MARE SEA REEL broadens its scope to the Mediterranean in its second edition

Following the first edition held last year, MARE SEA REEL returns this summer with the aim of continuing to bring marine conservation closer to new audiences through audiovisual storytelling and social media. Led by MARE in collaboration with Cultura Inquieta, the competition invites anyone to share their perspective on the sea through short videos combining creativity, emotion and environmental commitment.

The major new feature of this second edition is that MARE SEA REEL is opening up to the entire Mediterranean. The Balearic Sea remains a central focus of the competition, but this year stories filmed in other parts of the Mediterranean can also be entered, expanding the movement and the community of people using images to highlight the value of this shared natural heritage.

The competition will award 3,000 euros across six prizes and the reels selected as winners by the jury will have the opportunity to be screened at film festivals in the Balearic Islands. The reels can explore everything from biodiversity and marine life to people's relationship with the sea, the Mediterranean way of life, sustainability and the environmental challenges facing marine ecosystems. The aim is for each participant to tell their own personal, authentic story, one capable of moving, inspiring and raising awareness.

“With MARE SEA REEL, we want to show that you don't need to be a professional photographer or content creator to tell a story capable of moving people and raising awareness. We all have our own perspective on the sea and, this year, we want those perspectives to reach even further, connecting the Balearic Sea with the rest of the Mediterranean. Images are an extraordinary tool for turning emotion into action,” says Amador Garcias, MARE Coordinator.

Entries open until 1 September

Participation is free and open to everyone. Each person may submit up to three reels, between 30 and 60 seconds long, in vertical 9:16 format and made entirely with original footage. Stock footage and AI-generated visual content are not accepted.

To take part, the video must be posted on Instagram between 1 July and 1 September 2026, entrants must follow and tag @marebalear and @culturainquieta, use the hashtag #BeReelForTheSea26 and complete the entry form available at mareseareel.org. If submitting a reel that was published previously, it must be reposted during the competition period.

Minors under 18 may also take part with family consent and, in the case of those under 16, must do so together with an adult.

More information and entries: mareseareel.org.

MARE: A view that inspires action for the Balearic Sea

MARE receives financial support from the Marilles Foundation and collaborates, among others, with the vast majority of conservation organizations in the Balearic Islands.
It is a collective initiative that uses photography as a tool to raise awareness and stir emotions, showing both the beauty and fragility of the Balearic Sea. Through the competition and other activities, we invite everyone to see the sea with fresh eyes, listen to the message it sends us and actively engage in its conservation. Faced with the challenges threatening this shared treasure, every gesture counts: protecting the sea begins with how we see it and continues through our actions.