Check out photos from February 4, 2023!

“Sending it” on a wave could be a good analogy for the outstanding feature film director Mikey Corker just finished. It’s called Savage Waters, and his DIY career leading up to this exemplary work of documenting adventure and exploration is personified by the tone and grit we hear in this interview. The patience required to time an unknown wave in the Savage Islands, sold to the boat captain in an 1891 treasure hunting book, is the stuff of well, movies…. Take a listen to Mikey’s journey from grunt gigs to director to Savage Waters.

Find our Surf Stories Podcast where ever you listen.  Or try here.

New Smyrna Beach, FL – As we kick off the tenth year of the Florida Surf Film Festival, we are proud to announce the first quarter programming coming up February 4^th at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.  Check out our annual Green Room Membership.

Buy Tickets Here

Ben Sturgelewski’s Creation Theory, featuring Pete Devries, kicks off 2023. Whether it’s the grandest cosmos or the smallest human idea, true creation arrives in moments of unexpected convergence — extraordinary synchronicities between space and time, science and art, music and mountains and sea. In Creation Theory, these raw elements converge in the Westfjords of Iceland, taking us on a journey from the interstellar birth of gravity and rhythm, to their ultimate human creative expression: surfer on wave, snowboarder on peak, and musician on stage.

The Impossible Wave by Jessica and Jay Johnson shares the journey of Fernando Aguerre’s 27-year journey to qualify surfing as an Olympic sport.  Jessica and Jay will be in attendance for a Q&A after the screening.

Rounding out the night, Savage Waters from Mikey Corker and Ghislane Couvillat is a stunning and intimate portrait of modern adventurers as they follow clues left in a 19th century treasure-hunter’s journal to find and ride a mythical wave in some of the most dangerous waters of the Atlantic.

Here’s the anticipated schedule for the night:

February 4^th, 2023:

5:00 PM – Doors Open

6:30 PM –

• 10TH YEAR COMMENCEMENT with John Brooks, Festival Director
• RAW – The Sound of Teahupo’o – Tim McKenna – 4 min.
• Creation Theory – Ben Sturgulewski – 22 min.
• The Impossible Wave – Jessica and Jay Johnson – 40 min.
• Q & A with Jay and Jessica Johnson
• Raffle – Roark, Globe, Creatures of Leisure

8:30 PM –

• Savage Waters – Mikey Corker – 93 min.
• Raffle – Cronin Surfboards, YETI and more

Find your Surf Stories wherever you find podcasts.

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.

Podcast Sponsor:  Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation

Principal Sponsors:  State of Florida Division of Arts and Culture, Volusia County, Roark, YETI, Sun Bum, Surfline, Anson Stoner, Globe Brand Footwear, Valileros Wagner aka The Lawyer Dude and Atlantic Center for the Arts.

Major Sponsors:  Cronin Surfboards, Florida Virtual School, Brian Layman Wealth Management, Red Dog Surf Shop, Kembali Board Shack, Café Verde, and Clancy’s Cantina.

NSB Sponsors:  Flaunt Electric Bicycles, Scott Yurchison Real Estate, Daytona Climbing Company, Dragon Alliance, LunDev Homes, New Smyrna Beach Brewing Company, Nixon, Mangrove Bay Design, Biological Consulting Services, MyEyeDr. – Phil Stephens, Funxion IT, Pura Vida Bracelets, NSB Spine and Injury Center, Beachside Tavern, Solento Organic Tequila, and Surfrider Foundation Flagler/Volusia.

Media Partnerships include:  Surfline, Stab, The Surfer’s Journal, Surf Splendor Podcast Network, Beach Grit, The SurfNetwork, The Inertia, and Encyclopedia of Surfing.

Encyclopedia of Surfing provides our historical and archival needs.

Entry fee is $5.00.

Submissions for the 2023 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.

Tune in for a history lesson from East Coast Surfing Hall of Famer, Kem McNair, and New Smyrna Beach long-time local, David Coffee. They discuss Hobie sponsorship, trailing smoke from freshly resined fin, their first surf shop and board-building venture, near stardom in the music business, and the discovery of the best wave on the east coast of Florida.

Michael Dunphy, a professional surfer based in New Smyrna Beach, has been putting in the time. We have WSL alerts set for his heats. He’s committed, hard-working, and a hell of a nice person. We were lucky enough to sit down with him and cover the ins and outs of sponsorship, the nuance of life trying to qualify for the show, and the occasional unlucky parts of travel. Enjoy.

