Aquarium of the Pacific Announces Winners of High Tide Student Film Festival
Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg, founding presenting sponsors of the High Tide Student Film Festival, have made the decision to provide funding to the Aquarium of the Pacific to ensure that this festival continues and prospers over the next ten years
Pictured (left to right): Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg, founding presenting sponsors of the High Tide Student Film Festival Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
May 21, 2024
WHAT: The Aquarium of the Pacific is announcing the winners of its High Tide Student Film Festival. The festival, presented by Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg, encourages Southern California students in ninth to twelfth grade to explore science and conservation through creative visual storytelling. Individuals or small teams of up to four participants submitted videos up to three minutes long on one of three topics: My Favorite Ocean Species, Ocean Heroes and Superheroes, and Coastal and Port Cities. Cash prizes were awarded to winners: $2,000 for the Gold Award, $1,500 for the Silver Award, $1,000 for the Bronze Award, and $500 in different categories for Honorable Mention. A special announcement was made during the event–Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg, founding presenting sponsors of the High Tide Student Film Festival, have made the decision to provide funding to the Aquarium of the Pacific to ensure that this festival continues and prospers over the next ten years.
“Art brings science to life and inspires us,” Aquarium President and CEO Dr. Peter Kareiva said. “This is the vision that Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg had when they first imagined this amazing high school student film festival. The students not only learn a lot of science, they also discover their own power and the possibility of changing the world.”
The invitation-only event took place on May 19 at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, and was live streamed and recorded for the public on the Aquarium’s YouTube channel. Below are the winners by category, including the overall winners.
High Tide Student Film Festival Overall Contest Winners
Gold: School of Fish
- By Kiana Lara, 11th grade, Granada Hills Charter High School (Granada Hills)
- By Kaytlin Hendrix, 11th grade, Granada Hills Charter High School (Granada Hills)
- By Kelly Chen, 11th grade, Granada Hills Charter High School (Granada Hills)
- By Stella Karsian, 11th grade, Granada Hills Charter High School (Granada Hills)
Silver: Shoreline Wonders
- By Preston Dau, 11th grade, Carlsbad Seaside Academy/ Sage Creek High School (Carlsbad)
Bronze: Mermaids of the Sea
- By Danielle Lee, 11th grade, Granada Hills Charter High School (Granada Hills)
- By Gabriella Schorn, 12th grade, Granada Hills Charter High School (Granada Hills)
- By Vidula Nedunuri, 11th grade, Granada Hills Charter High School (Granada Hills)
Film category: Ocean Heroes and Superheroes
Best in Category: Dr. Robert Ballard’s Ancient Shipwreck
- By Destry Smith, 10th grade, Los Alamitos High School (Los Alamitos)
Staff Pick: California to Antarctica
- By Oliver (“Ollie”) Schneider, 11th grade, Mira Costa High School (Manhattan Beach)
Honorable Mention: Footprints in the Sand
- By Miguel Palmerin, 11th grade, Gretchen Whitney High School (Cerritos)
- By Susan Ung, 11th grade, Gretchen Whitney High School (Cerritos)
Film category: Coastal and Port Cities
Best in Category: The City and The Sunset
- By Leilany Castro, 12th grade, Long Beach Polytechnic High School (Long Beach)
Staff Pick: From Farm to Coast
- By Karina Ramirez, 12th grade, El Dorado High School (Placentia)
- By Tahlia Pompel, 12th grade, El Dorado High School (Placentia)
Honorable Mention: Seal Beach: Protecting SoCal’s Tiny Crown Jewel
- By Emily Fitzgerald, 12th grade, Los Alamitos High School (Los Alamitos)
- By Kyan Whiten, 11th grade, Los Alamitos High School (Los Alamitos)
Film category: My Favorite Ocean Species
Staff Pick: Seabirds
- By Braden Mosteig, 9th grade, Long Beach Polytechnic High School (Long Beach)
Honorable Mention: Octopus, Octopi and the Ocean They Occupy
- By Audrey Ramirez, 9th grade, River Springs Charter High School (Temecula)