Marine life focus of Ocean Film & Arts Fest "Life Among Whales" Marine wildlife and surfing are the themes of the first Ocean Film & Arts Festival, which will take place Wednesday, April 25, at Monmouth University's Pollak Theatre in West Long Branch. The event, which is free and open to the public, is co-hosted by the Two River Film Festival and the university's Urban Coast Institute. The event is co-sponsored by Surfers Environmental Alliance and Surfrider Foundation, NJ Chapter and funded by a grant from the National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation as part of a National Ocean Film Festival Alliance. The festival will include an art exhibit in Pollak Theatre Gallery. Ocean Art Exhibit will run through May 7, with a reception April 25, 6-7 p.m. The works, paintings and photography complement the themes of the Ocean films. Artists exhibiting include Richard Honeymar, Joseph DeOrio, Lucy Kalian, Barbara Powderly, Vince Matulewich, Steven Hunt and others. On Wednesday, April 25, two films will be screened in Pollak Theatre. "A Life Among Whales" will be shown at 10 a.m. The film is an exploration of the life and work of whale biologist and activist Roger Payne, whose electrifying discovery in the early 1970s that whales sing "songs" helped ignite the modern-day environmental movement. The film will be preceded by a slide show on marine ecosystems of the Bahamas. The second film, "Through the Looking Glass," will be screened at 7:30 p.m. A dream-like voyage along the shores of the East Coast, the film shows the diverse surf conditions from deep winter waters to warm-water hurricane surf. The film will be preceded by a 30-minute panel discussion with film director Bob Gilayni and local members of the surfer community focusing on personal reflections on surfing, ocean conservation and taking action to encourage ocean stewardship. For more information, call (732) 571-3526 or visit www.monmouth.edu-/support/perfarts.