Big Blue Film Fest | Hatfield Marine Science Center

See you next year!

Mark your calendars | Jan. 23 – 24, 2026

A man stands holding a walker in front of a crowd of people who are giving a standing ovation.

Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy a weekend full of beautiful and inspiring films! It's wonderful to see our community come together around our shared love of the ocean and marine science.

A special heartfelt thank you to our many volunteers. Their time and talents is vital to the success of the Big Blue Film Fest. We couldn't do it without you.

Photo: Mario Castro, subject of the film El Pulmo receives a standing ovation after the showing of the film at the BBFF opening night celebration.

2024 People's Choice Award

This year's People’s Choice Award goes to Women on the Water directed by Haley McHatton and produced by Tim Briggs. First runner up was tied between El Pulmo directed by Mark Kronemeyer and Begona Felix and The Weekend Sailor directed by Bernardo Arsuaga.

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Our Mission

Our festival's goal is to showcase ocean-themed films at the confluence of marine sciences, humanities and the arts. We also aim to engage the community and raise awareness about marine issues and how we might solve them.

We strive to inspire, educate and captivate our audience members with science and ocean entertainment. These films tell stories that shape our future understanding of one of our planet’s most important resources.

The Big Blue Film Fest is hosted at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center, which has operated in Newport, Oregon, for 59 years. Hatfield is dedicated to education and exploration with classes, internships, top-quality research and meaningful community outreach.

Community Partners

We are delighted to announce that we will continue our partnership with the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts and the Newport Performing Arts Center, which will again be a co-host location for this year's festival.

Additionally, Hallmark Resort Newport and The Whaler are partnering with Big Blue Film Fest to offer 20% off their best available rate for stays from Jan 23 - 28, 2025. Both properties can be booked at the same number, 866-362-2476, using promo code BIGBLUE25. The friendly reservation agents will help you decide which property best suits your needs and budget.