A Quick Conversation With Filmmaker Jack Coleman

BY PMK

Jack Coleman’s fourth independent feature length surf film Groove Move celebrates the heart and soul of surfing with the world’s top experimental board riders, from the depths of the underground to well recognized sea gliders.  Groove Move was filmed on location in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Mexico, and California, and shot on SUPER 8 film digitally transferred to HD, giving viewers a far out experience. The SDSFF is stoked to present this film during our UNDERTOW VIP PARTY, Wednesday May 7 from 7 p.m.- 11 p.m. at Karl Strauss Brewery Tasting Room, Downtown San Diego. (This event is for VIP Nautilus Pass holders).

PMK recently caught up with Jack, who is already on to his next adventure.

Welcome back from the 70's.  Your film is packed full of surfing's counterculture icons. How was it wrangling all these fine folks together to make Groove Move?

 JC: It wasn’t easy!!! I feel like it took me five years to figure it out. I thought I wanted to shoot short boarding, but this film made me look inside myself and really think about what I was shooting. So it's been a long process of figuring out how I could get these guys in my films. I think all the work I've done over the years helped me to get the big guys like Rasta, Machado, Burch and Joel; they respect that I'm shooting film and doing it all on my own. Honestly, it all seems unreal that I'm getting to meet and shoot with my favorite modern surfers. I'm truly blessed and so proud to represent them in my films.

 

Explain your draw to alternative surf craft.

JC: I think alternative crafts give you a better glide – that feeling of the wave doing all the work and you as the surfer flowing with what it gives you. Mainstream short boards are only fun for certain moments and specific conditions. Riding alternative craft gives you room to explore.

I heard something about Australia. Give us a breakdown on your summer plans and what's next.

JC: I'm in LAX  air terminal right now as I type. I’m off to Australia  for 23 days. I’m going to be showing the film a few times during my trip. I’m also going to film with my Aussie talent who lives over there. I’ll be staying on the East Coast and doing a few missions up and down the coast. I have another fairly unknown talent who lives in that zone, and I wanted to feature him in my next film. I’m pretty excited about showcasing new talent like Ari Browne and Justin Adams. I’ll be surfing too -whenever I'm not shooting. I’m going to take some time on my next film – it'll probably be out next summer. I really love my cast and they are my favorite surfers on the planet, so I'm going to keep it tight with those guys all year and keep flying under the corporate radar.

Thanks Jack, we look forward to seeing your next great adventure on film. Hoots & shakas!

 Check out the Groove Move trailer:

SHOOT FOR THE SKYE: A CHAT WITH SDSFF 2014 ART DIRECTOR SKYE WALKER

BY PMK

I had the opportunity recently to spend some time with our good friend Skye Walker, SDSFF 2014 artistic director. While he acknowledged that he has big shoes to fill, I  knew he had it in him.  Now that I have seen the new SDSFF artwork,  program and logo overhaul, I feel sorry for whoever is next.

What process did you go through to become the artistic director for the third annual SDSFF?

I was asked to be a contributing artist at the first SDSFF in 2012, and it was an amazing event.  Joe Hodnicki was the art director and he killed it. Then in 2013 Matt Beard stepped things up and killed it with his art direction, and we had a great art show together as well. So then I was asked to be art director and  the featured artist for 2014.  I am totally honored to be involved and to put my spin on the poster design and all of the other fun activities.

Describe the first two film festivals and what the SDSFF means to the community?

San Diego was in dire need of this event. Surfing is such an integral part of our community and California coastal living. The film festival brought out the professionals and the amateur filmmakers alike to not only submit films but to watch films and celebrate wave riding in the form of movies --  and who doesn’t like a great surf movie?  The first year was awesome. I submitted a fun short film called ‘The Escape’ about body surfing; it was so fun to see it on the big screen with people hooting and cheering. The second year was even bigger and more people caught wind of what a rad event it was, so people were coming out of the woodwork to froth over great films and all around stoke. It reminded me of the surf films that traveled around back in the day, like Endless Summer, and it evoked a sense of excitement and adventure in people that can’t be matched with other film festivals. Plus, you walk out of each showing feeling totally stoked to surf, make a surf film and help protect the oceans. Plus, Birds Surf Shed as a venue… insane!

