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The inaugural Jersey Surf Film Festival opens today with a programme of film screenings, workshops and beach activities, topped up with plenty of waves.
Organised in partnership with Jersey National Park, the five-day event is a "a celebration of the sea, the community and the beautiful environment of St Ouen's Bay."
But even if the name of the festival seems to indicate otherwise, not all screenings will be about surfing. Filmmaker Rebecca Coley explained: "The movies are about people transformed by the sea, about diving, fishing, bodysurfing. The festival is about coming out together, celebrate the sea and watching a movie."
The festival will officially launch at 19:30 with a free event at Madhatter Surf Shop at Red Houses in St Brelade. The evening will celebrate "Sea Sirens" with four short films on bodysurfing, female surfing and the story of the first female Indonesian Surfing Champio, followed by a screening of "Church of the Open Sky." The movie by award-winning filmmaker Nathan Oldfield was shot in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka, and has been described as "a sea soaked celebration of the exquisite preciousness of being alive."
Other screenings during the week will include "Fish People" by Keith Malloy, which tells the stories of surfers, spearfishers, coal miners and a group of at-risk kids in San Francisco and how they were transformed by the sea on Friday at 19:30 at El Tico (free) and "Given," about legendary surfers Aamion and Daize Goodwin from their island home of Kauai through 15 different countries in the quest for surf on Sunday at 19:00 at Madhatter (free.)
The Surf Film Fest will also present a preview screening of "Point of Change," a documentary by Rebecca Coley, at the Watersplash on Saturday at 19:30. The film tells the true story of Nias island from an ancient megalithic culture, to the discovery of the legendary right hand 'perfect wave' in the 1970s, through to today. The preview screening will be followed by a concert by folk rock artist Lloyd Yates (£8 for the film or £15 for the film and concert.)
Video: Lloyd Yates will perform following the preview screening of 'Point of Change'.
But movies is not everything the festival is about. Ms Coley explained: "It is more than just about surf, it's about promoting the National Park. We want people to embrace it and take care of it. We would like the bay to be a single-use-plastic free beach. Our aim is that people become more aware of the beautiful environment in the bay and in Jersey and start looking after it."
As such the programme also include outdoors activities such as Beach Yoga with Jennifer Moore on Sunday at 09:00 as well as a beach clean and group swim at 10:00. Local wildlife expert, Mike Stentiford MBE, will take participants on a nature walk in Jersey National Park, starting from Kempt Tower at 10:30. A second walk will depart from the Frances Le Sueur Centre at 14:30 to uncover the history of the land that is known as La Mielle de Morville (free).
Pictured: Mike Stentiford MBE will will take participants on a Nature walk in Jersey National Park. (Sophie Williams)
On Thursday, Jersey photographers, including Matt Porteous, Dave Ferguson, Luke Hosty and Robbie Dark will take part in Talk Story at Big Vern's. The £30 ticket include a three-course dinner starting at 19:30. On Friday, Laneez and Jersey Recovery College will celebrate good mental health from 15:00 to 19:00 at the White Hut for "Fluro Friday. The afternoon of fun, fluro and surf will include diving in the sea in fluorescent gear.
Finally, the entries to the first Channel Island surf film competition will be screened on Saturday between 14:00 and 17:00. The entries will be judged by surfer Keith Malloy and longboard icon Belinda Baggs, a personal hero of Ms Coley and special guest of the opening event, at the Nutz Factory in St Mary.
Pictured: Professional long boarder Belinda Baggs is the festival's special guest. (Robbie Dark)
While most of the events of this first festival are free, the organisers are asking for donations that will be shared between four chosen charities, Jersey Recovery College, Surfers Against Sewage, 5 Gyres, dedicated to researching the issue of plastics in the world’s oceans and the Bukit Lawang Trust, which runs a free education centre in the North of Indonesia.
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