A vaquita glides through the deep blue ocean, partially submerged with its head and upper back peeking above the surface. In this serene sea of shadows, its small dorsal fin and smooth skin become visible, whispering tales of mystery beneath the waves.
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‘Sea of Shadows’ to premiere at Sundance Festival 2019

Film Premiere · December 2018

November 2018: Following the award-winning Netflix original ‘The Ivory Game’, Terra Mater Factual Studios’ latest feature production ‘Sea of Shadows’ will be celebrating its world premiere in the World Cinema Documentary competition at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in Utah, USA. From more than 14.000 submissions, only 112 films were chosen. The festival is known for its prime selection of high quality independent films and the film team is proud to premiere at this outstanding festival.

Utah/Vienna. Just after Thanksgiving, good news arrived in Vienna: the Sundance Film Festival announced the official selection of ‘Sea of Shadows’. The feature doc, produced by Austria’s Terra Mater Factual Studios, will have its world premiere on Sunday, 27th of January 2019. The Viennese production house is thrilled, as chances of being accepted there are very slim.

After the tremendous success of 2016’s ‘The Ivory Game’, which depicted the illegal ivory trade and imminent extinction of elephants, founder and CEO of Terra Mater Factual Studios, Walter Köhler, has taken on yet another pressing issue that will have audiences on the edge of their seats:

A looming disaster in one of the most spectacular environments on Earth sparks a rescue mission unlike any other. When Mexican drug cartels and Chinese traffickers join forces to poach the rare totoaba fish in the Sea of Cortez, their deadly methods threaten to destroy virtually all marine life in the region, including the elusive and mysterious whale species known as the vaquita porpoise. But a team of brilliant scientists, high-tech conservationists, investigative journalists and courageous undercover agents put their lives on the line to save the last remaining vaquita and bring the vicious international crime syndicate to justice.

Directed by ‘The Ivory Game’ award-winning director Richard Ladkani, and executive produced by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, Walter Köhler and Wolfgang Knöpfler from Terra Mater once again partnered with high-level international conservation champions. Köhler is convinced that films like ‘Sea of Shadows’ have the power to ignite change: “When it’s about saving an entire species from imminent extinction, it is our moral obligation as filmmakers, to send out a clear message.”

‘Sea of Shadows’ was filmed entirely on location in Mexico and China. It is a Terra Mater Factual Studios production, in association with Appian Way, Malaika Pictures, and The Wild Lens Collective. Worldwide sales are with Submarine’s Josh Braun, Dan Braun, Ben Braun, Matt Burke, and Ben Schwartz.