Senegalese dreams. Photo: Delphine Foo-Matkin
In the last few years, there’s been a huge explosion in independent surf filmmaking, because technology and equipment have become cheaper and more accessible. Thankfully, the bar for quality of filming, editing and storytelling is also on the rise. Just search the word “surf” on YouTube and see how many genuinely good films come up. The growing number of surf film festivals, often in very unlikely places, is a testament to this.
This September 24th – 26th, for the first time, Santa Cruz – long one of the centers of surf culture in the US, and a constant incubator of innovation in the surf world – will hold its own annual surf film festival. This is an opportunity for filmmakers to share their creative visions the way they were meant to be seen: on the big screen, in front of one of the most discerning and stoked audiences in the world.
We’re looking for original, story-driven submissions of all lengths. Titles of Best Feature (30 minutes and longer), Best Short (anything under 30 minutes), Best Cinematography, and Best Soundtrack will be awarded by a jury. Our jury panel includes three-time Mavericks winner Darryl Virostko, surfboard shaper Michel Junod, professional big wave surfer Tyler Fox, action sports veteran and skateboarding legend Judi Oyama, and surfer/shaper/musician Ashley Lloyd Thompson. The audience will also choose their favorite film for Viewer’s Choice.
Submission deadline is July 15th. You can find more information and submission guidelines at www.scsff.com.
