FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Second Annual San Diego Surf Film Festival Boosts its International Flair
Successful Film Festival Expands its Reach and Activities

San Diego, Ca., February 7, 2013 – In its second year, the San Diego Surf Film Festival (SDSFF) has already become one of the largest and most celebrated festivals of its kind around the globe. Living up to its instant success and international reputation, the SDSFF promises to give 2013 attendees access to stellar international surf cinema and full immersion into the iconic surf culture.

SDSFF 2013, scheduled for May 8-12, will highlight over 35 international films, a surf art gallery, amazing live music, beach clean- ups, shaping demos and surf expression sessions.  Once again, the festival will be held at Bird’s Surf Shed in San Diego, a world famous restored quonset hut filled with an impressive collection of historically significant surfboards and artifacts.

Due to the overwhelming response of SDSFF’s inaugural year, festival organizers have added an extra day for 2013. SDSFF 2013 will kick off with an exclusive VIP party at Surfindian art gallery and surf shop in Pacific Beach. The VIP party, which will only be open to Nautilus Pass holders (http://www.sandiegosurffilmfestival.com/tickets/all-access-pass/), artists, filmmakers, and press, will include food by Daphne’s California Greek, refreshments, live music, and a live art demonstration by Matt Beard, Skye Walker and Joe Hodnicki.  Surfindian will display their art in addition to photography by Gage Hingeley throughout the month of June.

Opening night of SDSFF 2013 (Thursday, May 9) will include two features and one short film, live music, free food by Daphne’s California Greek and refreshments.  A total of 12 feature films and 23 short films will be shown during the entire festival.  Besides incredible films, SDSFF 2013 attendees will be able to enjoy and participate in live art demos, kids art sessions with Matt Beard, after parties, a beach clean-up and surf expression sessions. SDSFF 2013 will also have a greater focus on the San Diego surfboard shapers who have had significant impact on the global surfing timeline. These legendary shapers will offer personal shaping demonstrations during the entire weekend. Their boards will be on display and up for auction with proceeds being donated to Share the Stoke Foundation (http://sharethestokefoundation.com/).  The SDSFF, which sold out all three days and attracted 2,500 people in 2012, is expected to sell out once again this year.

In an effort to provide a stronger international flair to the festival, SDSFF organizers are reaching out more to filmmakers around the globe to submit their films. Last year, the SDSFF received nearly 60 film submissions (both features and shorts) from around the world.

“We welcome surf enthusiasts and filmmakers from around the world to come celebrate the art of surf cinema in our beautiful hometown of San Diego,” said Pierce Kavanagh, SDSFF cofounder and creative director. “We are excited to bring in more filmmakers from around the globe and to give festival goers a virtual passport to all these incredible surf breaks and cultures that they may have never been exposed to before.”

The main mission of the annual San Diego Surf Film Festival is to bring the entire global surfing community together on a grassroots level.  “SDSFF and other similar festivals are vital to filmmakers because it brings audiences to films that wouldn’t have the means to see or hear them otherwise,” said British filmmaker Chris McClean, whose short surf film Fathoms Left to Fall snagged an honorable mention during SDSFF 2012. “The festival brings together film lovers and filmmakers and concentrates attention on stories and experiences, which are sometimes not easily heard amidst the hustle and bustle of the other platforms like the internet. I really appreciate the support we've received from the SDSFF; it gives independent filmmakers the opportunity to reach audiences and the support.  The accolades from your peers is a fantastic reward for those hours stood on reefs and beaches in the rain and snow shivering behind the lens.”

SDSFF 2013 has already received an overwhelming amount of surf films for this year’s festival. The deadline for film submissions is March 15 (http://www.sandiegosurffilmfestival.com/styled/submission-form/). This year’s SDSFF films will be announced March 25. SDSFF 2013 filmmaker awards will include Best Feature, Best Cinematography, Most Inspirational, Emerging Filmmaker, Best Short, and Best San Diego Filmmaker.

“The San Diego Surf Film Festival encompasses all aspects of the surf culture and community,” Kavanagh said. “Since Bruce Brown sent shockwaves throughout the world with Endless Summer the surf film has become a staple in our lives. Surfing and surf cinema alike have been developed by individuals with a deep passion for trying to capture and preserve the very special feeling of just being a surfer. And they will continue to do so long after everyone has gone home.”

“What the SDSFF has done is added all the elements to the growing surf culture, including art and music. This is a true community and family celebration,” he added. “With its incredible first-year success, the SDSFF immediately established itself as a unique and resourceful organization engaged in establishing significant events. We are stoked about brining another successful and meaningful festival to the community at large.”

SDSFF is pleased to announce the return of Daphne’s California Greek, which promises to feed each and every festival goer (food is included with each ticket). 
Limited tickets are available for each screening.
All-access Nautilus passes for the entire five-day festival are also limited and can be purchased at http://www.sandiegosurffilmfestival.com/tickets/all-access-pass/. (Nautilus passes area available for $80 until Feb. 28. After that, they will be $100).
General admission tickets will go on sale April 8.
The SDSFF 2013 schedule will also be available on April 8.

