"Sharkwater" opens in Tulsa

Rob Stewart’s epic journey, Sharkwater, is a masterpiece from the front lines of the battle to save the planet and it begins in Tulsa tonight with a special behind the scenes presentation at the Oklahoma Aquarium by the filmmaker.  Friday Sharkwater opens at the AMC Southroads Theatre.

"Bringing Sharkwater to Tulsa is truly exciting. Sharkwater is like no other documentary because what began as a film about sharks turned into a real-life adventure, as we found ourselves facing poachers, gunboats and even disease, risking our lives to make this film,” Stewart told Tulsa Today.
 

Part biologist, part investigative reporter, Stewart’s film follows the trail of the multi-billion dollar shark fin trade and sets off a chain of events that has to be seen to be believed.  His adventure becomes a dangerous mission involving espionage, corrupt governments, mafia rings, his arrest and a glimpse at his own mortality.

In an effort to protect sharks, Stewart teams up with renegade conservationist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.  A confrontation between the Sea Shepherd and shark poachers in Guatemala results in a dramatic confrontation with a pirate Guatemalan fishing boat.  But that’s just the beginning, as they become involved in a gunboat chase, face corrupt court systems and attempted murder charges, and finally, are forced to flee for their lives.

Oklahoma Aquarium Curator, John Money said, "The Oklahoma Aquarium is excited the film Sharkwater and Rob Stewart are coming to Tulsa.  The Aquarium is known in the industry for its cutting edge research on sharks and constantly strives to educate the public and raise awareness of growing threats to their survival."

The Oklahoma Aquarium event begins at 7 pm.  For more information, click here.

Filmed in 15 countries in visually stunning, high definition video, Sharkwater takes you to the most shark-rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world’s shark populations. But what one comes away with is a story about the beauty of life on earth and our role in protecting its amazing balance.

After appearances on Larry King Live, The Today Show, Nightline, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood and many others, audiences around the world have taken notice of Rob Stewart’s true-life adventure film, Sharkwater.  To date the work has garnered 22 international film awards, including a most recent Nomination for Best Documentary at the Critics Choice Awards.
Tulsa will get to see what the buzz is about beginning on January 25th. In conjunction with the Oklahoma Aquarium and AMC Southroads Theatre, Sharkwater will be making a huge splash in the Tulsa area!  This release follows a successful run in Canada, where Sharkwater broke opening weekend box office records, out-grossing the opening weekends of other recent documentaries Bowling for Columbine, March of the Penguins and Al Gore’s fantasy An Inconvenient Truth.

"We want people to join in the fight to save sharks and oceans and we’ve had a great response from all audiences—adults, teens and kids—who love this film and have fallen in love with sharks.  We look forward to working with the Oklahoma Aquarium as they understand how important sharks are to the earth’s survival. Sharkwater and the people of Tulsa can inspire the rest of the country and the world," Stewart said.

For more information on the film go to www.Sharkwater.com