Local Key West Teen Wins International Conservation-Focused Film Festival

Youth Making Ripples Film Festival 4.22.22 - From Left to Right: Jessyca Garlock (Mote, Florida Keys Education Manager), Gretchen Faraci (Youth Making Ripples Intern), Kara Norman (2022 Film Festival Winner of the High School Division), Dr. Michael Crosby (Mote, President and CEO) and Abby Smith (Youth Making Ripples Intern).

Dr. Michael Crosby, Mote President and CEO, giving opening remarks for the 2022 Youth Making Ripples Film Festival at the Tropic Cinema

​On Friday, April 29, the 9th Annual Youth Making Ripples Film Festival revealed this year's winners online.  Kara Norman, of Key West, won the high school division of the 2022 international film festival.   
 
On April 22 (Earth Day), Mote Marine Laboratory hosted the inaugural Key West Youth Making Ripples Film Festival at the Tropic Cinema in front of a sold out crowd. Film festival attendees were able to watch past years' winners; they also were able to view Norman's film entry.  Kara was invited to introduce her film titled 'The Life and Death of Florida's Coral Reef,' where she spoke in front of the audience about her love of the ocean and coral reefs.  Dr. Michael Crosby, Mote's President and CEO, was onsite for the festival. In his opening remarks, he urged the young attendees of the festival to "seek out ways to make an impact locally that will ripple globally."
 
Kara Norman lives in Key West and attends Somerset Island Prep Charter High School. She's an avid scientific diver and is involved with local non-profit, DiveN2Life.  DiveN2Life is an academic extracurricular STEM and scientific research diving program for adolescents and young adults.  Norman is a champion for conservation of the local ecosystem and often speaks at city & county commission meetings on critical issues facing the local waters.  
 
The 2022 Youth Making Ripples Film Festival is available to view online via their website.  Youth Making Ripples Film Competition is a non-profit focused on giving K-12 students the opportunity to use their creative talents and serve as a voice for our oceans.  Films must be less than five minutes and can focus on any interesting marine topic or call to action for ocean conservation.  Mote Marine Laboratory has supported the festival in past years at its Sarasota campus. This was the first year Mote brought the festival to the Florida Keys. Mote plans to bring the festival back to the Keys in future years.