Vero Beach Film Festival to Feature Dr. Edie Widder’s "A Life Illuminated"

The Vero Beach Film Festival held its annual White Party on Saturday night — the sparkling kickoff to the festival itself, which runs April 9–12, 2026, bringing four days of films, food, and fine wines to Vero Beach.

ORCA's Dr. Edie Widder and IRCHS Partnerships Director Barbara Alderman

One of the marquee moments will be closing night, featuring A Life Illuminated, a documentary following Dr. Edie Widder’s deep sea expeditions and pioneering research in bioluminescence — the “living light” that allows deep‑sea creatures to glow, communicate, hunt, and hide in total darkness.

Blending archival footage from her early expeditions with new deep‑sea dives, the documentary reveals an unseen world of light that may change how we think about life on Earth. For more information about Dr. Widder's work, click here.

The evening also highlighted an exciting and growing partnership between the Vero Beach Film Festival and Indian River Charter High School, widely recognized for its strong visual and performing arts programs. Indian River Charter High School is currently developing The Cube, a 224‑seat, state‑of‑the‑art performance and media venue on its campus, designed with advanced projection and flexible staging to support student work and community events.

While The Cube is entirely a project of the school, the collaboration with the Film Festival opens the door to future screenings, educational programs, and festival activities that connect professional filmmakers with the next generation of local talent.

Explore the films and get your passes to the Vero Beach Film Festival here.

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