Ema Poposka is an 18-year-old filmmaker and ocean advocate living in China who founded an international youth film festival centered on marine conservation.

Poposka founded Making Waves Club at age 12 to give young people a role in conversations about ocean health and marine biodiversity. The initiative began with The Living Sea, a film about Hong Kong’s corals, which then grew into the Ocean Youth Eco International Film Festival. Now in its fifth year, the festival has attracted 1,200 submissions from over 50 countries. Making Waves also offers creative workshops, talks and online tutorials in filmmaking for social change; the organization reports that these resources have reached more than 5 million young people worldwide.

As founder and director, Poposka leads Making Waves Club’s filmmaking, education and ocean advocacy programs. Her debut documentary about Hong Kong’s corals received over a dozen awards, launching an international film festival.