Rob Stewart's film Sharkwater continues to win acclaim around the world. The documentary which opens September 21st in U.S. Theatres was awarded the Jameson Audience Award for Best International Documentary at the South African International Documentary Festival.

"We are very proud to be promoting excellence in South African and International documentary filmmaking through our Audience Award," said Adriaan Eksteen, Marketing Director, Jameson Whiskey. Encounters Festival Director Mandisa Zitha added, "The Jameson Audience Award is an important gauge of what kind of films the audience wants to see at our Festival. A big congratulations to winning filmmakers Rob Stewart and Sharon Farr."  Sharon Farr's film, Love, Communism, Revolution & Rivonia - Bram Fischer's Story, won the Jameson Audience Award for Best South African Documentary.

The Audience Award referee was Professor Tim Dunne, Head of the Department of Statistical Sciences at the University of Cape Town.

In Sharkwater (90 minutes), Canadian Rob Stewart, who has been swimming with, and photographing sharks most of his life, witnesses Costa Rican pirates butcher a school of hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos Reserve. He embarks with swashbuckling Paul Watson and the crew of the Sea Shepherd on a very dangerous mission that uncovers Taiwanese/Costa Rican corruption and illegal shark fin industry, whose unchecked slaughter has wiped out around 90% of sharks on the planet.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a registered South African non-governmental conservation organization and the Sea Shepherd ships have South African volunteers presently engaged in opposing illegal shark finning operations in the Galapagos and off the coast of Latin America.  

Rob Stewart and his crew joined the Sea Shepherd ship Farley Mowat in 2002 to film this incredible documentary on sharks, shark killers and shark defenders. Sharkwater won out over fifty other films presented at the Festival. 

For More information go to: Screen Africa.com