Surfers and cinephiles are gearing up for the second annual Canadian Surf Film Festival in Halifax, Nova Scotia this week. After a critically acclaimed inaugural festival last year, the CSFF crew is stepping things up, presenting seven screenings, three concerts and an afternoon art show on the weekend.
The film program, curated by Yassine Ouhilal, features a mix of international feature-length films. The festival kicks off Thursday, opening with Mikey Detemple’s sophomore film, Sight | Sound. This film is sure to draw plenty of hoots and shouts, with a few local surfers and Nova Scotia’s fine point breaks playing a starring role. On Friday night look out for Clay Marzo’s Just Add Water and the environmentally conscious film, Manufacturing Stoke. Before you head over to the Matt Mays concert on Saturday, don’t miss Keith Malloy’s Come Hell or High Water and the heart-warming documentary, Somewhere Near Tapachula. The festival wraps up Sunday night with a generational clash. The Hot Generation from the 1960’s is paired with Jamie O’Brien’s latest hit, Who is J.O.B.
An international jury will critique films for the first time this year. The CSFF is excited to welcome Scott Huelet (The Surfer’s Journal), Grant Ellis (Surfer Magazine), and Devon Howard (The Surfer’s Journal/Patagonia) to Canada. They will join three locals: Ricardo Salcedo (writer); Justin Huston (President, Surfing Association of Nova Scotia); and Andrew Murphy (Atlantic Film Festival).
In just its second year running, the CSFF has received considerable international attention of late, most notably tech giant Google. Canadian professional surfer and Quiksilver rider Raph Bruhwiler partnered up with Google as part of their Search Stories campaign. The story follows Bruhwiler searching out and dreaming of potential wave exploration through the popular app, Google Earth. Bruhwiler will be in attendance this weekend, with his section of The Quiksilver Cypher Challenge as his own entry in the Short Film Challenge.
The Short Film Challenge program boasts an eclectic mix of entries from both coasts, including one from Canadian surfing-rocker, Matt Mays. The winner takes home a trip for two to Kandui Resort in the Mentawai Islands, and will have their film featured in next month’s London Surf Film Festival.
The Canadian Surf Film Festival runs from September 29 – October 2, 2011.
For more information, tickets, & program guide, click here.
