A documentary about the DDT barrels discarded off the local coastline will be among the offerings during the the 14th annual San Pedro Film Festival, which will take place from Nov. 6 to 9.
Each year, the event showcases a selection of independent films, documentaries and screenings designed to cultivate interest in the local art scene, foster creative expression and bring together residents and visitors through cinema.
The annual event was founded and is directed by Ziggy Mrkich.
This year’s event will feature “In Plain Sight,” directed by Los Angeles Times journalist Rosanna Xia and Daniel Straub. It explores the issue of DDT barrels in the ocean just off the local coastline. It will be shown at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, in the John Olguin Auditorium. The film runs 2 hours and 30 minutes, and tickets — available via the website SPIFFEST.org — are $17.85.
In the years following World War II, as many as half a million barrels of the toxic pesticide DDT were dumped into the ocean, according to the film’s producer, some just off the coast of Catalina Island.
DDT was also dumped straight into the ocean — rather than in barrels, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Other offerings during the festival include the premiere of several local films and a screenplay competition. Visitors can purchase passes and individual tickets through the festival’s website, where a full lineup of offerings with showtimes and other events are listed.