Underwater Film Festival to Take Place In the Cayman Islands

This week will see the Underwater Film Festival take place at the Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa in the Cayman Islands.

Films are to be shown today; Monday 7th November, 2011 and proceeds will go towards marine conservation efforts, underwater maintenance on the USS Kittiwake shipwreck and coastal clean-ups in the Cayman Islands, which are regularly carried out by scuba diving professionals and volunteers.

Image by Westin Hotels and Resorts, on Flickr.One of the films includes "Underwater Imax Film Production" by filmmakers, Howard and Michele Hall, who are famous for their IMAX feature films including Into the Deep, Island of Sharks and Deep Sea 3D.

Andre Laban, a world-famous French diver, photographer, author and painter, will be presenting his Palme d'Or winning film ‘Iris and Oniris", and Alan Power will bring his footage and experience of scuba diving to The Wreck of the President Coolidge in Vanuatu to the screen with his film, "Wreck of the President Coolidge".

Rod McDowall, the Water Sports Director of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, explained: "Not only is the Underwater Film Festival an important fundraiser for the Cayman Islands Tourism Association's marine conservation efforts, but it is also an incredible opportunity to see films put together by dive legends who are inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame."

The event will begin at 6.30pm in the Governor's Ballroom at the Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa with cocktails and a silent auction with artworks, signed books, scuba diving gear, and diving travel packages. The festival will also feature a Lobster Lotto where every lobster rubber purchased is a winning one with prizes including key chains, dive packages, T-shirts and much more.

Image by Westin Hotels and Resorts, on Flickr.

Tickets for the Underwater Film Festival cost £25 and funds raised will go to the Cayman Islands Tourism Association to help with vital marine conservation efforts such as Dive 365, underwater and coastal clean-ups, lionfish culling materials and expeditions, maintenance of the sunken USS Kittiwake, government links, office buildings and staff members.

Events such as the Underwater Film Festival, International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame and Scubabowl have a positive effect on the number of travellers who visit the Cayman Islands for scuba diving holidays.

Image by inkubooktest, on Flickr.Trina Savage-Christian said: "These events are a wonderful example of the fantastic results that can take place when the Cayman Islands Tourism Association – private sector and the Department of Tourism – government collaborate and partner to create a successful series of events together."

Film presenters will be honoured at The Hall of Fame presentation which will take place on Tuesday 8th November, 2011 at Grand Old House.

The Cayman Islands are one of the Caribbean's most popular scuba diving destinations due to shallow, crystal clear turquoise ocean waters that are teeming with marine species.

While scuba diving in the Cayman Islands, divers can catch sightings of colourful coral reefs, stingrays, eagle rays, manta rays, sea turtles, and hundreds of species of colourful fish.