For more information on the San Diego Surf Film Festival, visit http://sandiegosurffilmfestival.com/

San Diego, Calif. -- Modern independent surf cinema got a big boost during the 2012 San Diego Surf Film Festival (SDSFF). The sold-out inaugural three-day event, May 11-13, 2012, was the first of its kind on the West Coast,  and attracted nearly 2,000 attendees.
Festival-goers viewed 13 feature-length films and 22 short films centered around surfing, as well as surf-related art and photography by 30 artists; watched shaping demos; mingled with surf legends and celebrities; attended a VIP party; jammed to four live bands; attended after parties; and participated in a beach cleanup and bodysurfing demo. During opening night, the City of San Diego recognized the SDSFF with a proclamation.

Another main attraction of the SDSFF was its one-of-a-kind venue -- Bird’s Surf Shed, a world famous restored quonset hut filled with an impressive collection of historically significant surfboards and artifacts.
The mission of the annual San Diego Surf Film Festival is to bring the entire global surfing community together on a grassroots level.
“The SDSFF is truly an in international event celebrating surf cultures from around the world,” says Pierce Kavanagh, co-creator of the festival. “The success of the 2012 San Diego Surf Film Festival is a testament to all of the hard work and community support we received during our inaugural year. Our goal was to present narrative-driven independent surf films from various surf cultures around the globe, whether it be New England, Argentina or the United Kingdom. We wanted to offer surfers a glimpse outside of the Southern California bubble and into worlds completely different than their own.“

Kavanagh, also a filmmaker, says the SDSFF is unique in that it steers away from the  big corporate-driven commercialized surf industry and instead gives the global community an inside and honest look at what truly drives the core surf culture.
“Surf cinema originated as a pure form in an attempt to convey the wondrous feeling of riding waves, but has since been appropriated by the surfing industry as a thinly veiled advertising vehicle,“ he says. “As surfers, we know what it means to be a surfer; we don’t need films from the corporate brands selling us on which T-shirts and boardshorts will give us this ‘feeling.’ With this in mind, we knew that we were taking a substantial risk and a different path than most of the surf film festivals around the world. Instead of courting the corporate surf world, we steered clear and focused on the experience of every single person who attended Bird’s Surf Shed over the three-day event. It didn’t matter if you were a former world surf champion or if you just had your first paddle out, we all joined together to celebrate what we love so much about surfing. The overwhelming response by the surfing community reaffirmed our belief that we are in fact on the correct path.”

Kavanagh and his SDSFF team attracted the type of sponsors that are in sync with the festival’s grassroots-driven goals.  Sponsors of the 2012 SDSFF included PRIMO Beer, Daphnes and GoPro.
For Paul Tralka, marketing rep for PRIMO Beer,  the San Diego Surf Film Festival was a perfect cultural fit for the 115-year-old original Hawaiian beer company.
“San Diego is a hub for surfing culture, and this event was exactly what makes the surf community a community,” Tralka says. “PRIMO is a very small brand with  Hawaii and Southern California being the only places it is readily available. We can relate to independent film makers because we don't have big beer budgets to get our brand out there, on the shelf  and behind the bar. Our whole distribution is pretty much relationship driven,  like a community. We support community events like art shows, island music, and waterman type events that are in the early stages. We don't write a check to be a sponsor and walk away. We stay involved, execute the event, and hope to connect with our consumers. I've found myself in a really fun position where I am able to help get events like the SDSFF off the ground, give back to the subcultures that have given me so much, and have a good time doing it.”

Filmmaker John Lynch, whose short film Abroad was shown during the SDSFF, was also stoked on the festival’s grassroots vibe.
“Sometimes you go to a film festival and everyone is eyeing who is who and there is this ‘what-can-you-do-for- me’ vibe. But the SDSFF vibe was really just about a group of ocean lovers coming together to celebrate riding waves in a huge shed full of beautiful surfboards. It just doesn't get any more core than that,” Lynch says. “It is wonderful as an act of community to come together and celebrate something that is cherished and revered as a collective whole. The fusion of film and riding waves is an excellent and exciting combination.”

The SDSFF received 50  film submissions from around the world, which were then viewed and selected by the festival’s screening panel (http://sandiegosurffilmfestival.com/styled-3/screening-panel/).  The panel chose an eclectic mix of films that represented global surf cultures, story-telling and breathtaking cinematography. A list of films shown at the festival, along with the trailers, can be found at http://sandiegosurffilmfestival.com/films/.

