JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 26-year-old Jacksonville filmmaker and University of North Florida alumni was selected to document an expedition traveling to Antarctica in December.

Lee Giat, 26, was invited on the Space2Sea “Voyage of Legends” expedition alongside renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Star Trek great William Shatner, Apollo astronaut Charlie Duke and former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly.

“This is a truly special opportunity, but a massive undertaking as well,” Giat said.

The landmark expedition, organized by Future of Space, aims to highlight the “vital connection between Earth’s oceans and the cosmos,” a news release from Flying Ostrich Media, a Jacksonville video production company founded by Giat, said.

Giat has shown his dedication to documenting space and innovation.

He premiered his directorial debut film Wright of Passage at NASA’s Kennedy Space in 2023, showing off his ability to document and celebrate the spirit of aviation. 

Giat also founded the humanitarian project, PASSAGE, short for Providing Aid in Science for South America’s General Education, in which he completed a 48-day solo flight across the Caribbean and South America to deliver educational resources to underserved communities, the release states.

Giat won a student astronaut contest which sent him to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia — the world’s oldest facility to train people for space exploration —  with the host of a FOX space television show. While there, he learned how to fly in zero gravity and completed the astronaut training for Xploration Outer Space.

Giat called his selection to document the Antarctica expedition an “absolute privilege” and a “huge responsibility.” 

“Documenting such an epic convergence of people and purpose is a dream for any creative artist. The Antarctic landscape offers no shortage of stunning footage, but this is the first time we are witnessing so many aerospace legends embarking on something new together,” Giat said.

The mission will cultivate discussion on exploration, environmental stewardship and global challenges as the crew takes part in exploration and other events designed to “inspire a deeper understanding of the intersection between Antarctic and space research,” the release states.

The crew departs on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024.