WORLD SHOOTOUT
Underwater Photo Grand Prix
19 Years | 854 Winners | $276,000 Cash
Christian Petron, France
COMMERCIAL DIVING EXPERIENCE
 
1976-Present President and CEO of Cinemarine  Sarl, an underwater film production company 
http://www.cinemarine.net
 
1975- 1976 Supervisor Diving Operations for COMEX   
 
1965-1975 French Navy  Submarine  Engineer and Clearance Diver    
 
 
CINEMARINE TELEVISION PROJECTS:
 
2008-2012 German TV ZDF and ARTE, France and Germany 
Producer, Director, Chief Photographer for the following underwater documentaires for the TV Series   Ocean Quest :
                        Memory of Port Cros Island
                        Marseilles, The Artificial Reef
                       Le Temps des Réserves (Moment for Underwater Parks)
                       24 Hours Live on the Reef
                       Great White Sharks of Guadalupe
                       Polynesian Sharks
                       Secrets of the Chesterfield Islands
                       Whales of Rututu
                       The Dangerous Passage of Fakarava
 
2006- 2008 National French Public Television, France 3
Producer, Director, Chief Photographer for 18 documentaries for French TV, created for Thalassa news program about the sea
 
2006 German TV ZDF and ARTE, France and Germany 
Producer, Director, Chief Photographer, Shark Patrol
 
2001-2005 Discovery Channel
                       Canal +
Technical Supervisor for the following underwater documentaries directed by             archaeologist Frank Goddio, HILTI Foundation : `
San Diego Treasure
The Lighthouse of Alexandria
Napoleon Shipwrecks of the Nil’s Battle
The Palace of Cleopatra
Royal Captain Treasure
Heraklion
 
2000 James Cameron. Lightstorm Inc., Santa Monica California  
Consultant for Ocean Challenge project
 
1999-2001 Jean-Michel Cousteau, Ocean Future Society Inc. 
Chief Photographer
Series of underwater documentaries for PBS-TV, Public Broadcasting, USA
Shark at Risk
My Father the Commander
Journey to the Kure Atoll
 
1998 NBC News, New York
Live 2-hour coverage from the Titanic wreck
Director of Photography
 
1998 Discovery Channel
                       Canal +
                       RMS Titanic Inc.
Expedition on the site of the Titanic wreck
Anatomy of a Disaster
Director of Photography
 
1997 French National Scientific Center for Research and Museum of  Monaco
Documentary research in cave to examine new species of life existing in the dark 
The Carnivorous Sponge
Director and Chief Photographer
 
1996 Discovery Channel 
                       RMS Titanic Inc.
Expedition on the Wreck of the Titanic, August 1996
Titanic : The Investigation Begins
Titanic in a New Light
Director of Photography  
 
 
1990-1996 Discovery Channel  
Director,Producer and Chief Photographer  for  the following fifty-five minute      documentary films :
Rangiroa the Ray Manta Lagoon
Rhine Underwater Exploration
Scapa Flow Memories  
Whales Dance 
The Unknown Sharks of Malpelo
 
1988-1990 Gaumont Productions, Directed by Luc Besson
Director of Photography for two major motion picture films :
The Big Blue
  Atlantis
 
1978-1988 10 years in French Television Network TF1 
Producer, Director, Chief Photographer 28 documentaries and news filmed around the world on underwater wildlife for TF1’s Natural History Unit, Series Les Animaux du Monde 
 
 
 
                                                 AWARDS
 
2011 Public Prize, World Underwater Film Festival, Marseilles, for the documentary 
Mémoire de Port Cros 
 
2010  Gold Palm Award, World Underwater Film Festival, Marseilles, for the documentary Great White Sharks of Guadalupe
 
2007 Gold Palm Award  International Underwater Art Festival, Kiew Ukraine for the             documentary film, Shark Patrol 
 
2007 Award from Albert I de Monaco Foundation, Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, for the documentary film, Shark Patrol 
 
2007  Silver Palm Award, World Underwater Film Festival of Antibes, for the documentary film, Shark Patrol 
 
1999  Gold Palm Award  Festival Scientific film of NANEY   Belgium for the documentary 
Carnivorous Sponge 
 
1992  Special Jury Prize  SAN SEBASTIAN Festival in Spain for the documentary series  Les Animaux du Monde, Los Roques 
 
1991  Gold Palm Award World Underwater Film Festival of Antibes for the Motion picture film
  Atlantis 
 
1987  Gold Palm Award, World Underwater Film Festival of Antibes, for the documentary series  Les Animaux du Monde, Los Roques 
 
 
1987  Gold Palm Awarded, by S.A.S. Prince  ALBERT II of Monaco,  Festival Museum of Monaco for the documentary series   Les Animaux du Monde, Los Roques 
 
1987    Great Prize ROLEX Award Festival Maritime of Toulon for the documentary series  Les Animaux du Monde   Treasure of Pearl Islands 
 
1982                Gold Palm Award, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio, 
                         Brazil, for the documentary, Pollution and Disturbance in the Mediterranean Sea
 
1982    Bronze Anchor Award Festival Maritime of Toulon for the documentary series  Les Animaux du Monde  Tamed Sea 
 
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL HONORS
 
 2013 France :  Knight of “Order of Maritime Merit”.
 
1997    Italy : Awarded International Blue Elba Trophy for Lifetime Achievement in Underwater     Photography, Elba Island, 
 
1988    France : Member, La Société des Gens de Lettres  
 
1987    Italy :Gold Trident Award for Lifetime Achievement International Academy of Underwater Sciences and Technology (http://www.accasub.it/albo_doro.html) 
 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PRESERVATION OF THE SEA
 
2000            President, 2000 Regards Sous la Mer, 2000 Glances Under the Sea, a not for profit                       
organization created to educate the public about the preservation of the sea. http://2000regards.org
 
 
documentaries for the TV Series   Ocean Quest