Below are the 2012 SDSFF award winners:
*SDSFF Best Film, presented by Daphnes: Lost & Found by Doug Walker
*SDSFF Best Cinematography, presented by GoPro: Thirty Thousand by Richard James and Andrew James
*SDSFF Most Inspirational, presented by *enjoy handplanes: Somewhere Near Tapachula by Stefan Hunt. 
*SDSFF Honorable Mention: Gauchos Del Mar by Julian Azulay and Joaquin Azulay
*SDSFF Best Short Film, presented by misfit pictures: Another Day in the Life of Wayne Lynch by Cyrus Sutton
*SDSFF Honorable Mention (short): Fathoms Left to Fall by Chris McClean
*SDSFF Honorable Mention (short):  Salmon Theory by Dylan Ladds and Ryan Scura

More information and trailers for the winning films can be found at http://sandiegosurffilmfestival.com/2012-awards/.

Hoots & Shakas from some of the SDSFF winning filmmakers:
“It was a real honor to be recognized by the crew and people at the SDSFF. It truly was the perfect festival. I hope all the films that were screened will inspire people to make more films. Film truly is a medium that allows us to learn as well as take a break from the fast, crazy world.”           
                                                            --Doug Walker, Lost & Found

“SDFF and other similar festivals are vital to filmmakers because it brings audiences to films that wouldn’t have the means to see or hear them otherwise. It brings together film lovers and filmmakers and concentrates attention on stories and experiences, which are sometimes not easily heard amidst the hustle and bustle of the other platforms like the internet. I really appreciate the support we've received from the SDSFF it gives independent filmmakers the opportunity to reach audiences and the support and accolades from your peers is a fantastic reward for those hours stood on reefs and beaches in the rain and snow shivering behind the lens.”
                                                            --Chris McClean, Fathoms Left to Fall

"We're really stoked that we were able to be a part of the first SDSFF. Bird's Shed, which is already full of stoke, overflowed with energy.  Festivals are so important to filmmakers; it gives us a chance to meet new people that are doing similar work and learn from each other. It's also important to get films onto the big screen and in front of an audience, rather than in a browser window on a laptop. We're honored to receive an honorable mention, and we'll be back next year!"
                                                            --Dylan Ladds and Ryan Scura, Salmon Theory

“We think the SDSFF was great! Starting off with Bird`s Shed , which is amazing with all the amount of historic boards, followed by the great organization and the high quality films that were played during those four days. It was the first film festival we participated in, so we are very happy with the award we received! We think that these festivals are important for filmmakers because it is a way to show people your work and at the same time it shows certain quality standards of what you are doing, which is somehow validated by being accepted and/or receiving an award.”
                                                            --Julian and Joaquin Azulay, Gouchos del Mar


“The SDSFF was a really nice event. It was much more a family gathering than a lot of other film festivals I've been to. Bird's Surf Shed was such a great venue as well.  When I first walked in there I thought it was the best place to show a surf film that I'd ever seen.  Just walking through the doors you're privy to a jaw-dropping view - it's like the Yosemite Valley of surf shops. I think indie surf film festivals are cool because  they get the word out about people's films. They are also a really nice thing for the community.”
                                                --Cyrus Sutton, Another Day in the Life of Wayne Lynch

Kavanagh says the 2013 San Diego Surf Film Festival promises to showcase more amazing, quality surf films. The second annual festival will include all the same festivities as the 2012 event, but will also have a greater focus on the San Diego surfboard shapers who have had significant impact on the global surfing timeline. These legendary shapers will offer personal shaping demonstrations that will take place during the entire weekend. Their boards will be on display and up for auction with proceeds being donated to Mission Mexico and Sharing the Stoke Foundation.
As part of its grassroots, community giving efforts, the 2012 SDSFF raised $3,300 for Share the Stoke Foundation and The Kona California Scholarship Fund.
“On behalf of Share The Stoke Foundation we were so honored to be at the SDSFF and immersed in such a rich surf culture,” says Kelly Kingston, president of the Florida-based non profit. “It was so wonderful to be a part of an event where surfers celebrate the sport. We are so appreciative of the donation made by the SDSFF to our non profit. We love partnering with groups and events that are like minded and focused on giving back. The crew at the film festival was outstanding. Everything was perfect and we cannot wait for next year!”

Famous surfer Linda Benson, who was joined by other legends such as Skip Frye and  Mike Hynson at the SDSFF, also looks forward to next year’s festival.
“The first annual San Diego Surf Film Festival was all about the love of surfing,” Benson says. “Everyone involved worked endlessly to make this a special event and it showed. Bird’s Surf SHED was a perfect venue. The committee selected a wide range of films that reflected the spirit and culture of our sport. Great vibe!”

Eric “Bird” Huffman, owner of Bird’s Surf SHED, plans to help keep the SDSFF stoke going for 2013.
“The surfing as well as the entire San Diego community deserves to have unique little areas throughout the county where different forms of creativity can be shown or displayed,” Huffman says. “The talent pool here is vast in all areas. Quite a few of these gifted people have no funds to gain the exposure that is due to them. Small intimate venues can often times provide an affordable way to make this happen. It would be very nice if this fine city of ours would rally behind these independent businesses and help them in all ways possible.”

For more information on the San Diego Surf Film Festival, visit http://sandiegosurffilmfestival.com/







SDSFF Trailer
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SDSFF at Bird's Surf Shed
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