Described by its founder Jesca Maas as “a celebration of surf culture through film, music and art”, the Noosa International Surfilm Festival is set to turn Noosa Junction into a surf culture hub from 8 to 11 August, with screenings from film-makers around the globe, Q and A sessions with directors and surf stars, and thought-provoking forums over four days and nights.
Noosa Event Cinemas will host the screenings, New York Minute Burger Bar will be the home of the Festival Club and the Noosa Surf Museum will host the forums.
Jesca says that since moving to Noosa she has found inspiration in the region’s natural beauty, a driving force behind her decision to settle here. As an avid ocean enthusiast, her connection with the environment runs deep, complemented by her passion for holistic health and wellbeing.
An accomplished event manager with a postgraduate certificate in arts and entertainment
management, Jesca has a rich portfolio of successful events, including the IronmanWA
Carnival, acclaimed Australian film festival CinefestOZ, and the creation of the Yallingup
Surfilm Festival, which broke new ground when it ran in Western Australia in 2010 and 2012, with attendees from all over the country and the world, as well as from the surf-mad locals of the Margaret River region.
The Noosa International Surfilm Festival is a competition for shorts and features, with submission criteria being that “all films must have an inspiring story, be that humanitarian, environmental, health and wellbeing, spiritual or travel-based”. Awards will be offered for best feature, best short (maximum 30 minutes), and best cinematography. The submission period has just closed, and Jesca reports that the quality of the films is high.
She is also excited about the distinguished judging panel, including journalist and author Tim
Baker, film-makers Jon Frank, Mick Sowry, Nathan Oldfield, Lauren Hill, Spencer Frost, and
local new talent Hunter Vercoe, as well as local surfing identities Kirra Molnar, Peppie Simpson and Cr Tom Wegener.
Says Jesca: “The Noosa International Surfilm Festival will be a dedicated gathering for surfers and enthusiasts of surf culture and the ocean. Our aim is to celebrate and explore the rich surf culture that has been an integral part of the Noosa region for many years, bringing together Australian and international surf film-makers and artists to showcase their work, providing a platform for diverse influences on surf culture from around the world. In addition to celebrating surf culture and the arts, our festival is committed to raising awareness of environmental and social issues in meaningful ways.”
The full rollout of festival screenings is still to come, but a couple of flicks I’m really looking forward to are Ishka Folkwell’s Calypte, the saga of Torren Martyn and Aiyana Powell’s voyage of discovery in Indo and Indian Ocean waters, which has had rave reviews, and Channel Man, Nicholas Cupelli’s biopic on the late and much-lamented Newcastle Col Smith, a brilliant surfer and channel bottom pioneer. And in the program of intriguing short and very short films is one on my very short and inspiring little mate Hunter Williams, a surfing renaissance man in the making at 10 years of age. Can’t wait to catch that one.
For all info and to get your tickets and merchandise go to noosaisff.com.au
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NOTE: A little birdie tells Brine that early bird tickets (10 per cent off) are still available until the end of this weekend, ahead of the full program launch from 1 July.
The EOFY surf sale
Everyone is having an end of financial year sale, so I thought I’d get on the bandwagon, but the reality is I eliminated a storage shed from the equation and need to get rid of a bunch of surf memorabilia treasures that are making my passage from home office to kitchen difficult if not impossible.
Stuff’s got to go and among it I have old and rare books, new books signed by the author, surf mags, photos and art, surf movies on DVD, a few original art pieces, framed and unframed, Hawaiian shirts, comp tees, and even a bit of as-new camping gear. Do yourselves a favour, as Molly used to say, and rock along for a gander. Crazy prices, cash or card.
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June, 9am-1pm, 4/19 Munna Crescent Noosaville.
