Daytona Beach, FL – We are stoked to announce our First Quarter Programming for the 2025 Florida Surf Film Festival commencing on February 8th with the long-anticipated life story of the greatest shaper to ever hold a planer.  The Shape of Things – The Dick Brewer Story will enjoy it’s East Coast premiere as the feature film with Producer/Director Bob Campi in attendance.

The first event of the 2025 Festival, co-presented by Monster Energy and Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation and in partnership with Daytona State College, goes live February 8th at the News-Journal Center in Daytona Beach.  Doors open at 5PM with movies starting promptly at 6PM.  Passes are available now and annual Green Room memberships are also available (twelve month rolling membership), which include a custom FSFF YETI tumbler, official 2025 FSFF t-shirt, a meal ticket and two drink tickets for each event, posters for each event, and more.

The night kicks off with two short films, The Little Canoe featuring Naxto Gonzalez and Rob Machado By Design which delves into the mind of the surfer/shaper extraordinaire offering insights and reflections on his board building process.  Our first feature film of the night is NØ_WAY from the adventure travel expert Harrison Roach and the folks at Roark. In Norway’s Varanger Fjord, on the northernmost coastline of continental Europe, the Barents Sea fluctuates between mystic calm, ferocious instability, and fleeting windows of harmony. Rumors are, in those windows lie the sublime dream of every surfer: perfection. NØ_WAY follows a mixed group as they chase that dream and ponder their motivations. Experience the highs and lows of surf exploration in the 21st century with this raw and off-the-cuff look at the arctic. NØ_WAY - the antithesis to The Endless Summer.

The final film segment of the night opens with Astronaut In The Ocean from Keith Malloy and Bimarian Films.  Bodyboarding takes a pioneering spirit and a willingness to put yourself in harm's way. Unlike surfing, there are no fans and no money. But for Shane Ackerman, it’s what makes him feel most free. And while Shane works in the mines as a crane operator in order to afford bodyboarding, he makes sure his work-life balance involves more living than working. 

The night concludes with our Feature Film The Shape of Things – The Dick Brewer Story from 3 time Emmy award winning Director/Producer Bob Campi.  The film is a masterful documentary chronicling surfing’s “da Vinci of design,” Dick Brewer. The film embraces, amazes and, with just enough tension, dives into the mysterious and rollercoaster life of Brewer at the forefront of the 60’s and 70’s burgeoning surf culture. Brewer’s brilliant mind and engineering innovations inspired a revolution in surfboard design impacting his early generation through the present day. Through interviews, narratives, and archival footage, his peers pay tribute to a man whose story was immersed in conflict and drama.  Bob Campi will be in attendance to present his work and a Q & A after the film. 

We look forward to seeing everyone on February 8th  and tickets are at www.floridasurffilmfestival.com.  These are our expected showtimes below:

5:00 PM – Doors Open

6:00 PM –

• COMMENCEMENT with John Brooks, Festival Director

• Rob Machado By Design – Firewire Surfboards, 9 min.

• The Little Canoe – Inigo Grassat, 6 min.

• NØ_WAY – Harrison Roach/Roark 44 min.

• Raffle – Roark, Globe, Creatures of Leisure

8:30 PM – 

• Astronaut In The Ocean – Keith Malloy/Bimarian Films, 11 min.

• The Shape of Things – The Dick Brewer Story – Bob Campi, 59 min.

• Q & A with Bob Campi

• Raffle – Roark, Yeti, Cronin Surfboards

We are proud to have Monster Energy and Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation serve as our presenting sponsors 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 the 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 Presenting Sponsor:  Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation

Principal Partners:  Atlantic Center for the Arts, Brown and Brown Insurance, Florida Virtual School, OluKai, Roark, Sun Bum, Volusia County, Wagner the Lawyer Dude at Radical Law Firm, and YETI

Major Partners:  Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, Brian Layman Wealth Management, Café Verde, Cap’n Lu’s – A Health Food Store for Pets, Clancy’s Cantina, Cronin Surfboards, Globe Brand Footwear, Kembali Board Shack, Persimmon Hollow, and Red Dog Surf Shop

Local Partners:  Beachside Tavern, Biological Consulting Services, Daytona Climbing Company, Daytona Drywall and Plaster, Dr. Matt Smith, Dr. Phil Stephens at MyEyeDr, Halifax Area Properties,   Kula Yoga, LunDev Homes, Neighborhood Scoop, Oceans of Hope Foundation, Pura Vida Bracelets, Solento Organic Tequila, Stephanie Stallard Real Estate,  Surfrider Foundation Flagler/Volusia, and White Claw.

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.