Sunday 26 July to Friday 1 August 2009
Pull in to the Wavescapes Surf Film Festival, proud partner of the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), for 6 days of surf films - a foamy mixture, from sub-zero surfing in swells from glaciers to eco-surfers studying our oceans; from cinematic interrogations of pros' minds to the premiere of home-grown movie Perfect Ten (10 years of Red Bull Big Wave Africa) from the jaws of Dungeons. Thanks to Save Our Seas Foundation!
Check you on the lawns at the Bay of Plenty, Sunday 26 July, or in the water at Suncoast Casino, Monday 27 July to Friday 1 August. Full DIFF programme: www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or contact on 031 260 2506 or 031 260 1816. For a full schedule, including all the synopses, download the PDF of our flyer here
THE GLACIER PROJECT
USA 2009, English, Video, 55 min
Directors: Ryan Casey and Brent Meeske
Cast: Kealii Mamala, Garrett McNamara
Print Source: Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
Mon 27 July Suncoast B 18h00; Thur 30 July Suncoast B 20h00
You will soon shiver in empathetic fear as 400 foot glaciers cave into the sea, huge chunks slamming into the water – the world's biggest wave machine. Your teeth will chatter at the idea that you can die from ice shrapnel fired from the crack of detonating ice. Big wave surfers Kealii Mamala and Garrett McNamara kak themselves on a bizarre mission to Alaska, dodging falling glacial ice to ride its wave. This is crazy stuff. Success will bring back-pats and warm cheer at pioneering a fast-dwindling frontier. Failure means death.
BLACK PEOPLE DON'T SWIM
South Africa 2008, English, Video, 47 min
Director: Lucilla Blankenberg
Cast: Kwezi Qika, Shaun Tomson
Print Source: Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
Mon 27 July Suncoast B 22h30; Thur 30 July Suncoast B 18h00
Cut to a beanie-clad comedian standing in a spotlight: "When white people dance, they swim. When black people swim, they drown." This documentary follows junior longboard champion Kwezi Qika during an episode in his life (literally). It investigates myth and stereotype, which is chucked into the trash, and hails the sacrifice made by his domestic worker mum. Music by Roger Lucey, superb wave riding by Kwezi, and a cameo by Shaun Tomson.
LUCILLA BLANKENBERG is a Cape Town-based filmmaker and partner in the production company Idol Pictures. She studied Communications and Psychology through UNISA and filmmaking at City Varsity in Cape Town. She has worked as producer, director and editor on many documentaries and has also produced and directed the youth magazine show Sex, Drugs & HIV.
FLY IN THE CHAMPAGNE
USA 2009, English, Video, 48 min
Director: Iron Bros Productions
Cast: Andy Irons, Kelly Slater
Print Source: Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
Sun 26 July Bay 18h00; Fri 31 July Suncoast B 18h00
Is it a case of No Kandui? The aptly titled film documents the fierce rivalry between Andy Irons and Kelly Slater. It comes to a head on Kandui Island in Indo, one of the most insane lefthand barrels in the world. With top cinematographers and action sports personality Sal Masekela, son of South African jazz legend Hugh Masekela, helping to produce the film, it's a slick production jam-packed with visuals of breathtaking quality. Little wonder: you have two of the best surfers in the business to drive the subject matter.
IRONS BROTHERS PRODUCTIONS is a surfing production company owned by Andy and Bruce Irons, two of the most influential surfers in the world, and managed by editor and producer Matt Beauchesne. Irons Brothers Productions specializes in company and signature films, television programming, web content, corporate commercials and much more.
INSIDE TEAHUPOO
USA 2008, English, Video, 35 min
Director: Red Bull
Cast:
Print Source: Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
Tues 28 July Suncoast B 20h00; Fri 31 July Suncoast B 18h00
In late 2007, a team of elite big wave surfers volunteered to test a revolutionary new camera system. Their destination: Teahupoo, Tahiti, into the heart of one of the heaviest waves known to man. With almost 10 kilograms strapped to their backs, they made repeated attempts to capture the most spectacular footage ever seen in a barrel. If successful, the audience would visually experience a wave like never before. And were they? Four days later, the biggest swell in years hit and the entire big wave community descended. This is your chance to look inside Teahupoo.
