Surf, Sand, and Silversides: The California Grunion

“Surf, Sand and Silversides: The California Grunion” shows one of nature's greatest spectacles. On moonlit summer nights, thousands of glittering silver fish surf onto sandy beaches for midnight rendezvous during spawning runs. Shot on location at more than a dozen different beaches in California, this short documentary reveals new discoveries and vivid animations about the life cycle, embryonic development out of water, and the place of these unique fish in the marine web of life. The challenges facing this charismatic surfing fish on urban beaches are shown with rich scientific detail. Coastal residents, inspired to volunteer as Grunion Greeters, worked as citizen scientists in collaboration with scientists, resource managers, and government to balance human recreation and wildlife conservation. With funding from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California Coastal Commission, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Geographic Society, and Pepperdine University, this award-winning short documentary was an official selection at the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival, Newport Beach international Film Festival, Temecula Valley international Film Festival, and SoCal Film Fest. Awards include Best Short Documentary (LA City Cinema Fest), Excellence in Scriptwriting (Best Shorts), Sound Editing (International Wildlife Film Festival), and Best Eco-Friendly Film (Toronto Beaches Film Festival).