All Set for Clifton 4th!

A frisky SE looks to be backing off more to the SE at Clifton 4th Beach tomorrow evening, and conditions look kiff for a bumper night of six free Wavescape Festival screenings starting 9pm sharp.

This year, after listening to feedback from folk who've come down to the idyllic beach in past years, we're screening a meatier lineup with a total of 95 minutes of screen time, and with movies catering for all tastes and disciplines (see synopses and trailers below).

Three of the six films document South African stories: The Mill Park Series – a gritty promo for urban renewal at the Gardens Skate Park in Cape Town; Disguised by Nature – an insight into top South African surfer Bianca Buitendag; and Ode to Simplicity – a soulful short about wooden surfboard and handgun craftsmen Andrew Strode.

The other three films are the last short, Edges of Sanity – a lyrical moody short film set in Ireland; and two medium films in I had Too Much to Dream Last Night (insane drone footage, rad surf trip Indo bombs); and Pipeline and Kelly Slater (jaw-dropping account of the best of the North Shore last winter).

So pull into on the beach with your picnic baskets and blankets. The Save Our Seas Foundation will entertain and educate filmgoers with awareness activations about sharks with their #goodsharkkarma campaign. The folks from Banana Peel SA, a cool new flip flop brand that is hitting SA shores, will be handing out cool little gifts, while the Wavescape few will give away a host of prizes, including a weekend for two at Mykonos, and surf gear.

The Wavescape Festival, presented by Pick n Pay and supported by the Save Our Seas Foundation, WWF-SASSI, Red Bull Media House, Jack Black Beer, Banana Peel, Mens Health and Zigzag, celebrates surf culture and ocean sustainability with a record 33 films from around the world.

Films continue at the Brass Bell, Kalk Bay, from 7-10 December, and Labia Cinema, Orange Street, from 11-14 December. Films are free at Clifton 4th Beach, and R35 at Labia and Brass Bell.

Get the wavescape app from your app store. For info see www.wavescapefestival.com

ODE TO SIMPLICITY

South Africa/ 2014/ 4:47 / Directed by Andrew Strode

Carpenter Andrew Strode is more than that. He’s an artist and a shaper with a passion for nature and craftsmanship. Strode talks about wood as his favourite raw material for building boards. He loves bodysurfing, and his blind dog that is addicted to the ocean. But the key thing is simplicity..

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EDGES OF SANITY

2014 / 8:12 min / Directed by Chris McClean

It’s been said. On far shores, weary mariners hear voices. Songs so beautiful they cast a spell. There is no choice but to hear. But be careful. Davey Jones is not your friend. Yet.

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THE MILL PARK SERIES LAUNCH

South Africa/ 2014/ 2:40 min / Directed by Rowen Smith

Below the concrete underbelly of M3 as it heads into Cape Town, lies the Gardens Skate Park. The Mill Park Series is a gritty little promo for urban renewal.

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DISGUISED BY NATURE

South Africa /10 min / Directed by Dan Mace

Surfers Bianca Buitendag and Johanne Defay, go on a trip to Australia, where they kick off the professional season. Wanting to create more than just a standard surfing film, Dan focusses on the travelling, the stories and the lifestyle of being a surfer, with beautiful cinematography and editing. And, of course, the film features some great surfing as well!

Website: www.instagram.com/danthedirector

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I HAD TOO MUCH TO DREAM LAST NIGHT

Indonesia/ 2014/ 37 min / HD / Directed by Dustin Humphrey

Ay bru, like I had too much to dream about last night. Something about this this rich, multiple-view piece about two surfer bros shredding the waves of Indo will tug at any surfer’s heart strings. Sit back, suck on that craft beer and become one with the kiff soundtrack as you trip the barrel fantastic to the planet’s premier wave eden: from glassy points to sketchy slabs at the end of nowhere. Fire up my drone, I’m coming home!

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PIPELINE AND KELLY SLATER Oakley Wave of the Winter Documentary

Hawaii /2014/ 32 min / Directed by Marc Beaty

Surfline's Wave of the Winter rewards the surfer who successfully rides the single best wave of the winter on the North Shore. Kelly Slater won last year - a cool $25,000 for Wave of the Winter crown and $20,000 for Overall Performance. But aside from documenting his memorable winter, this film spotlights every notable wave ridden during the North Shore winter and is loaded with colorful insights from some of the world's best surfers. Hoorah!

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