None of this.
In 2009, I founded Save The Waves Film Festival – a very fun experiment in film curating, live music, event production, and non-profit fundraising. On this journey, I have encountered a lot of mediocre surf films and a few gems – a mostly painful experience that in 2012 led me to write this article on The Inertia. In it, I slam a curious thing that I call “corporate surf porn,” and I encourage the reader to rebel. Since then, Save The Waves Film Festival has sought out inspiring, thoughtful, and original content about the ocean. Required: narrative and character. Need not apply: perfect surf nor perfect surfers.
For example, you might enjoy the following language from our film submission genre guidelines:
Save The Waves Film Festival is not restricted by genre; however, we encourage filmmakers to explore unique and personal stories that link surfing and the environment, environmental activism, surf culture and the cultural and societal value of waves and surfing. We encourage and welcome submissions that explore all aspects and angles of surfing, coastal environmentalism, and cutting-edge artistry from documentary to animation to engaging, experimental and unique works of ocean art. Please, no submissions of a pornographic nature, including what is known in the insular world of the surf-industrial complex as “surf porn.”
Silhouettes on a cave wall are the most ancient form of entertainment. Save The Waves Film Festival photo by James Parascandola.
Although Save The Waves Film Festival does accept money from corporate sponsors to fund the production costs of the film festival tour, sponsors are strictly not allowed to influence the film content nor the creative direction of the event. It has been 6 years since our first time, and it’s still going strong. This film festival is my antidote for you to battle the above-mentioned corporate surf porn.
This year, we are stoked to screen the world premiere of Into the Mind of Greg Long, a beautiful new film by Patrick Trefz. We are also screening new, non-pornographic narrative films about surfing and conservation by Sachi Cunningham (Endless Ocean), Kyle Thiermann (#savesanmiguel), Toddy Stewart (Along the Forge), and many more. You can catch this final iteration of our 2014 film festival tour in San Francisco, California, this Friday night, November 21, at the historic Victoria Theatre in the grimy-yet-never-boring Mission District. If you are not in San Francisco, tell your friends and please support our battle to eradicate corporate surf porn.
Learn more about Save The Waves Film Festival 2014: curated films program.
Watch Save The Waves Film Festival video teaser.
Support us at SaveTheWaves.org
Get tickets here!
