San Diego premiere of The Last Dive blends film, healing and ocean advocacy

The documentary The Last Dive will premiere Aug. 19 at San Diego’s Balboa Theatre with a red carpet, healing session, panel discussion and dance party. The event aims to bring together ocean, veteran and wellness communities around a story of conservation, friendship and closure.

Why it matters: - The San Diego premiere is positioned as a cross-community event that links ocean conservation, veteran experience and wellness. - The film’s subject, Terry Kennedy, turns a personal story of healing into a public conversation about grief, connection and environmental stewardship. - The event adds a civic and cultural moment for San Diego’s diving, military and conservation communities.

What happened: - The documentary "The Last Dive" will premiere Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. at the historic Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Avenue, downtown San Diego. - Doors open at 6 p.m. - The event begins with a red carpet, then a guided healing experience led by San Diego-based mind-body expert Dr. Brian Alman. - The screening will be followed by a panel Q&A and a communal dance party led by Daybreaker. - The premiere is presented as a gathering of organizations including NRDC, WILDCOAST, Sierra Club San Diego Chapter, WarFighter Scuba and others.

The details: - "The Last Dive" follows Terry Kennedy, an American veteran who lived for decades on and in the water in Baja California, Mexico. - Kennedy’s friendship with a 22-foot oceanic manta ray named Willy shaped the documentary’s central story. - For nearly two decades, Willy would slap its wings against the hull of Kennedy’s sailboat to signal their next dive. - The relationship turned Kennedy into a conservationist. - The film follows Kennedy in his 80s on one final journey to a remote island where he hopes to reunite with Willy and say goodbye. - The documentary is directed by Cody Sheehy and produced by Mark Monroe, known for "The Cove" and "Icarus." - The film won Best Cinematography in a Documentary Feature at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival. - "The Last Dive" also won Best Documentary at the Montreal International and Boise film festivals. - The documentary has collected three audience awards and played more than 50 sold-out festival screenings. - The post-screening panel will include Cody Sheehy, Terry Kennedy, Joel Reynolds of NRDC, Serge Dedina of WILDCOAST, Nick Powers of SSI and WarFighter Scuba, Mark West of the Sierra Club San Diego Chapter, and manta researcher Jane Vinesky. - Supporters of the San Diego premiere include Patagonia, SSI, NRDC, Daybreaker, Ocean Enterprises Worldwide Dive Team, Rhumbline Media, Mares, WILDCOAST Costasalvaje, Sierra Club San Diego Chapter, SeaTrees, Area 23A, RandomGood and WarFighter Scuba. - Tickets are available at the San Diego Theatres event page. - A full project site is available at More information. - The film has also partnered with conservation and media organizations including The Guardian, Outside Magazine, Patagonia, NRDC, WCS, Surfrider Foundation, Manta Trust, the United Nations and AARP.

Between the lines: - The premiere is being framed as more than a standard movie release. - The combination of ceremony, panel discussion and dance party suggests an attempt to broaden the audience beyond documentary fans. - The choice of San Diego fits the film’s military, ocean and wellness themes and could help drive local turnout. - The use of a community-centered launch may also reflect the film’s conservation message, which depends on coalition-building as much as storytelling.

What's next: - The premiere will take place Aug. 19, with the panel and related programming following the screening. - The film’s public run will likely continue through additional screenings and conservation-focused outreach after the San Diego debut. - Organizers are directing viewers to the film website and ticketing page for more information and attendance details.

The bottom line: - "The Last Dive" is launching in San Diego as a film premiere, community gathering and conservation event all at once.