The second edition of the Ocean Film Festival of India brings stories of unlikely conservation heroes, expert talks, and a group sailing experience
Kal Glanznig fishes for plastic waste
You’d think a city surrounded by sea would have more marine film festivals than you can count on one hand. Turns out, you couldn’t find one if you tried, until last year, reveals Paresh Pimpale, co-founder of the EcoFolks community. The group debuted the Ocean Film Festival of India in 2025, which made waves in the city for the right reasons. This year, the focus is on conservation, collective action, and ethics. We scoured the schedule to find the best flicks and experiences to catch.
ON April 5; 9 am to 3.30 pm
AT Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo, Byculla.
LOG ON TO ecofolks.com
ENTRY Rs 399 (auditorium ticket); Rs 1599 (auditorium ticket and sailing)
Smooth sailing
A previous sailing trip in Colaba. PIC COURTESY/AQUASAIL
The day-long programming might leave you eager to hit the seas of Mumbai. A 60 to 90-minute-long sailing session awaits participants, led by expert Zia Hajeebhoy of Aquasail. Hop on for a view of Colaba from the Arabian Sea.
TIME 3.30 pm
AT Aquasail, opposite Royal Yacht Club, Colaba
The Guide’s top picks
Start them young
Teammate in Northeastern Australia. PICS COURTESY/KAL GLANZNIG
Can a 23-year-old activist bring sustainable change in the perpetually degrading oceans? Australian environmentalist Kal Glanznig’s Rising Up (2024) documents his journey around the world, meeting changemakers and finding a solution to the plastic menace. As his motto goes, if you want to change the world, begin by changing your world.
TIME 12.30 pm
Ocean stories
PIC COURTESY/WORLD REGISTER OF MARINE SPECIES
When nearly three and a half decades of wildlife conservation experience speaks, you’d better listen. Former director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) Dr Deepak Apte, who has worked extensively in conservation, and led efforts in coastal policy making, will tap into stories of life at sea.
Deepak Apte
Fun fact: The expert also has multiple species named after him, including the Nassarius deepakaptei (left).
TIME 11.30 am
Silver linings
A scene from Samudrada Motte. PICS COURTESY/WILD DK ON YOUTUBE
If recent developments are turning you pessimistic towards the future of wildlife conservation, sit down to watch this heartwarming tale of a poacher-turned-conservator from Karnataka’s Kundapura. Samudrada Motte (2025) (Kannada: Ocean’s Eggs) is the story of Babu, an elderly farmer forced into turtle poaching by his circumstances. Watch how a meeting with the Forest Survey of India transformed him into a fierce protector of Olive Ridley turtles (above).
TIME 10 am
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