Actor and environmental advocate Auli’i Cravalho welcomed guests to London’s Natural History Museum to honor the coastal communities behind one of the world’s largest* coral reef restoration programs

LONDON, April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the SHEBA® brand, part of the Mars family of brands, announced the new documentary, “Reef Builders,” will be available to stream globally from Monday 14th April on Prime Video. The film saw its official World Premiere last night at an exclusive teal-carpet event hosted by the SHEBA® brand at The Natural History Museum in London.

The new documentary spotlights the inspiring stories of the people behind the Sheba Hope Grows™ program – part of one of the world’s largest* coral reef restoration programs led by Mars Sustainable Solutions (MSS) – and the vital role of ocean communities in the move to restore our planet’s coral.

The SHEBA® brand hosted the World Premiere for the film, with attendees including broadcaster and author Stacey Dooley, press, creators, and members of the film’s cast and crew, including actor, environmental advocate and associate producer, Auli’i Cravalho. Guests walked the teal carpet, a homage to the sweeping footage of underwater ocean scenes that can be seen in the documentary, and experienced the first official public screening of the film.

“Growing up in the islands of Hawaiʻi taught me just how lucky we are to live in harmony with our oceans. It’s easy for me to want to protect my own backyard, but this film allows audiences around the world to come together to learn about the vital importance of coral reef restoration. Being a small part of the solution makes me optimistic about the future of our oceans,” says Auli’i Cravalho, actor, environmental advocate and associate producer. “I’m thrilled to be here in London to present ‘Reef Builders’ to the world. The huge platform that Prime Video provides will allow those both near and far from the restoration conversation to have a front row seat not only to coral reef degradation and restoration, but also the profound impact on local coastal communities.”

Following the screening of the film, guests enjoyed a panel discussion featuring Auli’i, Victoria Noble, Executive Producer, Professor David Smith, Chief Marine Scientist, Mars Incorporated, and Senior Director, Mars Sustainable Solutions, Mindy Barry, Global Vice President, SHEBA® and Tamsin Raine, Co-Founder, Ocean Culture Life (OCL).

“The SHEBA brand is all about creating extraordinary experiences for cats and cat parents – from the products we make to telling extraordinary stories of hope,” said Mindy Barry, Global Vice President of Marketing, SHEBA Brand. “Since 2021, the Sheba Hope Grows™ program has supported coral reef restoration and the communities and partners who are leading this critical work around the world. The release of ‘Reef Builders’ marks a huge milestone for the program to share this incredible story of hope through the power of film, which enables audiences to immerse themselves in the rich stories of local communities, scientists, and reef builders. Our aspiration is for audiences to walk away feeling hopeful that there are solutions and to be inspired to take action themselves.”

The premiere event featured a brand-new immersive soundscape experience incorporating sounds recorded on a healthy coral reef. The 360 immersive audio-visual journey – brought to life by the Grammy and Emmy award-winning composer Emily Bear – surrounded guests with experiences of the reef, engaging both sight and sound.

The audience witnessed a conceptual coral reef transform before their eyes, as dynamic lighting shifted the atmosphere from dark and subdued, to vivid and lively. This showstopping experience underscored the urgent need to protect coral reefs. New research from the SHEBA® brand reveals a critical gap in public awareness about coral reefs – driven by limited education, media coverage and personal exposure. Most people (73%) underestimate how much of our coral reefs have been lost in the past 30 years (Wakefield Research survey, 2025). But in truth, in the period between 1957 and 2007, researchers found that the world’s coral reefs declined by over 50% (One Earth, 2021). 

“Sound can create intense emotion in humans, and in the case of coral reefs, it can be a sign of life. While drawing inspiration from marine scientists on this project, it was fascinating to learn that thriving coral reef ecosystems produce a symphony of sounds, such as popping, whooping, and crackling. It’s full of movement, rhythm, and harmony – something that holds true in music as well,” says composer Emily Bear. “Creating this soundscape was a unique opportunity to bring the ocean’s voice to an on-land audience. This experience helps really underscore the larger mission of the ‘Reef Builders’ film.”

Dive into the inspiring story of coral reef restoration – “Reef Builders” will be available to stream globally on Prime Video beginning Monday the 14th of April. Plus, for those in the U.S. and Canada, the SHEBA brand has partnered with Amazon on a Stream it Forward donation campaign. From April 14 – June 29, 2025, Amazon will donate $1 (USD) for every hour streamed in the U.S. (up to $100,000) to non-profit organization Kuleana Coral Restoration, the SHEBA brand partner helping to restore and protect Hawai`i’s coral reefs and native ecosystem. Similarly, from April 14-June 29, 2025, Amazon will donate $1CAD for every hour streamed in Canada (up to $30,000 CAD) to Corales de Paz, the SHEBA brand partner helping to restore and protect coral reefs in Colombia.

To learn more about the documentary and the Sheba Hope Grows™ program visit SHEBA.com/Sustainability and follow the brand on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. 

About Mars, Incorporated  

Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $50bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’s®, SNICKERS® and BEN’S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our 150,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet.   

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. 

*In terms of restoration sites and partners.

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