Amazing artwork by Skye Walker

How would you describe yourself as an artist and how you fit in with the SDSFF?

While I do a lot of different kinds of art like paintings, illustrations, cartoons and large scale murals, ocean related art has always been on my mind -- whether it’s art with a more serious tone on reclaimed wood or more illustrative work that taps into the playful fun nature of surfing, I’m always thinking of new ways to create art with different perspectives on the ocean environments that we all love.  And since my work taps into those ocean/surf themes, I think it fits well with the subject matter of the film fest.

Who are your influences and what path has your art been taking?

The ocean, waves and its sea life is a constant source of inspiration for my work. I’ve been doing a lot of work on reclaimed wood and materials lately. The reclaimed wood takes on a life of it’s own with the grain and paint interacting with each other, and it really gives the eye something fun to look at versus flat art. The nice thing is that while the ocean stays fairly constant as a source of inspiration, the directions your art can be taken are endless. I do try to incorporate a bit of an environmental message whenever I can in my work because at the end of the day we can’t just take and take and enjoy the ocean and our environments without helping out or giving back.

What is your favorite thing about surfing and being in the water?

No phone. No computer. No distractions. It’s just you and the sea and feeling the energy of the water all around you. Gliding across a wave, getting an amazing barrel vision or just watching a wave go unridden with pelicans cruising along the surface. It’s like nothing else on earth and can’t be beaten or duplicated.

Would you be SDSFF art director again?

Hell yes… but only if I get surf lessons from Tom Curren.

What are some art events we can expect for this year's SDSFF?

There’s so much to be excited about with the film fest this year! I’m particularly excited for The Undertow VIP Party that’s kicking things off on Wednesday, May 7th. It’s happening at  Karl Strauss Brewery in San Diego and will have all kinds of rad things going on. There will be live music by the Saline Solutions, epic Karl Strauss beer, dakine grinds by Daphne’s California Greek, surf films & goodie bags for all the Nautilus Pass holders. It’s also a one night only “Gallery” event with original art by Matt Beard, Gage Hingeley, Joe Hodnicki and your’s truly. And that’s just the first night!

I’m also stoked that our friends over at MIZU  are providing us with a filtered water station at the film festival. Bring your own water bottle (or I’ll have some limited edition Skye Walker art water bottles for sale at the door) and fill up your bottle for free with fresh, clean drinking water so you can stay hydrated for all the films. This saves plastic water bottles from going into the trash and the ocean. 

Plus, there are other cool things that are going to happen, but I don’t want to give away all the surprises. It’s going to be the best San Diego Surf Film Festival yet!

To see more of Skye's amazing artwork visit: www.skyewalkerart.com

PMK

San Diego Surf Film Festival 2014 Raffle Benefits School Surf Teams

The San Diego Surf Film Festival (SDSFF) 2014 will give local scholastic surf teams a financial boost as well as a chance to win thousands of dollars in prizes via a countywide raffle. The annual SDSFF (http://www.sandiegosurffilmfestival.com/), which will be held May 7-10, 2014 at Bird’s Surf Shed, has contributed profits from previous raffles to several national non-profit organizations.

“This year we wanted to provide support for scholastic surfing throughout San Diego County,” said SDSFF co-creator and director Pierce Kavanagh. “Surf teams and clubs offer great guidance at a challenging time in a kid’s life, and we are proud to be able to help out in any way we can.”

The deadline for surf teams to sign up is Feb. 1. Raffle tickets will be distributed to surf team coaches by Feb. 26. Raffle tickets will be sold by participating student surf teams between March 1 and April 21, 2014, with the grand prizes chosen May 10 at the SDSFF film awards ceremony. These raffle tickets can be sold to anybody, anywhere and the winner need not be present to win.

SURF TEAM/CLUB PRIZES AND BENEFITS:

*$2 of each $5 raffle ticket sold goes directly back to the surf team. (Our goal is to

raise $2,000‐$3,000 for each participating team).