Find Surf Stories Podcast wherever you find your podcasts.  We are part of the Surf Splendor Podcast Network.

New Smyrna Beach, FL – NEW PODCAST:  Episode 36 – Island X with Ben Weiland – He holds three awards from the nine years we’ve run festivals. Island X won Best Surf Movie – Feature for 2022. Here’s a chat with one of our favorite people on earth, and a man who knows how to shoot a story and tell one. Being a good guest in a foreign country has its limits, but Ben muscled through some Faroe Island aged beef for your listening pleasure.

Presented by Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation @surfingsevolution@flsurffilmfest @surf_stories_podcast

Find your Surf Stories wherever you find podcasts.

New Smyrna Beach, FL – NEW PODCAST:  Episode 35 – Raglan Surf Report with Luke Cederman – Your instagram feed will be better nourished by following Raglan Surf Report, run by Kiwi surfer Luke Cederman. Comedy is hard to come by in surf movies and TV shows these days, which is why you’ll find the clever parodies and satirical takes on our stupid past-time so necessary. Dry insertion of potent one-liners come sudden and painful, especially if you’ve engaged in similar thoughtless comments or acts addressed by his hilarious, pointed wit. If you have any interest in looking into the mirror Luke holds up, give this a listen.

Presented by Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation @surfingsevolution@flsurffilmfest @surf_stories_podcast

Find your Surf Stories wherever you find podcasts.

New Smyrna Beach, FL – After over 7,000 minutes (111 Hours) of programming since our inception in 2012, we are happy to announce we’re entering our 10th year of the festival. On December 14, 2012, Kevin Miller showed This Time Tomorrow by Taylor Steele at Atlantic Center for the Arts with John Brooks in attendance, and we now have 9 years of festival in the books, and a podcast to celebrate all these folks called Surf Stories. Now, the fourth and final event of the 2022 Florida Surf Film Festival, presented by his Monster Energy, has concluded, and we are excited to announce the winners of this year’s awards.

One of the biggest rewards of the festival is our ability to host filmmakers and surfers from around the world, and this year did not disappoint.  We kicked off the year with the world premiere of Ben Gravy’s, For the Dream, an amazing night with an overflowing packed house.  Ben’s inspirational story is highly recommended.

Ben Gravy and Peter Hamblin – Photos by Patrick Ruddy

We also hosted Peter Hamblin and the El Salvador crew as they premiered Sweet Adventure and took home the coveted Viewer’s Choice Feature Award – Feature.  One of our favorite singer/songwriters Matt Costa dipped his toe into the filmmaking world and came out to the festival to show off his short film, Donde Los Terremotos, earning Best Soundtrack – Short and treating our fans to a private concert following the premiere.  The two Bens – Weiland and Gulliver came over in August and took home some hardware for their efforts with Ben Weiland’s Island X earning Best Surf Film – Feature and Ben Gulliver taking Best Soundtrack – Feature for his Documentary Hail Mary, featuring the life of fearless east coaster, Balaram Stack.  Floridian filmmakers Lauren Hill, Drew Miller, and Luke Khotera showed their work respectively and attended the August event.

November closed out the year with a truly unbelievable weekend with Hurricane Nicole making landfall one day before the event.  Western Australia’s pride and joy, Kerby and Cortney Brown, holed up with Kevin and John in New Smyrna Beach, riding out the storm.  We also hosted Argentinian filmmaker/adventurer, Jaoquin Azulay and presented his latest work African Territory (Part One).

Facing Monsters, directed by Bentley Dean, took home the Best Documentary – Feature and Best Cinematography – Feature, shot by Rick Rifici, and if we gave an award for most vocal responses to a movie it surely would have taken that as well with audible gasps in abundance as Kerby charges era-defining, heavy water slabs.

