Filmmakers Ryan Mathews and Justin Sago will premiere their documentary film Unmasking Monsters Below at Row House Cinema in Pittsburgh on October 15, 2022.
Human beings will kill an average of 100 million sharks per year worldwide. In the U.S. in 2021, there was one confirmed human fatality due to a shark attack. The filmmakers hope that the film will help to educate viewers and change the public’s perceptions of sharks, and create awareness of how vital sharks are to healthy and balanced marine ecosystems.
Unmasking Monsters Below is a beautifully shot work that highlights the dedication of several activists who fight for the protection of sharks, work to educate the public about the true nature of the species, and the increasing threats to their survival.
The first Pittsburgh screening of Unmasking Monsters Below will be attended by some of the activists featured in the documentary, including Cade Steurmer, 2021 Go Blue Award Finalist for his efforts to promote marine conservation. There will be a Q & A following the Pittsburgh screening, and the filmmakers view future screenings of their film as one part of the wider effort to help educate the public about shark species and behavior. “The Jaws films and occasionally Shark Week have perpetuated false narratives about the nature of sharks. They are not monsters, but complex and beautiful marine animals that deserve our admiration and protection. Their presence in our oceans is vital if this habitat is to remain healthy and alive,” says Mathews. The Pittsburgh premiere event is sold out.
Unmasking Monsters Below will premiere at the Living Sharks FilmFest in Westerly, Rhode Island. Mathews and Sago are actively submitting the film to additional film festivals in the U.S. and internationally. Screening inquiries should be submitted to Justin Sago, whose contact information is above. The official film trailer can be viewed at UMBfilm.com.