MUSICA SURFICA
Australia 2008, English, Video, 46 min
Director: Mick Sowry
Cast: Richard Tognetti, Derek Hynd, Tom Carroll
Print Source: Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
Mon 27 July Suncoast B 22h30; Fri 31 July Suncoast B 20h00
A unique gathering of classical musicians and surfers join to open minds. They demonstrate the benefits of taking risks in art. Shot on King Island in Southern Australia, the documentary follows one man's creative journey, Richard Tognetti, leading violinist and Artistic Director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, as he seeks new inspiration from traditional and classical music. He teams up with J-Bay home owner and frequent visitor Derek Hynd, one of the world's most influential surfers, who challenges him, Tom Carroll, and others to ride an un-finned surfboard that demands fresh thinking, or ancient methods, to keep control.
Australian freelancer MICK SOWRY studied industrial and graphic design at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. His passion and experience lies in art direction, copywriting and documentary making. Musica Surfica won the award for Best Feature at The New York Surf Film Festival.
ON A RAIL: EUROPE
USA 2009, English, Video, 24 min
Director: Timothy Ryan
Cast: Dylan Graves, Blake Jones, Dane Ward
Print Source: Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
Tues 28 July Suncoast B 18h00; Wed 29 July Suncoast B 22h15
Dylan Graves, Blake Jones and Dane Ward find epic surf while touring the lavish and storied lands of coastal Europe while soaking up the diverse melting pot of cultures. From scoring waves in super-fun French beach breaks, barrelling Spain and pumping perfection in Scotland the boys do it all on this trip. A grassroots way of travelling turns into a cultural implosion through one of the most-travelled destinations in the world. Shot on brilliant full-HD, the stunning imagery will impress as the movie unfolds into a memoir for most that have travelled Europe by the famed Eurail.
TIMOTHY RYAN has shot, directed and edited numerous action sports movies. He founded his own production company, Tar Productions, and works on broadcast and commercial projects. On a Rail is his first self-produced feature.
ONE TRACK MIND
USA 2008, English, Video, 36 min
Director: Chris Malloy
Cast: Jordy Smith, Kelly, Taj Barrow, Mick Fanning, Rob Machado, Occy, Tom Curren
Print Source: Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
Thur 30 July Suncoast B 20h00
A quick-fire burst of adrenal overload by master filmmaker Chris Malloy (September Sessions, Thicker than Water) as we go into the hearts and minds of pro surfers, including Jordy, Kelly, Taj, Mick, AI, Parko, and Machado. Includes chats with Curren, Occy and many others. Like the other flicks Chris Malloy has made, the music is a standout. A truly epic soundtrack makes you want to paddle off your seat and get barrelled down the aisle. A rhythmic exploration of the evolution techniques as espoused by one of the most prolific surfers of our time.
Surfer CHRIS MALLOY is part of Woodshed Films (a.k.a. The Moonshine Conspiracy), which is a collective of artists and surfers who produced films that capture experiences. Malloy is the first director to premiere a film on the social networking site Facebook.
OUT THERE
USA 2008, English, Video, 55 min
Directors: Steve Jones, Todd Jones and Corey Gavitt
Cast: Shane Dorian, Ian Walsh, David Rastovich, Greg Long, Jordy, Jamie Stirling
Print Source: Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
Tues 28 July Suncoast B 18h00; Wed 29 July Suncoast B 22h15
Cool collaboration between the Surfrider Foundation and Teton Gravity Research to highlight the plight of endangered surf spots in Chile, Galapagos, Tahiti, California, El Salvador and Hawaii. The good, the bad and the ugly – okay mostly the latter two - of pollution and humankind's impact on our oceans. Among the issues include threats to Trestles in Southern California, pulp mill pollution in Southern Chile and unrestricted development along Hawaii's famed North Shore and in Tahiti. Cutting edge cinematography with board-cams, water-cams, land perspectives, jet-ski follow cams, and aerial cinematography.