Ben Gulliver and Balaram Stack – Photos by Patrick Ruddy

Here are all the winners for the festival year 2022:

Best Documentary – Short                 Beyond Sunset by Keith Malloy

Best Surf Movie – Short                      DNA by Jacob Vanderwork/Kyle Buthman

Best Cinematography – Short             Water III by Morgan Maassen

Best Soundtrack – Short                     Donde Los Terremotos by Matt Costa

Viewers’ Choice – Short                      The Color of Winter by Pat Stacy

Best Documentary – Feature              Facing Monsters by Bentley Dean/Rick Rifici

Best Surf Movie – Feature                  Island X by Ben Weiland

Best Cinematography – Feature         Facing Monsters by Bentley Dean/Rick Rifici

Best Soundtrack – Feature                 Hail Mary by Ben Gulliver

Viewers’ Choice – Feature                  Sweet Adventure by Peter Hamblin

John Brooks and Jack Coleman – Photo by Jade Camacho

Matt Costa – Photo by Christian Oehmke

It’s been an incredible year, and there’s no way to thank all the producers, directors, cinematographers, and editors that put their hard work into these projects. Their stories are the ones we want to hear. Adam Steckley constructed our 2022 awards from a felled Floridian tree allowing our winners to take home a piece of Florida in their awards.

We recognize the difference between Best Documentary and Best Surf Movie. Those who approach the artform by documenting character, locale, etc. with personal interviews, historical footage, and anecdotal clips were in competition for Best Documentary, and those movies focusing on the high performance, action-driven sequences competed for Best Surf Movie. This award will be extended to short films as well.

Florida Surf Film Festival’s jury, comprised of twelve individuals with journalistic, cultural, and/or experiential factors will determine recognition.

Juries include: Feature Films – Matt Warshaw, Chas Smith, David Scales, Taylor Steele, Keith Malloy, Lauren Hill, and Ira Opper. Short Films – Marcus Sanders, Takuji Masuda, Matthew Shaw, Scott Hulet, Ashton Goggans, Lisa Andersen, and Joe Turpel.

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.

Podcast Sponsor:  Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation

Principal Sponsors:  State of Florida Division of Arts and Culture, Volusia County, Roark, YETI, Sun Bum, Surfline, Anson Stoner, Globe Brand Footwear, and Atlantic Center for the Arts.

Major Sponsors:  Buell WetBuell Wetsuitssuits, Cronin Surfboards, Florida Virtual School, Brian Layman Wealth Management, Red Dog Surf Shop, KemKembali Board Shackbali Board Shack, Café Verde, and Clancy’s Cantina.

NSB Sponsors:  Flaunt Electric Bicycles, Scott Yurchison Real Estate, Daytona Climbing Company, Dragon Alliance, LunDev Homes, New Smyrna Beach Brewing Company, Nixon, Mangrove Bay Mangrove Bay DesignDesign, BiologBiological Consulting Servicesical Consulting Services, MyEyeDr. – Phil Stephens, Funxion IT, Leus Towels, Pura Vida Bracelets, NSB Spine and Injury Center, Beachside Tavern, Solento Organic Tequila, and Surfrider Foundation Flagler/Volusia.

Media Partnerships include:  Surfline, Stab, The Surfer’s Journal, Surf Splendor Podcast Network, Beach Grit, The SurfNetwork, The Inertia, and Encyclopedia of Surfing.

Encyclopedia of Surfing provides our historical and archival needs.

Here’s a link:

Patrick Eichstaedt has been shooting surfers since his teenage years and had enough foresight and passion for the art of filmmaking and photography to capture his friends, Andy and Bruce Irons, Aaron Cormican, and other east coasters for the early Lost films.  His immortal images continue to inform the early days of Andy, and his energetic spirit continues document the best. Poke’ sauce and more bear his lovable name… Tupat!

Subscribe NOW (Sometime, it takes a couple hours for the latest episode to populate. Check your device’s “recent” updates for the latest episode.): Apple – Spotify – Google Podcasts – Amazon Music – Audible

Buy Tickets Here

New Smyrna Beach, FL – The fourth and final event of the 2022 Florida Surf Film Festival, presented by Monster Energy, at Atlantic Center for the Arts is approaching with a couple of special nights of movies lined up.

On Friday, November 11, 2022, we’ll kick off the festival with Joe Alani’s Through the Doggy Door, a poignant look at the ascension of Hawaiian Sheldon Paishon from literal poverty and homelessness to his dream life as a professional surfer.  Under the tutelage of surf royalty Mason Ho, Sheldon overcomes every conceivable obstacle to realize his dream; his inspirational story bares the challenging, competitive west side of Oahu.  Joe Alani takes a hard look inside Sheldon’s childhood, where a pair of flops and a new pair of boardies meant the world.  We see Sheldon progress through young adulthood, navigating the minefield of life’s most vicious hurdles, finding much needed refuge in the sea.  Next, Facing Monsters by director Bentley Dean, offers an unapologetic view of West OZ hell-man, Kerby Brown, and his struggles with fear, addiction, family bonds, and his insatiable obsession to pit himself against one of nature’s most intimidating forces.

