An unnamed Maine surfer enjoying a nice cold one. Photo: Maine Surfers Union
This is the busiest time of year for the Portland surf shop, Maine Surfers Union and its owner, Charlie Fox. Staff is going back to school, August beach traffic peaks, and New England’s famed leaf peeping season arrives on the heels of the Labor Day rush. This is also when the seasonal swells start to arrive in the Gulf of Maine, lighting up Higgins, Scarborough, and the other local surf spots. The irony of it all is not lost on Fox. So when he finds the rare chance to get away from the store, he does all he can to make sure it counts. Normally, that means surfing. But next month, Fox will be getting away from the store to host, for the first time ever in Maine, the Save the Waves Film Festival.
For the last year, Fox has been working with the California-based Save the Waves Coalition to find the best way to bring the festival to his home while giving the event a local feel that would benefit the Maine-based causes and charities he also found important. In May, he agreed to independently license the films, which would allow him to support the mission and programs of Save the Waves Coalition and have the freedom to make and create a truly unique event in Maine.
“I had seen the Save the Waves Film Fest before on the West Coast and loved it,” says Fox. “I always thought it would be really cool to bring it to Maine but I also believed that with all we have going on here, Maine had a lot to bring to the party as well.”
The afternoon will open with a host of local artisans and a fun variety of Maine food options – from oysters to marshmallows to donuts. Watersports gear reps will also be on hand for live demonstrations and info sessions. A collection of short films will kick off the screenings, with feature films, including Fish People and Under an Arctic Sky rounding out the evening.
“This is the first time in Maine for the festival, and for a lot of the surfers and special guests,” says Fox. “But I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last.”
Save the Waves Film Festival – Maine 2017
Sunday, September 17, 2017
4:00pm – 10:00pm
O’Maine Studios
54 Danforth Street
Portland, ME 04101
All Ages
