Case against captive orca whales spotlighted in ‘Long Gone Wild’

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An orca whale gliding gracefully over the waters of Glacier Bay. (Christopher Michel – Wikimedia)

VISION FILMS PRESENTS THE LOS ANGELES PREMIERE OF “LONG GONE WILD”

The Hope for the Future and the Brutal Truth about the International Trade in Captive Orcas

On July 10, 2019, Vision Films presents a special screening of Long Gone Wild, a riveting feature documentary revealing the brutal truth about SeaWorld’s captive orcas (aka killer whales) while uncovering widespread greed and corruption in Russia and China. The film exposes a high-stakes Russian operation, wild-capturing orcas for sale into the exploding Chinese marine theme park industry, 80 parks and counting. The price tag: a staggering $7 million per whale. But the film also provides an expert view into the visionary work of the “dream team” at The Whale Sanctuary Project, soon to unveil its model seaside sanctuary for retired orcas – the first of its kind anywhere in the world. Witness an in-depth look at the case against captivity, the intelligence and majesty of the mighty orca, and follow renowned animal advocate Ric O’Barry (The Cove) as he joins filmmakers on a covert mission in search of nine whales held at a secret Chinese location.

Screening of “Long Gone Wild” followed by a Q&A with director William Neal and renowned orca expert Dr. Lori Marino will take place this coming Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at the Laemmle Monica Film Center, 1332 2nd Street, Santa Monica. The evening’s schedule includes:

6:30 PM red carpet

7:30 PM screening begins

9:00 PM Q&A

9:20 PM reception

Writer/producer/director William Neal; Executive Producer Michele Wolpe; producer Rachel Weil; Vision Films CEO Lise Romanoff and Director Domestic Distribution & Marketing Kristen Bedno; The Whale Sanctuary Project president Lori Marino; will be amongst the celebrities in attendance.

William Neal has a long list of credits including the Emmy-nominated television series E! True Hollywood Story (Executive Producer) and Unsolved Mysteries (writer). Neal is joined by producers Michele Wolpe, William Rowan Jr. and Rachel Weil in bringing this harrowing tale to the screen.

Long Gone Wild is set to be released in North America across all VOD/Digital/DVD platforms beginning July 16, leading into the global impact of Shark Week. Audiences can rent or purchase the film on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, Vimeo, FandangoNOW; cable providers DirecTV, Comcast, Cox, Spectrum, Charter, Verizon Fios, Frontier, Suddenlink, Mediacom, Century, Google Fiber, Dish, Blockbuster/Sling TV, Rogers; and online DVD purchases through Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble and numerous other retailers. International dates to follow.

For more information about Long Gone Wild, visit www.longgonewild.com

Available on VOD/DVD July 16