FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Feb 2004

Celebrate the Sea Marine Imagery Festival

29 July – 1 August, National Science Centre, Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia

www.celebratethesea.com : www.wetexpo.com

The prestigious Celebrate the Sea Marine Imagery Festival 2004 just got bigger. We thought competitions, seminars, photographic workshops, static exhibitions, non-stop marine feature documentaries, the latest dive equipment, digital innovations and some of the world's leading underwater image makers was just not enough. So now, the four-day festival will run alongside ‘ WETEXPO. 2004'

For the event we have perhaps assembled an elite VIPS – Speakers and Jury team. Confirmed to attend are: Wyland, Emory Kristof,  Dr Gerry Allen, Dr Walter Stark, Dr Mark Erhmann, Tony White, Michael AW, Kim Michelle Toft, Pierre Coton, Daniel Mercier, James Wiseman, Eric Cheng, Daniel Dorville, Mathieu Meur, Charles Hood, Phil Greco and John Bennett.  For profile – check out www.celebratethesea.com

The principal sponsors supporting this event are: NIKON, PADI, SONY, ECO SYS (HK), Malaysia Airlines, EPSON, National Science Centre - Malaysia

South East Asia truly is the heartland of biodiversity and this is exactly what OceanNEnvironment and MTS Tourism Planners Sdn Bhd hope to show at WETEXPO.  Comprised of a conference and exhibition this inaugural expo hopes to encourage imaginative and seamless sustainable eco-tourism packages to South East Asia. It will be a great opportunity for nature tourism operators, conservation organisations, nature loving travellers and government agencies to promote the conservation of our natural environment.

Now in its third year running, the Celebrate the Sea Festival will use the beauty of the sea to not only entertain and inspire, but more importantly to motivate people to take action. To preserve what remains of this exquisite environment. OceanNEnvironment will once again use the festival as a platform to launch the fourth year of its Say NO to Shark fins campaign.

With a non-stop array of activities and a truly unique collection of guest speakers, the festival is set to be the most exciting and important event of the sea in the region. Indonesia, set to host the 2005 festival, better be ready – because this is going to be one tough act to follow.

Competitions

The focus of both the festival and WETEXPO will be the imagery competitions. There are competitions for the young and old, amateur and professional, diver and landlubber…

CELEBRATE THE SEA –International Underwater Imagery Competition

Underwater filmmakers, photographers, writers and web designers are invited to compete in the focus of the festival - the International Imagery Competition. Competing images can be shot anywhere in the world.

The competitions of the Kuala Lumpur festival are:

• Photography: Prints, slides and slide show competitions
• Best Underwater Film
• Children's Painting Competition (age group 7-15) and exhibition
• Image of the Sea Painting contest and exhibition
• “The Music of the Sea” Competition
• “The Book of the Sea” Competition
• Best Editorial Package Competition
• Best Marine Web Site
• Best Promotional Materials – Marine Tourism
• The State of Our Seas Competition – Environmental Awards

Check at www.celebratethesea.com for application form.

CELEBRATE THE SEA – Beneath Southeast Asian Shoot-Out Competition

The Shoot-Out competition is now in its second year and is the richest of its kind in the world, with prizes totalling over USD 60 000 in cash, equipment and holidays.  Images must be captured between 1 January and 2 July 2004 at one of the participating resorts or liveaboards in South East Asia.

Check at www.celebratethesea.com for information..

CELEBRATE THE SEA & WETPIXEL.COM DIGITAL PORTFOLIO Competition

CALLING FOR ENTRIES

Underwater photographers - novice or professionals: this is the chance to enter the most prestigious underwater DIGITAL imagery competition in the world. Held in association with the Antibes Festival Mondial de I'lmage Sous Marine, WETPIXEL.Com  and Celebrate the Sea Imagery Festival Kuala Lumpur 2004, the cash, equipment and holiday prizes are value to over USD $60,000. Winning entries may also be selected as front cover photo for Scuba Diver Australasia. The results will be announce at a GALA AWARD Ceremony on 31 July 2004 in Kuala Lumpur.

Entry is easy Email: digital@oneocean.com for entry form.  Or download entry form at www.Celebratethesea.com / www.Wetpixel.com

CELEBRATE THE SEA – Children's Painting Competition

The 2004 Children's Painting Competition is part of OceanNEnvironment's public awareness campaign to promote conservation of sharks and the beauty of our seas.

The unique and imaginative way, in which children portray our seas through art, provides a valuable insight into how we will solve the problems facing our oceans.

Last years ‘Child Artist of the Sea,' Angela Ong Wei Wei, became an ambassador for the Save Our Sharks campaign with the release of 1000 limited edition posters of her painting. We look forward to seeing who will take her place this year.

We are asking the children of South East Asia to join your hands, raise your paintbrushes, help protect the sharks and have some fun while you are at it.

For entries detail – email: julie@asiangeographic.org

www.wetexpo.com
www.celebratethesea.com
29 July to 1 August 2004
Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia