Beauty of Pursuit

Sword Fishing

October 1939 •English

Sword Fishing is a 1939 short documentary film about a group of fisherman, including Howard Hill, "the world's greatest archer," who go in search of marlin off the California coast. With fishing line attached to his arrow, Hill plans to spear the fish, which would then be brought aboard the boat by rod and reel. In 1940, the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, One-Reel at the 12th Academy Awards.

Mysteries of the Driftless

September 2013 •English

What strange forces saved one isolated section along the Upper Mississippi River from the repeated crushing and scouring effects of glaciers during the last two million years? And what pre-Ice Age throwbacks survived here in this unique geologic refuge that holds more Native American effigy mounds, petroglyph caves, strange geological features, and rare species than anywhere in the Midwest? These questions and more are answered in this captivating new documentary. A team of scientists embarks on a journey of exploration to expose both the science and threats behind three unique features of the zone - rare plants and animals, odd geological phenomenon, and striking remnants of a Native American pilgrimage like no other.

Lube Job

August 2015 •English

Two veteran journalists uncover the oil and gas industries' role in what could be one of the greatest environmental catastrophes in modern times, an ecological tragedy that threatens to eradicate much of southern Louisiana, including its revered fishing trade and age-old way of life.

Live The Stream: The Story of Joe Humphreys

September 2018 •English

Trout streams are fountains of youth for 86-year-old fly fishing legend, Joe Humphreys: a man who was born to fly fish, lives to teach, and strives to pass on a respect for our local waters.

The Frozen Chosen

January 2014 •English

Each winter a monstrous beast lures men and women to the ice of Lake Winnebago. It is the only place on the planet where this occurs. "The Frozen Chosen" introduces you to the obsessed men and women who are willing to wait days, years, even decades to propel their spears and bring you face-to-face with the prize below.

Fish Tales

March 1954 •English

In this short film, champion fisherman Ernie St. Claire tries to catch a large salmon in Oregon's Rogue River.

Nanook of the North

June 1922 •English

This pioneering documentary film depicts the lives of the indigenous Inuit people of Canada's northern Quebec region. Although the production contains some fictional elements, it vividly shows how its resourceful subjects survive in such a harsh climate, revealing how they construct their igloo homes and find food by hunting and fishing. The film also captures the beautiful, if unforgiving, frozen landscape of the Great White North, far removed from conventional civilization.

Turning Tides

January 2007 •English

In this documentary short, summer trippers line up for the famous local fried clams and whole families dig for the white mollusc in the tangy air of the sandbars. But as the clams dwindle, so do these tableaux from Maritime culture. For commercial fishermen it's the end of a livelihood; for others, it's the death of a tradition. Can this really be the end of a resource that used to be as plentiful as the air we breathe?

After You've Gone

December 2023 •English

AMFF ambassador Rachel Finn grapples with life after loss. Showcasing an inspiring outlook on moving forward through trauma in an unapologetically true-to-herself way that brings a smile to everyone who crosses her path. Oh, and she catches some big F@ING fish.

Skinningrove

January 2013 •English

A photographer shares unpublished images chronicling time spent among the 'fiercely independent' residents of a remote English fishing village.

Atlantic

February 2016 •English

Documentary about the two big resources in the North Atlantic, fish and oil, and the impact of their exploitation on the environment in various countries on both sides of the Atlantic.

Canoeman's Holiday

September 1956 •English

The owners of the Loon Bay Lodge in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada usually plan fishing and rafting trips for their guests. In this short they take such a trip themselves down the St. Croix River, which forms the southern end of the international boundary between New Brunswick and the state of Maine.

Of Fish and Foe

April 2018 •English

The Pullars are the last family using traditional methods to fish for wild Atlantic salmon off the coast of Scotland. When these include killing seals, the salmon’s natural predators, conflict erupts. Animal activist groups Sea Shepherd and Hunt Saboteurs oppose the Pullars at every turn, despite the legality of the fishermen’s actions and the consequences to their livelihood. Challenging preconceptions, this ambiguous doc puts modern environmentalism under the microscope.

A Tainha e a Onda

Invalid date •Portuguese

Straight Up: Helicopters in Action

September 2002 •English

Straight Up: Helicopters in Action will take audiences on a series of aerial adventures. Fly along with skilled helicopter crews as they carry out sea and mountain rescues, apprehend drug smugglers, repair high voltage lines, save endangered animals, deliver humanitarian aid, and undertake a reconnaissance mission. Learn how helicopters are flown.

Fishing Feats

December 1951 •English

With Pete Smith providing dry off-screen commentary, we watch some serious fishing: a marlin caught near Catalina, a hammerhead shark caught then wrestled in a small rowboat near Baja, the largest (721 pounds) great white shark caught to date in California waters, Chinook Indians catching salmon at Celilo Falls in Oregon - each with his designated place on the river where his ancestors stood, and, last, a crew on a boat off Mexico hoisting and hurling tuna using unbarbed hooks (baited only with a feather) as fast as they can as long as the school is there - backbreaking work - but a $25,000 catch.

Fort Worth Flyover

April 1983 •English

A short IMAX film created for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, designed to simulate flying in a helicopter over Fort Worth, Texas. The film was traditionally shown before each Omni Theater feature, in part to acclimatize new viewers to the IMAX dome format, before being superseded in 1992.

No Otter Zone

August 2012 •English

The Southern Sea Otter was historically abundant along the California coastline until intense hunting pressures reduced their numbers to near-extinction levels. But now the otters are coming back, and with them they bring the potential for drastic change to the modern-day economics and ecology of the Santa Barbara Channel.

Threatened: The Controversial Struggle of the Southern Sea Otter

April 2013 •English

Sea otters are once again in peril after being brought back from the brink of extinction. An unprecedented number of sea otter deaths have occurred along the California coast in the last three years. Meanwhile, the Fish & Wildlife Services decision to eliminate their No Otter Zone from Southern California waters remains controversial. This fragile species threatened by pollution, infectious diseases, starvation, and competition with fishermen struggles for survival.

Land of Little Rivers

October 2019 •English

The Land of Little Rivers, a network of tributaries in the Catskill Mountains of New York, is the birthplace of fly fishing in America and home to anglers obsessed by the sport.