Pribilof Island Documentary wins Best Government Agency and student film awards

Filmmaker, Paul Hillman.

A recent documentary produced by the Office of Response and Restoration’s Pribilof Project Office and the NOS Communication and Education Division’s Ocean Media Center won Best Government Agency Film at the 2006 International Wildlife Film Festival and placed second in the documentary category of the 2005-2006 College Television Awards (also known as the "Student Emmys"). The film, titled Henry Wood Elliott: Defender of the Fur Seal, was produced as part of NOAA’s obligations for the National Historic Preservation Act.

photo: Smithsonian Institution Archives

About Henry Wood Elliott

Henry Wood Elliott, an artist and naturalist, was one of the first Americans to study the northern fur seal and document life on the Pribilof Islands following the purchase of Alaska in 1867. His efforts saved the fur seal from potential extinction due to over-harvesting (for fur) in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This film, which tells a piece of Elliott's story, is the thesis film for an Ocean Media Center staff member who has earned a Master of Fine Arts in science and natural history filmmaking at Montana State University-Bozeman. This film was also selected to screen at the 2006 Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival, the 2006 San Francisco Ocean Film Festival and has won Telly and Aurora awards.

Pribilof Project Movies One of the most visible parts of the restoration project has been the documentation produced by our in-house video specialists. Enjoy some of their work. View clips, or download the full movie if you have a high speed internet connection.

Defender of the Fur Seal: Opening Sequence This clip is the opening of the film up to the title--a good introduction to the film. (Movie format: QuickTime, size: 3.7 M)

Defender of the Fur Seal: Opening Sequence Same as above formatted for Windows Media Player. (Movie format: Windows Media Player, size: 2.7 M)

Defender of the Fur Seal: Discovery to Purchase This clip includes the discovery of the Pribilof Islands by Russian fur traders and introduces the Pribilof fur seal harvest, which was a very profitable industry in its day and may have been one of the main factors in the United States' decision to purchase the Alaska territory. (Movie format: QuickTime, size: 5.7 M)

Defender of the Fur Seal: Discovery to Purchase Same as above formatted for Windows Media Player. (Movie format: Windows Media Player, size: 4.2 M)

Defender of the Fur Seal: Fur Seal Treaty This clip focuses on the biggest decline in the fur seal population due to combined efforts of pelagic harvesting (in the open ocean) and the land harvest and Elliott's resulting efforts to spearhead the Fur Seal Treaty of 1911, which finally offered the Pribilof fur seal some protection from over-harvesting. (Movie format: QuickTime, size: 5.8 M)

Defender of the Fur Seal: Fur Seal Treaty Same as above formatted for Windows Media Player. (Movie format: Windows Media Player, size: 4.3 M)

Defender of the Fur Seal Complete movie. Best viewed over a 300 Kbps internet connection. Right-click to download for later viewing. Optimized for Quicktime 7. (Movie format: QuickTime, size: 59.8 M)

Defender of the Fur Seal Complete movie. Best viewed over an 800 Kbps internet connection. Right-click to download for later viewing. Optimized for Quicktime 7. (Movie format: QuickTime, size: 160.5 M)

Defender of the Fur Seal Complete movie. Best viewed over a high-speed internet connection. Right-click to download for later viewing. Optimized for Quicktime 7. (Movie format: QuickTime, size: 294.5 M)

Image galleries

St. Paul Island, Alaska View this image gallery to gain a greater perspective of the Pribilof Islands landscape. (55 images)

St. George Island, Alaska View this image gallery to gain a greater perspective of the Pribilof Islands landscape. (34 images)