The Cairns Underwater Film Festival is on this Saturday night and has a stellar line up of award-winning underwater imagery. 

Over $45,000 in prizes will also be awarded on the night for the Cairns Underwater Film Festival photo and short film competition for which a record number of entries were received.

The program for the night includes incredible imagery from talented local artists such as Ross Isaacs, Dave miller and Stuart Ireland. 

Raising money for minke whale research and the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre the not for profit festival will be held on the 25th at the Cairns Civic Theatre. 

A selection of short films from both international and local underwater filmmakers are combined with a special advanced screening of the new feature film 'Planet Oceans'.

"Planet Ocean", directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Michael Pitiot includes astonishing aerial photography filmed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, and award winning underwater filmmaking.

The film takes us on a magnificent and unprecedented journey into the heart of the least known regions of our planet.  Written also by Michael Pitiot, in collaboration with a unique pool of researchers, oceanographers and biologists from several countries, the film narrates the links between man and ocean, the future of humankind on Earth, the governance issue of the high seas and challenges we'll have to face tomorrow. 

The Premiere was held at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro the 19th of June 2012 and will be released for wider distribution late 2012.   Queensland underwater cinematographer, David Hannan, was one of the contributing artists, producing most of the underwater video shots.

Other films include: 'Ocean of Angels' by Dave Miller, 'Scuba Surfing' by Josh Jensen and 'Voices We Shall Never Hear' by Leandro Blanco.  'Oceans of Angels' captures some rarely seen and unusual moments that reinforce the magic of the underwater world.

David Miller, a Port Douglas based underwater photographer, has captured extraordinary interactions of marine animals mating, spawning and feasting. Octopus, shark, squid, cuttlefish, hostpipefish.

For more information visit the Cairns Underwater Film Festival website.

Tickets are available from Ticketlink.