Aquinnah ‘JAWS’ Festival Hits Roadblocks, Results in Cancellation
Plans to hold a 10-day summer festival in Aquinnah to mark the 50th anniversary of the film “JAWS” have been dashed due to a lack of funds and communication.
Members of the Aquinnah select board reported in January 2025 that they had not received any communication from Michael Cochrane, a descendant of Universal Studios co-founder Philip Dakin Cochrane, who had been in charge of organizing the festival scheduled for June 15-25.
“Something like this is going to have to have extensive planning, and I don’t anticipate that there’s enough time left to do this,” said Tom Murphy, Aquinnah select board member, in an interview with the Vineyard Gazette of Martha’s Vineyard.
Cochrane, who lives in Norwalk, Connecticut, had proposed grand plans to have the Boston Pops orchestra perform music from the film score at the Len Butler Memorial Park on the Aquinnah cliffs. Other ideas included setting up the movie’s famous Amity Island sign and holding special programs with Richard Dreyfuss and composer John Williams.
When the Vineyard Gazette contacted Cochrane, he explained that securing funding for the event had been challenging. While his original plans aren’t moving forward, he remains hopeful for alternate ideas to mark the anniversary.
“It’s really distressing, I would say, to not be able to do something for this anniversary,” Cochrane said.
He also stated that Universal Studios and consultants with Interluxe Group have not been responsive, making it difficult for him to proceed.
Despite the festival’s cancellation, Cochrane said he still aims to hold a screening of the blockbuster film at the Vineyard Film Society on the same date it was originally released in 1975.
In addition, production designer Joe Alves will visit Martha’s Vineyard, where “JAWS” was filmed. Islanders who played roles in the film’s production will also hold meet-and-greets. The Martha’s Vineyard Museum will invite visitors to explore a unique exhibition on the film through photographs, oral histories, and displays of movie props throughout the summer months.
