STATEWIDE FILM EVENTS URGE CONTINUED OPPOSITION TO OFFSHORE DRILLING AND SEISMIC TESTING
Contacts:
Anna Lee, Working Films, (910)-342-9000 [email protected]
Samantha Siegel, Oceana, 843-367-3664, [email protected]
Chris Carnevale, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, 843-973-2637, [email protected]
STATEWIDE FILM EVENTS URGE CONTINUED OPPOSITION TO
OFFSHORE DRILLING AND SEISMIC TESTING
[April 8, 2016] — South Carolina. Beginning April 13th, Working Films and a cohort of South Carolina-based environmental organizations will launch Shore Stories, a film series celebrating the exclusion of the Atlantic coast from the federal proposal for new offshore oil and gas leases. The six short films highlight the grassroots resistance that led to this outcome, as well as stories from past oil and gas exploration – including the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. A full list of films can be found at the end of this release.
Conceived several months ago, Shore Stories events were originally planned to inspire participation in the public comment period for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s proposal for drilling leases. With the the Atlantic Coast eliminated from the proposal, the screenings will now bring residents together to celebrate, but also to keep up the pressure on a related topic – seismic testing for offshore oil and gas deposits – which is still a possibility in the region.
Chris Carnevale, Coastal Climate and Energy Manager with Southern Alliance for Clean Energy said, “With the federal government’s recent decision to cancel near-term plans for offshore drilling in the South Atlantic, we are taking a moment to celebrate the victory of people power that we collectively worked toward for years. However, it is imperative that we continue to press forward for additional, longer-lasting protections for our coastal quality of life and livelihoods. Shore Stories reminds us what makes this place we call home so great and will inspire us to continue to stand up for our coast.”
Shore Stories events are currently planned in Mount Pleasant, Georgetown, and at Winthrop University. A full listing with details is at the end of this release. Additional events are being planned with locations, dates, and times to be announced in the coming weeks. Each Shore Stories event will include a discussion led by those who have been working to protect the coast. Events will provide an opportunity for audiences to find out how to stay engaged around seismic testing and offshore drilling, as it continues to be practiced in other parts of the country and the world.
Working Films’ Co-director Anna Lee explained, “The Shore Stories screenings will provide an opportunity for coastal residents to learn about offshore drilling in a unique and interesting way. Seeing beautifully made, personal stories about the impact of oil and gas drilling on other communities will help South Carolina residents imagine the potential impacts. These events will demonstrate why we must continue to press for a permanent ban on coastal drilling and remain engaged for the long road ahead.”
Samantha Siegel, Campaign Organizer for Oceana, noted that the Shore Stories events will address the good news of the no leasing program and will also educate audiences about the continued problems posed by seismic testing permitting. “The fight to protect the Atlantic is not over. Despite a recent decision to protect the Atlantic Ocean from offshore drilling, seismic airgun blasting, an extremely loud and dangerous process used to search for oil and gas deposits deep below the ocean floor, is still being pursued off our coast. With offshore drilling off the table, there’s no logical reason for us to still be considering seismic airgun blasting off our coast. The risks are simply too great.”
The South Carolina Shore Stories events are part of a larger series being held in North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia.
Shore Stories is a project of Working Films, a national nonprofit organization based in Wilmington, NC. Recognizing the power of stories to inspire and transform, Working Films builds partnerships between documentary filmmakers, nonprofit organizations, educators and advocates to advance social justice and environmental sustainability.
Partner organizations on Shore Stories include Oceana, Surfrider Foundation, Blue Frontier, Environment North Carolina, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, S.O.D.A and a number of grassroots environmental organizations that are acting as hosts in each city.
###
Shore Stories Screening Schedule:
Georgetown, SC
Wednesday April 27, 2016
5:00pm
Big Tuna Raw Bar
807 Front St. Georgetown, SC 29440
Hosted by: S.O.D.A.
Mount Pleasant, SC
April 13th, 2016 5:30pm
Vickerys Shem Creek
1313 Shrimpboat Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Hosted by: Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Oceana, and Don’t Drill Lowcountry
Winthrop University / Rock Hill, SC
Wednesday April 13, 2016
6:30pm
Dina’s Place, 269 Digirogio Center, Winthrop University
Rock Hill, SC
Hosted by: S.O.D.A.
Shore Stories Films
1) Protecting the Atlantic – By Swell Productions for the Surfrider Foundation
2) After the Spill – (Excerpt) – By Jon Bowermaster
3) Sonic Sea – (Excerpt) – By NRDC & Imaginary Forces, with IFAW and Diamond Docs
4) Slow Season – By John Fiege
5) Spin Drift – By Bryan Harvey
6) Seismic Shift: East Coast Opposition to Offshore Oil – By Oceana