Celebrate World Manta Day at Patagonia Buckhead in Atlanta with a screening and panel discussion of The Last Dive, a new documentary following the story of a giant manta ray off the coast of Mexico.Â
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Terry is a legendary figure in Baja Mexico, an American veteran who has spent decades living on—and in—the water. Once a man burdened by a troubled past, Terry’s life was transformed by an unlikely friendship with Willy, a 22-foot oceanic manta ray. For nearly two decades, Willy would slap his wings against the hull of Terry’s sailboat to signal their next dive, and together they explored the ocean’s depths—an extraordinary bond that turned Terry into an unexpected conservationist.
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Now in his 80’s, Terry embarks on one final journey to a remote island in hopes of reuniting with his old friend. But he’s also searching for something deeper: peace, closure, and a chance to say goodbye.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Cody Sheehy and produced by acclaimed Mark Monroe, The Last Dive is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant documentary that invites viewers to reflect on our connection to the natural world—and the wild, mysterious creatures that help us find our place in it.
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Participate in an on-site VR experience to "swim" with giant manta rays before and after the film
Drinks, under-the-sea build your own movie snack bar, and chance-to-win items will be available with entry!
All donations and proceeds generated through giveaway entries will benefit conservation and advocacy efforts and we'll be joined by our nonprofit friends from One Hundred Miles and the Oxygen Project.
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Food from Blue Moon Pizza and a self serve popcorn and snack station free for guests.
Plenty of beverages!
Doors: 6PM
Film with panel discussion to follow: 7PM
Patagonia BuckheadÂ
34 E. Andrews Dr NW
Atlanta GA 30305
Cody is an award-winning filmmaker whose films intimately tell the stories of characters challenged by our changing world. He has lived on a sailboat for decades and is the founder of Rhumbline Media. As a filmmaker, he is best known for the film Make People Better, which was an official selection of HotDocs and the winner of DocVille.
Megan is the founding President/CEO of One Hundred Miles, Georgia’s coastal advocacy organization. In an effort to elevate the Georgia coast as a recognized place of historical, cultural, and biological significance, Megan spends her time working in local communities, on regional collaboration projects, and lobbying in Atlanta.
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Megan and her team have accomplished a remarkable amount since the organization’s inception ten years ago. One Hundred Miles is responsible for improvements to the Erosion and Sedimentation Act which now requires a 25-foot buffer for all salt marsh, galvanizing statewide opposition to offshore drilling, preventing the US Army Corps of Engineers from dredging during the summer when Georgia’s sea turtles come home to nest, and leading citizens’ efforts to stop Spaceport Camden and repeal harmful zoning on Sapelo Island. Under her leadership, One Hundred Miles has built a network of more than 35,000 advocates who stand ready to respond to bad and promote good ideas that will affect our coast. In six short years, the organization has grown from two employees to 14, an annual budget of $250,000 to more than $1.5 million, and a donor base of six to one of more than 1,200 today.
Before coming to Georgia’s coast, Megan spent ten years at the Coastal Conservation League (CCL) in South Carolina. She was instrumental in efforts to conserve land in the Ashley River Historic Corridor and on Johns Island. She also worked to establish the organization’s first climate and energy and agriculture program agendas.
Vasser is the President of The Oxygen Project, an organization on a mission to ignite a community of nature champions and accelerate collective action through bold campaigns, innovative education and inspiring storytelling to create a conscious, regenerative and climate-resilient reality.
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Vasser continues to promote and support her family’s legacy and commitment to environmental responsibility through her family’s foundation, the Turner Foundation, as a board member and the first Chairperson of the Turner 3rd Generation board. Additionally, she serves on the boards of Mission Blue, founded by Dr. Sylvia Earle and the National Center for Family Philanthropy. Vasser is an Arctic Angel for Global Choices and an advisory board member for One Earth. Recently, she was named one of Inside Philanthropy’s most powerful people in philanthropy under 40.
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Before The Oxygen Project, Vasser graduated with cum laude honors from the University of Georgia, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. During her time in Athens, Vasser worked for UGA’S Office of Sustainability as the Grants and Engagement Director, represented the university as the UGA Student Sustainability Ambassador, and pursued an education outside the classroom as an intern at the United Nations Foundation and TEDWomen. After graduation, she began consulting with non-profit, business, and individual clients, specializing in communications, digital media, and strategic development, to enhance brands that create positive impacts on society.
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Mark Hay is an experimental marine ecologist known for his work on community, marine, and chemical ecology. He holds the Teasley Chair in Environmental Biology and is a Regents Professor. His research has heightened our understanding of marine ecosystems, helped found the field of marine chemical ecology, provided key insights regarding the conservation and restoration of coral reefs, and challenged how scientists view ecological and evolutionary processes affecting the establishment and impact of invasive species. Hay commonly works with media outlets (NY Times, National Geographic, NPR, BBC, Animal Planet, etc.) to assure that basic findings from his group are made accessible to the general public.
He has participated in dozens of ship-based expeditions but more commonly works at remote field stations to conduct longer-term experiments. He has conducted 5,000+ scuba dives and four saturation diving missions (using both Hydrolab and Aquarius) – where scientists live and work at depth on a coral reef for periods of 10 days. He is identified by ISI’s Web-of-Sciences as one of the world’s most cited researchers in the area of Ecology and the Environment.
Learn more about him here.Â
The Last Dive - More about the film and future screenings HERE
Follow The Last Dive on Instagram HERE
RandomGood - More about Films and Foundation HERE
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Common Pictures - More about the impact media arm of The Edward E. Haddock, Jr. Family Foundations HERE
