Join us at Patagonia Ventura for a screening and panel discussion of The Last Dive, a new documentary following the story of a giant manta ray off the coast of Mexico.Â
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Terry is a legendary figure in Baja Mexico, an American veteran who has spent decades living on—and in—the water. Once a man burdened by a troubled past, Terry’s life was transformed by an unlikely friendship with Willy, a 22-foot oceanic manta ray. For nearly two decades, Willy would slap his wings against the hull of Terry’s sailboat to signal their next dive, and together they explored the ocean’s depths—an extraordinary bond that turned Terry into an unexpected conservationist.
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Now in his 80’s, Terry embarks on one final journey to a remote island in hopes of reuniting with his old friend. But he’s also searching for something deeper: peace, closure, and a chance to say goodbye.
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Directed by award-winning filmmaker Cody Sheehy and produced by acclaimed Mark Monroe, The Last Dive is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant documentary that invites viewers to reflect on our connection to the natural world—and the wild, mysterious creatures that help us find our place in it.
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 Drinks, snacks, and chance-to-win items will be available at the door! All donations and proceeds will benefit manta conservation and advocacy efforts.
Update 9/25: We are at capacity for this event and will not be able to accommodate anyone from the waitlist. We appreciate your interest and look forward to seeing you at one of our other events.Â
Registration is required for each individual attendee. Please click the RSVP button at the top of this page to sign up.
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If sign ups are full, click the 'Add To Waitlist' button and you will be notified of any openings.Â
Cody Sheehy is an award-winning filmmaker whose films intimately tell the stories of characters challenged by our changing world. He has lived on a sailboat for decades and is the founder of Rhumbline Media. As a filmmaker, he is best known for the film Make People Better, which was an official selection of HotDocs and the winner of DocVille.Â
Since 1980, Joel Reynolds has specialized in environmental litigation and advocacy at all levels of the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He has led several of NRDC's largest campaigns, including to protect the gray whale birthing lagoon and World Heritage Site at Laguna San Ignacio in Baja, California, to reduce ocean noice pollution, to stop the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska, and, most recently, to defend the Gulf of California from development for LNG production and transport. He has twice been selected California Attorney of the Year (Environment), and in 2012, he was appointed NRDC's Western Director. Reynolds was profiled in the New York Times best seller, "War of the Whales" (Simon & Schuster 2014), and he won an Emmy for Outstanding Nature Documentary in 2017 ("Sonic Sea"). He graduated from Columbia Law School in 1978.Â
Christopher Gebhardt is a leader in using storytelling to drive social impact, applying a strategic framework he developed at his impact agency/consultancy Stir and while serving as Participant Media's EVP for digital, brand, and business development. At Participant, he led the creation of digital communities and created impact agency/consultancy Tag, which had clients Disney, Intel, American Express, MacArthur Foundation, and Gates Foundation. Prior to Participant, he was a pioneer in branded entertainment at Pepsi, Ogilvy- where he was the head of emerging technology and innovation - and as co-founder of Integrated Entertainment Partners. He was also a consultant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and has an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School. He is an Edmund Hillary Fellow and a fellow of the RSA. He teaches at UCLA's Anderson School and served as Chair of the Ad Council Issue Advisory Board.
