The "841" film crew (from left): director of photography Logan Asperian, sound mixer Lauren Barley, producer Macielle Villaseñor, director Rachel Burnett and editor Vincent Cuenco off the coast of Santa Cruz Island in 2023.

One film unpacks the news frenzy surrounding a bold sea otter and the wild waves it shares with humans. The other documents a diversity of coastal cultures and the barriers to entry they face in Southern California waters. Both were made by UC Santa Barbara students and have been included in this year’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival.