About this Event
What happens when a discovery in marine science becomes a national controversy? Love Birds, an award-winning documentary short directed by Elliott Kennerson and Angel Morris, tells the remarkable story of female gull pairs discovered on California’s Santa Barbara Island in 1972—and the headlines and political backlash that followed.
Produced with NBC News Studios, the film brings together marine science, LGBTQ+ history, and the politics of who gets to define what’s “natural.” Following its jury award at the 2026 International Ocean Film Festival in the Bay Area, Love Birds returns to San Francisco on November 19 for an Oscar eligible screening at the Roxie Theater, with IOFF as screening partner.
The story offers a fresh angle for coverage spanning LGBTQ+ history, science, documentary filmmaking, and the evolving cultural conversation around nature and identity. Preceded by a select group of official selection short documentary selections of the IOFF.
*Limited edition signed posters will be available for purchase day of for $15. All proceeds go to supporting the International Ocean Film Foundation (IOFF).
https://vimeo.com/1169208367
Event venue & nearby stays
Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco, United States
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