PROSPERITY FOR HUMANITY
Coral Reef
MISSION:
It's More than a Movie
It's a Movement
Dive In
Seventy-five percent of the world’s coral reefs are currently threatened by local and global pressures --
According to a comprehensive analysis released by the World Resources Institute, along with the Nature Conservancy, the WorldFish Center, the International Coral Reef Action Network, Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, and the UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Center; as well as a network of more than 25 partner organizations, including NOAA.
Empowering Youth To Inspire the World
Embark on a planetary quest to understand Earth's most precious paradise -- the undersea ecosystems of our world's coral reefs. Voyage through space and time with a rainbow of young students as they reveal truths and discover solutions as they are guided by scientists, educators and wise elders in the ultimate exploration of Mother Earth's underwater universe.
Prosperity for Humanity is joining forces with filmmaker Dean Lyon to develop this fully immersive 'Science FACTion' feature film dedicated to the ecological challenges facing our planet. Dean Lyon, founder and President of Splinter Studios, and his innovative partners will apply their vision and 21st century magic to captivate and inspire audiences by weaving together western approaches with traditional cultural wisdom.
Shared through the eyes of youth, this 'edutainment' documentary will give center stage to students as they investigate the plight of the oceans' creatures and the habitat on which all life depends. Through state of the art 3D and VFX, the students, and audiences, will travel the planet visiting coral reefs across the globe discovering both the unique and shared challenges of these varied locations.
Traveling the world, we will follow a process of discovery via interactive marine biology and environmental science. Drawing on indigenous sensibilities, the young travelers will gain insight into the eternal interconnections between coral reefs and all life on Earth.
The students' process of discovery, knowledge gathering and reflection will be furthered by additional opportunities for creative expression through cultural exchange, creative arts, and visual storytelling
The film aims to raise awareness and spread forward-thinking solutions for conserving and restoring our world’s coral reefs and vulnerable marine life. All donations are tax deductible and will be received and transparently managed through our 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, the Miami International Film Festival. All profits from the distribution of this film will be redistributed to initiatives dedicated to ecological education, advocacy and stewardship.
Coral reefs are threatened by an increasing array of impacts—primarily from global climate change, unsustainable fishing, and pollution.
Additional threats include: trawling and bottom-contact fishing gear; coral harvesting; oil, gas, and mineral exploration and extraction; marine debris; submarine cable/pipeline deployment; invasive species; climate change; and ocean acidification.
A Global Story From An Island Perspective
MISSION: Coral Reef is a visually-compelling feature length documentary film about young people becoming the voice of the ocean and its inhabitants which include some of the largest creatures on the planet to the smallest, from the oldest to the youngest.
The coral reefs have a special significance as the cornerstone of the oceans' ecosystems. We envision gathering young adventurers from around the world and brining them to Kauai where them will be welcomed by young people from the islands of Hawaii.
The combined team of explorers and their chaperones will have a one week pre-flight on the Island of Kauaʻi where they will learn about Traditional Ecological and Cultural knowledge and about the ocean and its inhabitants.
We will then embark on a journey around the world touching down at specific places including the Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas.
A key vehicle for telling the story will be a futuristic interatmosphere ship that allows our "classroom" of explorers, and the viewing audience, to seamlessly experience swimming along the coral reefs throughout the world, and then travel to the earth's outer atmosphere where we can grasp how the reefs inhabit our planet from these transformative perspectives.
In each location we will be hosted by locals, scientists and other experts, as they share and educated us on the issues facing the ocean and its inhabitants in their region. Upon return to Kaua'i these young explorers will reflect on the journey and devise an "action" plan.
Our cameras will follow along covering this process from beginning to end using in the highest resolution 3D media. There will be Visual Effects and Computer Graphics Imagery to support and illustrate our discoveries and mission. We will intersperse amazing marine cinematography with interviews, all seen through the eyes, minds and hearts of the youth as they attept to give "voice" to the plight of the worlds coral reefs and ocean creatures.
Impacts from land-based sources of pollution (e.g. agriculture, deforestation, storm water, impervious surfaces, coastal development, road construction, and oil and chemical spills) on coral reef ecosystems include increased sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, toxins, and pathogen introduction.
It is now well accepted that many major coral reef ecosystem stressors originate from land-based sources, most notably, toxicants, sediments, and nutrients.
MISSION: Coral Reef Collaborators
We are proud to present our partners and collaborators
whose gifts and talents are integral to Project Coral Reef.
MISSION: POSSIBLE
Splinter Studios represents a break from the outdated and bloated Hollywood model of filmmaking and introduces instead a revolutionary philosophy, codified in a “lean and green” disruptive business model. Founded by creative visionary, technology innovator, and inventor Dean Lyon, Splinter Studios dares to envision a drastically different model where waste is eliminated and independent, profitable feature films are produced for less money. A new studio business model, where production is driven by the visual effects artists and lean business practices where the latest innovations in information technology and the best talent are combined to offer a better-than-Hollywood independent film experience.
Prosperity For Humanity is a collaborative venture by individuals, organizations and businesses working together to co-create new economic, social, and environmental models. We believe that no mission is impossible when millions of people unite, collaborate, and work together on tackling our world’s most pressing issues. Collaboration is the most powerful and plentiful resource we have as a species, and by interconnecting our efforts and missions we can expand opportunities and synergize relationships to benefit humanity for generations to come. Our mission is to develop connections between people of all ages and walks of life to collaborate on innovative and effective solutions for improving all lives throughout the world. At Prosperity For Humanity, we believe that knowledge is power; and when knowledge is shared, humanity prospers.
Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival greatly appreciates the opportunity to be involved as the fundraising fiscal sponsor for the “Project Coral Reef” feature film endeavor. MiSciFi seeks to support science and the dissemination of scientific information, and this project certainly fits this mission. Founded by three scientists: Troy Bernier, Edward Figueroa, and Eric Swain whose lifetime interest in science have motivated the incorporation of informative micro-documentaries in the Film Festival, the opportunity to support a scientific outreach project such as that proposed by Prosperity for Humanity is quite appealing. The MiSciFi team is honored to be involved with such a unique and exciting project and hopes to provide all required support and assistance for a successful completion.
SeaCamp Kauaʻi is an interactive, outdoor, natural science and marine biology lab, with a focus on combining environmental exploration, scientific discovery, and ecological sustainability with digital technology, creative entertainment and a whole lot of fun! SeaCamp Kauaʻi offers youth-based programs that combinie environmental science and high-tech education with Hawaiian knowledge and ecological sustainability. This 'edutainment' curriculum is designed to teach and inspire youth though an interactive science and ecology adventure. SeaCamp Kauai offers young people an up-close opportunity to explore the wonders of the underwater world while learning about ways to help save corals and other marine wildlife.
Coral Perspectives is an online fine art photography gallery featuring the underwater photographic art prints of noted Portland, Oregon photographer Connie Whelan: “These images have been taken while Scuba Diving in the tropical waters of the Caribbean, Red Sea, Andaman Sea and South Pacific. I am extremely concerned about the vulnerability of our coral reefs. I have witnessed first hand the devastating effects of coral bleaching in waters just a few degrees higher than normal. I have seen coral diseases probably caused by nutrient-rich and polluted run-off from fast developing tourist locations. Also of concern to me are the use of cyanide and bombing of the reefs which I have witnessed in poverty-stricken areas of the world.The long term effect is the devastation of the food source of the local community.” - Connie Whelan
YOU CAN HELP
MISSION: Coral Reef
It's More than a Movie
It's a Movement
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