Boardriders World Surf Film Festival

Overview

The Boardriders World Surf Film Festival is the world's most important surf film festival. Founded in 2003 and held annually in multiple coastal locations worldwide, the festival presents the best surf films of the year alongside ocean conservation and coastal culture programming.

Surf film has its own rich tradition, from the early Bruce Brown films (The Endless Summer, 1966) through the progression of surf documentary to contemporary action sports filmmaking that uses the latest drone and underwater cinematography techniques. The sport's global community -- from Hawaii and Australia to California, Portugal, Indonesia, and South Africa -- creates a worldwide audience for high-quality surf cinema.

The festival's touring format takes it to surf communities where the audience has the deepest personal connection to the sport and its culture.

Key Sections

• Feature Surf Film Competition -- competitive surf feature films
• Short Surf Film Competition -- competitive surf short films
• Ocean Conservation -- films addressing marine environment and climate impact on oceans
• Lifestyle and Culture -- films about coastal and surf culture beyond pure action
• Athlete Portraits -- documentary films about surfers

What Filmmakers Should Know

The festival accepts open submissions. For filmmakers working in surf and action sports film, this is the most important dedicated competitive platform. The conservation section creates specific context for films addressing ocean health and climate impacts on surf breaks.

Major Awards

• Best Surf Film -- jury prize
• Best Short Surf Film
• Audience Award

Festival History

The festival was founded in 2003 and has operated as the surf community's primary annual film event.

See Also

For adventure sports filmmaking, see Film Festival Strategy. For outdoor and nature cinema, see Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.