The Late, Game-Changing Rob Stewart’s Final Film Will Premiere at TIFF

The world mourned the loss of Canadian conservationist and filmmaker Rob Stewart after he died in February 2017 while shooting footage for a follow-up documentary to his game-changing film Sharkwater.

Tragically, the award-winning filmmaker drowned in his beloved ocean in a scuba diving incident off the coast of Florida. In the wake of his death, his friends and family vowed to complete his film. And they’ve kept their promise.

Image: Rob Stewart

The 37-year-old’s legacy will live on not only through his extensive network of friends, but also through his powerful films and the changes they continue to inspire, a Canadian Screen Award award in his name, and, now, through the release of the freshly-completed Sharkwater Extinction.

The film will make its debut in Stewart’s hometown at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Sharkwater Extinction goes to intense and shocking lengths to expose the international shark fin industry throughout the world, examining the illegal and corrupt harvesting of shark fins and sharks as a whole for everything from food to cosmetics.

Photo: Rob Stewart

As is clearly evident from the trailer – which is reminiscent of that for a thrilling action movie – the making of Stewart’s final film was a risky, often dangerous, boundary-pushing passion project.

If you somehow still haven’t seen 2006’s Sharkwater, you may want to do so in the meantime. The hugely successful film inspired changes in laws and policies worldwide, with more than 90 countries currently banning shark finning. It also inspired an important dialogue and awareness among consumers and the creation of hundreds of conservation groups.

After its TIFF premiere, Sharkwater Extinction will open in theatres on October 5. Check out the gripping trailer: