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New Smyrna Beach, FL – Florida Surf Film Festival presented by Monster Energy, and in partnership with Daytona State College and their School of Digital Media Production, are excited to announce the programming lineup for our third event of the 2024 Florida Surf Film Festival on August 17th at Daytona State College’s News-Journal Center in Daytona Beach. This is our inaugural screening at the new home of the FSFF, and we can’t wait to share this amazing new space with you. Passes are now available, and don’t forget to check out our annual Green Room Membership, the only way to roll if you want the VIP experience with reserved seats, meals, T-shirt, YETI, and drinks included. Keep in mind that we have 20 boat slips at the News Journal Center, so feel free to arrive by water…
Student Passes: We’re very happy to announce that all college, high school, and younger patrons are now able to attend for a $10 pass (fees absorbed by FSFF), thanks to our new venue opening up our ability to accommodate more fans.
Check out our new venue here:
The first segment of the night will kick off with a series of short films, including Return to Zero, by Amado Stachenfeld, a 16mm film about the life and death shown through the evolving versions of a single surfboard. Next, The Forgotten Islands: A 1700 Mile Search from Director Ben Herrgott follows a group of seasoned surfers on their “Western Aleutian Wave Exploration,” the pinnacle of their careers. They discovered surf potential around 30 unexplored islands that form the archipelago with a beautiful soundtrack originally scored on the boat. Closing out the first segment is a short film from Sacramento born non-surfer Andy Woodward, Noah: The Art of Surfing. Andy and Noah Beschen collaboratively create a masterpiece of stunning visuals that combine the raw and explosive talent of Noah with Andy’s creative vision. Throw in a thumping soundtrack, and it’s an interactive treat for the senses. Noah will be in attendance for a Q&A following the film.
The feature of the night is Water Brother from directors Charles and Daniel Kinnane, a documentary that follows the life of Sid Abbruzzi, an East Coast legend and culture icon. (This feature is a rated R equivalent film for language and adult situations.) The film explores Sid’s lifelong passion for surfing, skating, and his commitment to protecting the sport’s history and culture. Through a mix of never-before-seen archival film, personal interviews, and large format cinematic footage, including exclusive interviews with giants of the surf, skate, and art world, this documentary takes the audience on a journey through the history of surfing and skating – from 1960s Newport to Santa Cruz, Cocoa Beach, South Africa’s Jeffrey’s Bay, and beyond. Sid and crew will be in attendance for a Q&A following the film.
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August 17th, 2024:
5:00 PM – Doors Open
6:30 PM –
- COMMENCEMENT with John Brooks, Festival Director
- Return to Zero – Amado Stachenfeld – 26 min.
- The Forgotten Islands: A 1700 Mile Search – Ben Herrgott – 20 min.
- Noah: The Art of Surfing – Andy Woodward – 24 min.
- Q & A with Amado Stachenfeld and Noah Beschen – 15 min.
- Raffle – Roark, Globe, Creatures of Leisure
8:30 PM –
- Water Brother – Charles and Daniel Kinnane – 92 min. – (This feature is a rated R equivalent film for language and adult situations
- Q and A with Sid Abruzzi and dirs. Charles and Daniel Kinnane
- Raffle – Nixon, Yeti, Cronin Surfboards
Regarding November 15th and 16th, we can’t wait any longer to let the cat out of the bag. We will be screening a new documentary, Tom and I, featuring none other than 3-time world champ and everyone’s favorite enigma, Tom Curren. Tom and Pat, his son, will be in attendance with a musical performance following the film. Save the date now for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Tom. Tickets will go on sale in mid-late October.
We are proud to have Monster Energy serve as our presenting sponsor again for this year’s festival, providing travel and lodging for the filmmakers who attend the festival. We are also happy to partner with Daytona State College’s School of Digital Media Production, and we want to thank chair of their department and FSFF director, Brad Moody, for his invaluable support, growing the festival’s capacity from 300 to 850 seats per night and providing an incredible student base to help us fulfill our mission.
Podcast Sponsor: Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation
Principal Sponsors: Volusia County, Roark, YETI, Sun Bum, OluKai, Wagner Vasileros – aka The Lawyer Dude, Anson Stoner, Globe Brand Footwear, and Atlantic Center for the Arts.
Major Sponsors: Persimmon Hollow, Cronin Surfboards, Florida Virtual School, Brian Layman Wealth Management, Cap’n Lu’s – A Health Food Store for Pets, Gallery 237, Red Dog Surf Shop, Kembali Board Shack, Café Verde, and Clancy’s Cantina
Local Sponsors: Flaunt Electric Bicycles, Scott Yurchison Real Estate, Daytona Climbing Company, Dragon Alliance, LunDev Homes, Nixon, Mangrove Bay Design, Biological Consulting Services, Dr. Phil Stephens at MyEyeDr, Funxion IT, Pura Vida Bracelets, Beachside Tavern, Solento Organic Tequila, Dr. Matt Smith (Chiroprator), Daytona Drywall and Plaster, White Claw, Kula Yoga, Oceans of Hope Foundation, and Surfrider Foundation Flagler/Volusia.
Media Partnerships include: Surfline, The Surfer’s Journal, Surf Splendor Podcast Network, Beach Grit, The SurfNetwork, American Surf Magazine, and Encyclopedia of Surfing.
Encyclopedia of Surfing provides our historical and archival needs.
Recent Surf Stories Podcasts:
Entry fee is $5.00.
Submissions for the 2024 festival are open via our website here.
Florida Surf Film Festival Mission:
Florida Surf Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, public charity, invigorating surf culture and artistic appreciation by exhibiting contemporary documentary films with surfing as a focus from artist far and wide while also producing a story-driven podcast, literary group discussions, and artistic workshops.