Experience a theatrical look at the ocean's story with David Attenborough and join a post-screening conversation
The collaborative screening series Pass the Remote, presented by IndieWire and Disney, brings a focused evening on ocean storytelling to Los Angeles on May 5. The event will be hosted at the Vidiots Foundation in Eagle Rock and features a showing of Ocean with David Attenborough, followed by a moderated conversation. Attendees will hear directly about the film’s production and themes as director Keith Scholey sits down with IndieWire Awards Editor Marcus Jones for an onstage discussion. Tickets are limited; registration is required and admission cannot be guaranteed.
Ocean with David Attenborough presents the celebrated broadcaster reflecting on the seas through a lifetime of observation and exploration. The film is paired with an companion book titled Ocean: Earth’s Last Wilderness, co-written by David Attenborough and Colin Butfield. Butfield also co-directed the film alongside Keith Scholey and Toby Nowlan. For viewers who cannot attend the Los Angeles screening, the documentary is slated to stream on National Geographic, Disney+, and Hulu, with broader theatrical and streaming rollouts described below.
The Vidiots screening is designed as both a community gathering and an industry conversation. Members of the TV Academy and various guilds are invited to attend the presentation and the post-film Q&A, which offers context on creative choices and conservation messaging. After the conversation, a reception will provide a chance for informal discussion over beer and wine. Organizers emphasize that space is finite and that early registration is encouraged. The evening is part of a broader effort by Pass the Remote to connect audiences directly with documentary filmmakers and to highlight the cultural and environmental stakes of the projects they present.
Beyond the Los Angeles screening, Ocean with David Attenborough will reach global cinema screens through a special launch known as the Global Cinema Event beginning on May 8. Tickets went on sale in multiple territories, and organizers indicated that additional showtimes and venues would be added in the weeks leading up to the event. The film’s world premiere will take place at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London on May 6, featuring two exclusive screenings: a daytime presentation for schools and an evening premiere for invited guests. The global run includes cinemas across the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and South Africa, with more countries to be announced.
Ocean with David Attenborough aims to show why the ocean is central to planetary health by combining sweeping cinematography with scientific context. Filmmakers capture coral reefs, kelp forests and open-ocean ecosystems in immersive sequences that highlight both wonder and vulnerability. The documentary addresses threats such as destructive fishing practices and mass coral bleaching while also offering hopeful case studies of recovery and protection. Throughout, David Attenborough frames the narrative with reflections on how his career has overlapped with significant advances in ocean science and conservation, making the film at once a personal account and a global call to action.
The production teams employed state-of-the-art filming techniques to produce the film’s striking visuals. Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios, in partnership with All3Media International and Altitude for UK distribution, assembled sequences that place viewers inside complex marine habitats. This visual strategy supports a narrative that balances urgency with optimism: audiences witness damage and recovery, the science behind ecosystem change, and human initiatives that demonstrate measurable improvement. The filmmakers’ choice to pair spectacle with concrete solutions is intended to motivate civic engagement and policy attention.
The release has been supported by conservation groups and philanthropic partners, including the Blue Marine Foundation, Pristine Seas, The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Minderoo and other co-producers such as Don Quixote Foundation and Revive Our Ocean. As part of outreach, schools in the UK could apply via a free ballot to receive tickets to the Future Generations’ Premiere, an initiative made possible with Blue Marine Foundation’s support. International theatrical distribution is being handled by Piece of Magic and Altitude in select territories, with the documentary also scheduled to appear on National Geographic, Disney+ and Hulu later this year.