'Sea Change' Selected to Participate in European Sports Film Festival

Between its captivatingly complex characters, the historic nature of the oceanic voyage itself, and the Atlantic's endless stream of dangerous and heart-pounding scenarios, it's safe to say that Sea Change is a carefully crafted mosaic of themes. With so many thematic layers weaving in and out of each other throughout the film, one would be hard-pressed to definitively declare that Sea Change is a film about just one topic, and one topic alone.

However, underneath its many layers and beneath the carefully interwoven themes that bring Sea Change to life, there is one aspect of the film which continuously shines through at every twist and turn throughout the documentary. At its absolute core, Sea Change is the raw, unscripted story of a record-breaking athletic endeavor - the 7,000 mile journey that adventurers, Vasti and Riaan attempt to achieve by rowing across the vast and unpredictable Atlantic Ocean in a vessel no larger than a Volkswagen Beetle. Completely unassisted by machinery, motors or sails of any kind, they have nothing to rely on besides the full extent of their own physical strength, power, and stamina to carry them from the faraway shores of Morocco to the bustling waters of New York Harbor.

On September 30th, the Italian organization, Rassegna Cinematografica Internazionale made it clear that they too, recognized the remarkable athletic attempt itself that lies at the heart of the film by announcing their decision to feature Sea Change as an Official Selection of the 2018 Sport Film Festival in Palermo, Italy.

The Italian film festival made its very first appearance in the busy world of film festivals in 1979. Since then, it has blossomed into a widely respected festival with a keen eye for excellence and an authoritative presence throughout the industry. Today, the Sport Film Festival is now considered to be the oldest international sport film festival in the world, with over 35 years of history behind it, and many, many more to go.

Sea Change, Directed by Dana Schwartz and Executive Produced by Steven M. Engel of Engel Entertainment, was chosen for the 2018 Sport Film Festival from a pool of over 1,600 submissions and applications from all of the world, with subject matter that covers every type of sport or athletic pursuit one can possibly imagine. A truly international festival, this year's Official Selections will feature over 40 different languages in films from the United States, India, and Italy, along with an array of additional European countries.

As an exceptionally unique melting pot of subjects, languages, cultures and styles, the significance of Italy's Sport Film Festival runs far deeper than the potential awards or notoriety for participating films and filmmakers. As the Rassegna Cinematografica Internazionale explains, the festival is a true "cultural exchange between different traditions and ways to communicate," and is where "sports meet cinema, and together meet tourism and audience."

With two award-winning appearances as an Official Selection at WorldFest-Houston in Texas, and at DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival in Utah already in the rearview mirror, Sea Change is gearing up for another round of festival screenings. Next up will be Colorado Springs for the Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival where it will again be screening as an Official Selection, followed by The Sport Film Festival in December, which will take the film abroad - and across the Atlantic Ocean, once again - on its way to Palermo, Italy.