Our second night, Saturday, November 12^th, opens with African Territory, following the co-directors, Joaquin (in attendance) and Julian Azulay, aka the Gauchos Del Mar on a twenty-two-month anthropological expedition from Spain to South Africa as they find cultural exchange and loads of surf throughout the endless continent.  For true surf-adventure travelers, you will not find a ride as daunting and deep into the heart of Africa.  Closing out the night, festival veteran Jack Coleman (in attendance) presents Natural High, featuring John Peck’s energy and solid alternative shapes ridden by the best, including Steph Gillmore, Derrick Disney, among others.  Once again, Jack knocks it out of the park with an amazing soundtrack.

Sprinkled in with the features are some amazing short films such as VONA, The Rider, The Rolling East and others.  Featured jurors in attendance include 4X World Champion Lisa Andersen, Matt Warshaw, Editor and Founder of The Encyclopedia of Surfing and Scott Hulet, Creative Director at The Surfer’s Journal.

It’s sure to be an amazing weekend of films and community engagement with Clancy’s Cantina and Café Verde suppling the food and New Smyrna Brewing Company and Solento Organic Tequila featured at our full bar.  Tons of giveaways and raffle items from our sponsors including Nixon, Dragon, Yeti, Globe, Creatures of Leisure and of course, a Craig Cronin Surfboard will be up for grabs each night.

Friday, November 11, 2022:

5:00PM – Doors Open

6:00PM:

• Commencement with Festival Director, John Brooks
• Board Shop, dir. Patrick Smith – 2 min.
• The Rolling East, dir. Ben Potter – 11 min.
• Through the Doggy Door, starring Mason Ho, Sheldon Paishon, dir. Joe Alani – 89 min.
• RAFFLE – Creatures of leisure, Roark, Globe, The SurfNetwork, and more

7:30PM:  INTERMISSION

8:30PM:

• Facings Monsters, starring Kerby Brown, dir. Bentley Dean – 95 min.
• RAFFLE – Cronin Surfboard, YETI, Roark, Globe, and more

Saturday, November 12, 2022:

5:00PM – Doors Open

6:00PM:

• African Territory, dir. Joaquin and Julian Azulay – 110 min.
• Q and A with Joaquin Azulay – 20 min.
• RAFFLE – Creatures of leisure, Roark, Globe, The SurfNetwork, and more

8:00PM:  INTERMISSION

9:00PM:

• Nancy, dir. Anna Frances Pearson – 3 min.
• Board Shop, dir. Patrick Smith – 2 min.
• VONA, starring Kepa Acero, dir. Clint Davis – 17 min.
• The Rider, dir. Caitlin-Marie Miner Ong – 3 min.
• Natural High, starring Stephanie Gilmore, Derrick Disney dir. Jack Coleman – 32 min.
• Q&A with Jack Coleman – 20 min.
• RAFFLE – Cronin Surfboard, YETI, Roark, Globe, and more

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.

Podcast Sponsor:  Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation

Principal Sponsors:  State of Florida Division of Arts and Culture, Volusia County, Roark, YETI, Sun Bum, Surfline, Anson Stoner, Globe Brand Footwear, and Atlantic Center for the Arts.

Major Sponsors:  Buell WetBuell Wetsuitssuits, Cronin Surfboards, Florida Virtual School, Brian Layman Wealth Management, Red Dog Surf Shop, KemKembali Board Shackbali Board Shack, Café Verde, and Clancy’s Cantina.

NSB Sponsors:  Flaunt Electric Bicycles, Scott Yurchison Real Estate, Daytona Climbing Company, Dragon Alliance, LunDev Homes, New Smyrna Beach Brewing Company, Nixon, Mangrove Bay Mangrove Bay DesignDesign, BiologBiological Consulting Servicesical Consulting Services, MyEyeDr. – Phil Stephens, Funxion IT, Leus Towels, Pura Vida Bracelets, NSB Spine and Injury Center, Beachside Tavern, Solento Organic Tequila, and Surfrider Foundation Flagler/Volusia.

Media Partnerships include:  Surfline, Stab, The Surfer’s Journal, Surf Splendor Podcast Network, Beach Grit, The SurfNetwork, The Inertia, and Encyclopedia of Surfing.

Encyclopedia of Surfing provides our historical and archival needs.

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.