The Ocean Channel, founded in 2000 and based in Carpinteria, is an online video channel where visitors can access their favorite films about the ocean realm. Ocean documentaries, educational films, travel logs and adrenaline sport films are made available anytime.

One central goal of The Ocean Channel is to provide a new distribution avenue for professional and amateur ocean‐filmmakers. The Ocean Channel is committed to presenting the many immediate conservation issues that face the global oceans.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the Ocean Channel presents the Santa Barbara Ocean Film Festival. Celebrating its fifth anniversary, the Ocean Film Festival will feature three unique evening programs of the best ocean films produced in the past year.

On Wednesday night, along with an international selection from the list of finalists, the Best Ocean Adrenaline and Best Student Ocean films will be screened in their entirety. And on Thursday night, Best of Show and Best Natural History films will be screened. These two big nights of award‐winning surfing, sharks and conservation films from around the world will be shown at the Marjorie Luke Theatre in Santa Barbara. Showtime for both nights is 7:30 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m.

On Friday evening, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, five more of the top films will be shown — all finalists — from this year’s Ocean Film Festival, including the Best Ocean Travel award winner. Films will screen about every hour until 10 p.m.

Event and raffle tickets are available now at the Lobero Theatre and can also be purchased each evening at the door. Raffle prizes include a five-night stay at Costa Rica’s premier eco‐lodge, La Cusinga; $250 dinner at Santa Barbara sustainable seafood restaurant SeaGrass; $500 gift certificate to Samy’s Camera; and a Learn to SCUBA package from Anacapa Dive Center.

Christina Mahon is a public relations representative.