Crafted by the writer behind the Academy Award-winning films The Cove and Icarus, the evening blends a film screening, a ceremonial gathering, and a dialogue centered on healing and community.
The feature documentary "The Last Dive" will be the centerpiece of its San Diego debut on Wednesday, August 19 at 7 p.m., taking place at the historic Balboa Theatre, located at 868 Fourth Avenue in downtown San Diego.
Attendees can expect an event unlike any other film premiere in San Diego—one of the largest community gatherings of its kind this year, uniting prominent voices from organizations such as NRDC, WILDCOAST, Sierra Club San Diego Chapter, WarFighter Scuba, and many others that have long championed the region’s ocean, veteran, and wellness communities.
**Program Highlights**
The evening kicks off with a red carpet, followed by a guided healing session led by San Diego–based, globally renowned mind-body expert Dr. Brian Alman. The documentary will then screen, after which a post-film panel Q&A will take place—a rare combination of ceremony, conversation, and healing brought together for a single film event. The program also includes a communal dance party hosted by Daybreaker.
"The Last Dive" tells the story of Terry Kennedy, a legendary figure in Baja California, Mexico, and an American veteran who has spent decades living on and in the water. Once weighed down by a troubled past, Terry’s life changed through an unlikely bond with Willy, a 22-foot oceanic manta ray. For nearly 20 years, Willy would slap his wings against Terry’s sailboat hull to signal the start of their next dive, and together they explored the ocean depths—a connection that turned Terry into an unexpected conservation advocate. Now in his 80s, Terry sets out on a final journey to a remote island, hoping to reunite with his old friend and find peace, closure, and a chance to say goodbye.
The documentary is directed by award-winning filmmaker Cody Sheehy and produced by Mark Monroe, the writer behind the Academy Award–winning films "The Cove" and "Icarus." "The Last Dive" has earned Best Cinematography in a Documentary Feature at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival, Best Documentary at the Montreal International and Boise film festivals, and three audience awards, across more than 50 sold-out festival screenings.
"San Diego felt like the right place to bring this film," remarked director Cody Sheehy. "It is a military town, a diving town, and a town full of people who understand what it means to search for healing, whether that search runs through faith, through the water, or through a community that shows up for you. Terry’s story touches all of that. This screening is a chance for those different worlds to sit in the same room and share it together."
After the film, director Cody Sheehy will be joined by Terry Kennedy for a post-screening panel conversation about the documentary and the ocean conservation efforts it portrays.
The panel will feature the following individuals:
● Cody Sheehy, Director
● Terry Kennedy, Film Subject
● Joel Reynolds, NRDC
● Serge Dedina, PhD, WILDCOAST
● Nick Powers, SSI and WarFighter Scuba
● Mark West, Sierra Club San Diego Chapter
● Jane Vinesky, Manta Researcher
Support for the San Diego premiere comes from 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 for the August 19 event can be purchased at https://www.sandiegotheatres.org/events/detail/the-last-dive-2026. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the program begins at 7 p.m.
**About ‘The Last Dive’**
"The Last Dive" is directed by Cody Sheehy and produced by Mark Monroe, Randy Gebhardt, and Christopher Gebhardt. The documentary chronicles Terry Kennedy’s two-decade friendship with an oceanic manta ray named Willy off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, and his final journey back to the island where they first met. The film has been screened at over 50 festivals worldwide and has partnered with conservation and media organizations such as The Guardian, Outside Magazine, Patagonia, NRDC, WCS, Surfrider Foundation, Manta Trust, the United Nations, and AARP.
Additional details are available at www.thelastdivefilm.com.
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Amy Prenner
The Prenner Group
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