As landlocked surfers, there is really nothing we look forward to more than the London Surf / Film Festival.
Now in its fourth year, the four-day event is being hosted in East London and will include film screenings from big movie makers, short entries from regular surfers, talks from photographers and surfing legends, plus an art exhibition and all-round good vibes.
They’ve even got five-time world champion Steph Gilmore making an appearance this year. How rad is that?
We’ve been watching the trailers and scouting out which films we think you should go see this year…. Here are a few of our top picks. You can take a look at the full schedule here for yourself.
Stephanie In The Water
Since she was 17 years old, Steph Gilmore has dominated the international female surf scene. The Aussie quickly rose to the status of surfing’s golden girl, winning trophy after trophy.
Then suddenly one night, she was attacked by a stranger in her hometown and her entire life was flipped upside down.
The trailer for Stephanie in the Water is one of the best we’ve seen. As we already mentioned Steph herself will be appearing at the screening, alongside director Ava Warbrick to present the film. This is definitely not one to be missed.
Into The Sea
Click the image above to watch the trailer
Irish surfer Easkey Britton is no stranger to adventures off the beaten track. A few years ago, she became the first person to surf in Iran. Now she’s heading back in the Middle Eastern country with the aim of teaching women the power of surfing. But how will the locals respond?
It looks set to be an truly interesting insight into how other cultures perceive and embrace surfing.
Se7en Signs
We’re big fans of Nathan Myers’ films. If you haven’t yet watched Here And Now yet, you should. There’s a reason it won best film at the LS/FF two years ago.
Now the director is back with Se7en Signs, documenting six filmmakers journeys to six different locations in search of adventure and glassy waves. Beautifully shot with sharp editing and a good soundtrack, it’s everything you could want from an adventure film.
Out In The Line Up
We’ve been keen to watch Out In The Line Up, ever since our Californian contributor Cynthia brought it to our attention.
Ian Thomson’s film looks at why gay surfers feel the need to keep their sexuality hidden – from those who fear losing sponsorship to dealing with everyday jibes in the line up. It questions why prejudice is so engrained in surfing and what we can do about it. Guaranteed to be a real eye-opener.
Expencive Porno Movie
It’s funny how there was once a time when Super 16mm film was once seen as old-fashioned and bad quality. Now it’s come full circle as the film of choice for filmmakers looking to achieve that authentic retro feel.
Expencive Porno Movie takes modern surfing and transports you back to the sun-dappled sea and super psychedelic soundtrack of the 60s. Think Endless Summer but with the stylish footwork of 21st century waveriders including Dane Peterson, Kassia Meador, Alex Knost and more.
Tierra de Patagones
If you’re looking for a raw adventure documentary, then Tierra de Patagones is the one to watch. Two brothers set off for the wilds of Patagonia to discover empty waves, new culture and some truly stunning wildlife. There are few things better than surfing with penguins, right? It’ll definitely kick start that passion in you to get out into the wilderness.
To see the full schedule and buy tickets for this year’s London Surf / Film Festival, click here.
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