Dive into the story of the people bringing California’s kelp forests back to life. Holdfast Together: Keepers of California’s Kelp follows a community of divers, scientists, and restoration partners working to restore Northern California’s collapsing kelp ecosystems.

Once thriving underwater forests, kelp along the California coast has faced dramatic loss — with Northern California losing over 90% of its kelp cover in the past decade. But through collaboration, innovation, and determination, a growing network of partners is working to reverse that trend. From urchin removal dives to scientific monitoring and efforts to restore the keystone sunflower sea star, this film highlights the collective action needed to rebuild balance beneath the surface.

A Seatrees Film: Seatrees.org

Director: Alec Walsh

Cinematographer: Alec Walsh

1st AC, Photographer: Brooke Schulte

Executive Producer: Alena Riggs

Executive Producer: Michael Stewart

Featuring:

True Barnes, Reef Check

Dan Abbott, Reef Check

Philip Sammet, Reef Check

Audrey Yang, Reef Check

Sage Ono, Reef Check

Gillian Ippoliti, Reef Check

Morgan Murphy-Cannella, Reef Check

Linda Judah, Reef Check

Ted Judah, Reef Check

Patrick Kolence, Reef Check

Eric Sedletzky, P.U.R.P.

Zeke Cissell, P.U.R.P.

Jenniffer Kimberly, P.U.R.P.

Joshua Wan, P.U.R.P.

Jim LaFrance, P.U.R.P.

Kam Shadan, P.U.R.P.

Jerry Thoman, P.U.R.P.

Pat Lewis, P.U.R.P.

Alice Bailey, P.U.R.P.

Tom Bailey, P.U.R.P.

Unes Nabipour, P.U.R.P.

Nessa, P.U.R.P.

Ryn Sullivan, P.U.R.P.

Ashley Kidd, Sunflower Star Laboratory

Celine de Jong, Sunflower Star Laboratory

Kevin Whilden, Seatrees

Michael Stewart, Seatrees

Alena Riggs, Seatrees

Leah Hayes, Seatrees

Brooke Schulte, Seatrees

Alec Walsh, Seatrees

Savannah Yoder, Seatrees

In partnership with Reef Check, P.U.R.P. and Sunflower Star Laboratory

In this candid short film, lifelong skateboarder, Sean Taylor, revisits iconic skate spots around San Diego, California—not as a professional, but as someone whose life has been shaped by skateboarding. Through personal reflections and thematic vignettes, this film explores the pieces of skateboarding that combine to express a sincere love for the lifestyle. It’s a tribute to the everyday skater—a love letter to skateboarding that reminds us it's not about being the best, but about staying connected to what inspires you.

Film By: Alec Walsh

Featuring: Sean Taylor

Original Score By: Alec Walsh

Featuring: "She Got Time" by The Morning Yells

Grown in the Shadow of Mountains tells the story of Portugal’s deep-rooted relationship with the sea, and how that ancient connection is being reimagined for the future. In 1308, King Dinis, known as Portugal’s “Farmer King,” mandated the harvest of seaweed to fertilize farmland, strengthening coastal communities through a thriving land-sea economy. Centuries later, that legacy is being revived. Together with Hope Zones Foundation and the Nazaré fishing community, Seatrees is helping establish Portugal’s first regenerative seaweed farm — restoring underwater forests that support biodiversity, rebuild fish stocks, create sustainable livelihoods, and naturally enrich the land once more.

Set beneath the world’s biggest waves, this film explores how local surfers, fishers, and scientists are growing a new blue economy — one rooted in tradition, powered by regeneration, and built for a more resilient ocean.

A Seatrees Film: Seatrees.org

Director: Alec Walsh

Executive Producers: João de Macedo, Michael Stewart, Nic Von Rupp, Chris Dodds

On-Site Production: Mountains of the Sea

Featuring: João de Macedo, Nic Von Rupp, Laura Crane, Joaquim Zarro, João Franco, Mason Barnes, Lena Kemna, Miguel Blanco

Underwater Cinematography: Eduardo Vento

Producer, Nazaré: Antonio Oliveira

Editor: Alec Walsh

Artwork: Dani Garreton

Archival Footage: Rod Caetano, Hope Zones Foundation