NEW DELHI: A total of 19 films including 12 features are being screened at the ongoing Surf Film Festival in Durban.
The annual festival brings the best of surf culture, spearheaded by the world’s best surfing documentaries and shorts. The festival concludes later this week.
"Our 2014 edition features the most diverse and geographically disparate collection yet," said Steve Pike (Spike) co-founder of the festival and editor of wavescape.co.za, who will be introducing the films.
"Of particular interest to our audience are three documentaries featuring pioneering journeys into the wave-rich but unknown wildernesses of Alaska, Russia and Patagonia. Surfers have always enjoyed the spirit of exploration and these should sate that wanderlust”, he added.
Wavescape this year also offered subject matter ranging from gay surfing to extreme ski BASE jumping. Out in the Lineup chronicles the story of gay surfers in the US and Australia who challenge the establishment while travelling the surfing world to hear stories of transformation and hope.
The story of Shane McConkey, in the film simply entitled McConkey, chronicles the tragically heroic story of the American ski icon who evolved BASE jumping to a thrilling new level when he mixed skiing, BASE and wingsuit flying into a heady, hi-octane mix of adrenaline and acute danger.
Several films focused on women surfing, including South African professional surfer Bianca Buitendag in Disguised in Nature; world champion Stephanie Gilmore in Stephanie in the Water; and 3 Killas y un kiwi - a fascinating look at Latino professionals (and one Kiwi) from South America, said Spike.
There's also Tide Lines, about a crew of South African surfers who sail the world collecting garbage, visiting the famous garbage gyre of the Pacific Ocean to highlight the need to conserve our oceans. The Old, the Young and the Sea covers the famous surfing routes of Europe in an eclectic mix of culture, kombis and crisp cold perfection.
"We even have a documentary about alternative rock band Switchfoot, who surf and play gigs on their 2012 world tour to Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Bali," said Spike.
