Big Wave Film Drops
Friday 23 November 2018 The world premiere of Cape Town big wave surf flick Satori Film hits the screen tomorrow as part of the Wavescape Surf & Ocean Festival and you need to be there, writes Spike.
SHOULDER HOPPING: Rick and crew getting up close and personal at Dungeons Photo supplied
Made by award winning director Rick Wall (who won accolades for his cycling film Tour of Ara including selection at the Banff Mountain Film Festival), Satori Film documents a hardy group of Cape Town surfers who have dedicated their lives to the ocean and riding huge waves at Dungeons and Sunset.
The film, which will be screened this Saturday at Jack Black’s Taproom in Diep River, (Get tickets HERE), is part of a big wave theme at the festival.
Big wave surfing, although underground and practised by a small core of hardy surfers, lies at the centre of the surfing community of Cape Town. Dungeons and Sunset are equally as scary and as beautiful as the internationally famous breaks like Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach, Mavericks and Nazare in Portugal. Also, Cape Town people are fascinated with the weather and the giant waves that lash the Cape of Storms. The big wave theme was a natural fit for the festival.
CAMERA GUY: Rick Wall won accolades for his film Tour of Ara. Photo James Puttick
Satori Film is set to become the de rigeur story of the heart and soul of the Cape Town big wave surfing crew, including up and coming youngsters, some who were as young as 14 when they first rode Dungeons.
The perfect antidote to commercialised sycophancyThe film is a unique deviation from tired cliches. It exudes a salty authenticity that is the perfect antidote to the commercialised sycophancy expressed via the obsession with drama that pollutes the narrative of big wave surfing while labouring under the unrealistic weight of expectation of sponsors and surf brands. As big wave hellman and adventurer Chris Bertish has said: "In big wave surfing you have to be 100% immersed in the moment. It forces you back into the present. And that’s where life is experienced at it’s fullest."
The film includes Interviews with top big wave surfers such as former world champion Cass Collier, multiple world champion Twiggy Baker and Bertish, who we all know and love for his mad exploits like winning the Mavericks Challenge on half an hour's sleep, a borrowed board and under-jocks that were too tight. Oh and he crossed the ocean on a SUP gnawing on a piece of seagull biltong.
FREEZE FRAME: Looking through an imaginary lens to capture the composition. Photo Supplied
Images from past iterations:
{gallery}SLIDESHOW/2018/november/wavescape-fest-past-highlights{/gallery}
About the Wavescape Surf & Ocean Festival
Takes place Cape Town between 12 November and 9 December 2018 with favourites the Artboard Project, Clifton Beach Screening, Slide Night, Film Festival and Filmmakers’ Master Class. The 2018 iteration includes world premiere of Satori Film, a Cape Town big wave surfing documentary; launch of The Sexy, Ugly, Beautifuls book with John McCarthy; the Spike Swell Course; Big Wave Night & Exhibition; and Beach Co-op Beach Clean-up. All proceeds from Artboard go to ocean beneficiaries NSRI, Waves for Change, Shark Spotters, 9Miles Project, Ocean Pledge, Beach Co-op and South African Adaptive Surfing. Last year’s art auction raised R772,000. The highest priced board by Kirsten Sims fetched R130,000. The Festival headline partner is Jack Black Beer. Supporting partners are Wesgro, Vans, Petco, Marine Stewardship Council, Long Beach Capital, Gone, Mami Wata, York Surf, and Zigzag.
Programme 2018
Mon 12-19 Nov: Big Wave Surfboard Exhibition, Jack Black’s Taproom
Thu 15 Nov: 6.30pm, Big Wave Night w/ Cape big wave surfers, Jack Black's Taproom
Mon 19-28 Nov: Artboard Project Exhibition, Jack Black's Taproom (11 surfboards)
Wed 28 Nov: 7pm, Artboard Auction with Nik Rabinowitz, Jack Black's Taproom
Thu 22 Nov: 6.30pm, forecaster Spike Swell Course, Sports Science Institute
Sat 24 Nov: From 6pm, premiere Satori Film (documentary), Jack Black's Taproom
Fri 30 Nov: 7pm, book launch, Sexy Ugly Beautifuls, with John McCarthy, Rolling Wood
Sat 1 Dec: 3pm, Beach Co-op beach clean-up and beach activation, Queens Beach
Sat 1 Dec: 8pm, Outdoor Film Night, Clifton 4th Beach
Mon 3 Dec: 7pm, Slide Night, Centre for the Book
Wed 5 Dec: 6.30pm, Masterclass for developing filmmakers, InvestSA One Stop Shop
Thu 6-9 Dec: 6.15pm / 8.15pm, surfing and ocean films, Labia Cinema
Sat 1-2 Dec, Sat 8-9 Dec: Swim Free Confidence courses with John McCarthy
More details: www.wavescapefestival.com
Book tickets: http://qkt.io/s11QNE
Social Media: Instagram and Twitter @WavescapeSA
Facebook.com/WavescapeFestival
#WavescapeFestival #BigWaveNight #ArtboardProject #ArtboardAuction #SatoriFilm #SlideNight #SpikeSwellCourse #SexyUglyBeautifuls #WesgroMasterClass #Clifton4thfilmnight #BeachCleanup #Surffilmfestival #LabiaCinema #Surffilms #jackblackbeer
@jackblackbeer @jackblackstaproom @petco1ispet @york.surf @gone_outdoor @vans66_za @zigzagsurf @mamiwatasurf @wesgro @nsristation26kommejie @sharkspotters @thebeachco_op @oceanpledge @9milesproject @adaptivesurfingsouthafrica @wavesforchange
Thanks to our partners
