The Way of the Whale: Youth, Film & the Fight for Our Oceans

“Save the Whales” isn’t an outdated slogan – it’s more urgent than ever. The Way of the Whale follows a coalition of organizations working together to document what’s happening just off the coast of Mexico, revealing a rapidly changing ocean ecosystem and the species fighting for survival.

This panel takes a deep dive – literally and figuratively – into the making of the film and the youth leaders at the heart of it. Their activism, storytelling, and on-the-ground research are driving real change for our oceans and the wildlife beneath the surface in ways most of us never see. Join the filmmakers and conservation advocates who are amplifying a new generation of ocean defenders.

Speakers:

• Franco Campos-Lopez Benyunes, Filmmaker, The Way of the Whale
• Xiye Bastida, Executive Director and Co-Founder, ReEarth Initiative
• Serge Dedina, Executive Director, WILDCOAST
• Joel Reynolds, Senior Institutional Strategist, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Hana Heineken, Attorney, ClientEarth
• Marisa Quiroz, President and CEO, International Community Foundation
• Clate Korsant, Ethnographic Documentarian; Cultural and Visual Anthropologist; Political Ecologist; Photographer and Filmmaker