STEVE JONES, TODD JONES, and COREY GAVITT are known particularly for their gonzo ski films, and their exploits in cold climes such as Alaska and Norway, these are the owner filmmakers of Teton Gravity Research, a film company that travels the world on unique film projects to capture the essence of mountains, snow and now surf. They made Untracked: Surfing Norway, Shack Therapy, The Tangerine Dream, Anomaly, and Under the Influence.
PERFECT TEN
South Africa 2009, English, Video, 47 min
Director: Neil Webster
Cast: Competitors and organisers over 10 years of the event
Print Source: Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
Wed 29 July Suncoast B 20h00; Fri 31 July Suncoast B 20h00
A decade of hardcore wave-riding around the Cape of Storms culminated in the most epic Red Bull Big Wave Africa of all in 2008. Held in glassy 20 foot surf at Dungeons, it was a fitting end to an era. Perfect Ten looks back, but with special focus on the 2008 event, won by incorrigible Durbanite Grant 'Twiggy' Baker. The energy, the carnage of big wave surfing, the bravado, and the mullets who make it their mission are all captured in a fast-paced action doccie that celebrates
South African big wave riding.
NEIL WEBSTER is a documentary filmmaker who specialises in documenting extreme sports and social and environmental issues. Neil has been involved in the film industry since 1996, and has worked on commercials and numerous documentaries and South African lifestyle shows.
WATERMAN
USA 2008, English, Video, 55 min
Directors: Don King, Sonny Miller and Jeff Hornbaker
Cast: Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama, Gerry Lopez, Rob Machado, Malloy brothers
Print Source: Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
Tues 28 July Suncoast B 20h00
A multi-disciplined exploration of surfing roots and off shoots as Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama, Gerry Lopez and Rob Machado – with Chris, Keith and Dan Malloy – cruise perfect Indo on the ultimate boat trip. So it should be – they're on the five-star Indies Trader IV! A classic collective of some of the most influential surfers in the world. Legendary cameraman Don King, who had five cinematographers churning out giga-bytes from tripods, swimmers, little boats, big boats, trees, and scuba divers. As Kalama says, "If I'm dreaming, don't wake me up." Pass me the caviar and cigar my bra.
DON KING is an acclaimed cameraman and cinematographer who has worked on top surfing and box office hit films, including Riding Giants, Lords of Dogtown, In God’s Hands, Endless Summer 2, and TV series such as Lost, and Raging Planet. SONNY MILLER's surf filmography spans three decades. Miller is one of surfing’s most respected lensman. He was instrumental in the visuals of cult classic The Search. JEFF HORNBAKER completes perhaps the most famous trio of surf film lensman. Hornbaker directed Waterman and a host of other surf films.
WELCOME TO MY PARADISE
South Africa/USA 2009, English and Zulu with English subtitles, Video, 21 min
Director: Rhonda Klevansky
Cast: Xolani Sibiya, George Joao Benjamin
Print Source: Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
Mon 27 July Suncoast B 18h00; Tues 28 July Ekhaya 12h00; Thur 30 July Suncoast B 18h00
A tight documentary about the sandcastle builders of the Bay of Plenty in Durban. The filmmaker
delves into the story of Xolani Sibiya and his side-kick George Joao Benjamin. Through rich visuals edited into a 'day-in-the-life' sequence of beach life, sandcastles and social interaction, interspersed with personal insights and anecdotes, the film goes further than the beautiful sculptures tourists and locals see on the beach.
Filmmaker in attendance
RHONDA KLEVANSKY is a photographer, writer and filmmaker. She has worked on documentary films for various broadcasters including the BBC, SABC, Television New Zealand and the Discovery Channel. Originally from Durban, Rhonda currently resides in the USA. She is the director of Ibis Eye Images LLC in North Carolina.
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