

The final film of the Festival was A Plastic Ocean, a full- length documentary about how the ocean is being filled plastic trash and its devastating effects n marine species. It was simultaneously translated into Greek. After seeing the film, one high school teacher commented, “This film should be mandatory viewing for all students in Neapolis.”