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Big Blue Film Fest
See you soon!
January 23 – 24, 2026
Schedule of films is available now! Tickets available mid-December.
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Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy a weekend full of beautiful and inspiring films in 2025! 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 opening night celebration.
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.
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 Allred are partnering with Big Blue Film Fest to offer 20% off their best available rate for stays from January 22 - 26, 2026. Both properties can be booked using promo code BIGBLUE26. For Hallmark Resort Newport, call 866-362-2476. For The Allred, call 877-496-9002. The friendly reservation agents will help you decide which property best suits your needs and budget.