*Top student raffle ticket seller wins a brand new surfboard. (Retail value $750)

*Student selling the winning raffle ticket wins a GoPro Hero 3+ package ($400)

*Second place student raffle ticket seller wins a GoPro Hero 3+ package ($400)

*Third place student raffle ticket seller wins a brand new Patagonia wetsuit. ($300)

*Top three ticket selling schools will be awarded a professional surfing video and photo

package for the entire team provided by misfit pictures. ($300)

* All participating students and coaches will be given a movie ticket to the 2014 San

Diego Surf Film Festival.

* All participating students and coaches are invited to a special VIP surf party May

11 by the SDSFF with great surfers, waves, food, beverages and a bunch of additional prizes to be awarded.

SDSFF RAFFLE PRIZES TO BE AWARDED TO THE PUBLIC:

*GRAND PRIZE: SEVEN‐DAY ALL‐EXPENSES PAID DELUXE NICARAGUA SURF TRIP FOR TWO http://nicaxtremeadventures.com/ (Retail value‐ $4,000)

*GOLD PRIZE: BRAND NEW SURFBOARD (Retail value‐ $750)

*SILVER PRIZE: DELUXE GOPRO HER0 3+ CAMERA PACKAGE (Retail value‐ $600)

*BRONZE PRIZE: NEW PATAGONIA WETSUIT (Retail value‐ $400)

*COPPER PRIZE: DAPHNE’S CALIFORNIA GREEK PRIVATE CATERING EVENT FOR 25 FRIENDS (Retail value‐ $250)

For any additional information please contact:

Pierce Michael Kavanagh

805 680 1598

Founder/Creative Director‐ SDSFF

misfitpic@gmail.com

Andrea Siedsma

760 840 0494

SDSFF Raffle Manager/ PR

andrea@saltwatermedia.net

Second Annual San Diego Surf Film Festival Creates Colossal Wave of Stoke Around the Globe

By Andrea Siedsma
Photos by Glen Gorham

In just two years the San Diego Surf Film Festival has generated a colossal wave of stoke around the globe. From Australia to the UK, New England, Fiji and San Diego, SDSFF 2013 featured the finest in international surf cinema at the world famous Bird’s Surf Shed from May 8-12, 2013. The five-day festival, which attracted 1,700 people (up from 1,200 in 2012), also included live art and music, a beach clean-up and alternative surf session, as well as after parties. The SDSFF, the only one of its kind on the West Coast, spotlighted 42 films, 14 bands, and 16 filmmakers. Since 2012, the SDSFF has also raised $5,000 for charities.
This year’s festival far exceeded expectations for Pierce Kavanagh, who, along with his wife Petra, created the SDSFF in 2012.
“We worked tirelessly to set it all up, but the magic that was created in those five days was something special,” said Kavanagh (also known as PMK), an independent filmmaker who originally launched the SDSFF to give his peers a platform to showcase their work.

PMK

The SDSFF highlighted an eclectic mix of films and themes, from big wave surfing to New England surf culture, environmental and social responsibility, and beautiful cinematic and poetic shots of soul surfers around the world.

The SDSFF 2013 awards include:

·         Best Feature:  The Heart and the Sea – Nathan Oldfield

·         Best Cinematography:  Intentio – Loic Wirth

·         Best Short: Of Souls+Water: The Warrior – Skip Armstrong

·         Emerging Filmmakers:   Dylan Ladds and Ryna Scura (New England Blood)

·         Honorable Mention: The Shaper – Jeremy Joyce, Rich Pearn & Rob Lockyear

·         Spirit of the SDSFF: Stokefest –  Andrew Quinn

“I'm really grateful for my experience with the San Diego Surf Film Festival,” said Australian filmmaker Nathan Oldfield, whose award-wining film The Heart and the Sea explores the joy that lies at the very center  of a surfing life – family, friends and a shared intimacy with the sea. “At all times, I had great communication with the festival organizers. The whole crew involved are really open and genuine, and they are all about supporting and celebrating independent surf films. As an independent filmmaker, events like the SDSFF are really important in terms of helping promote your work. Also, the organizers, judges and audience are all core surfers. So it means a lot to me personally that my film was embraced by such an audience of surf film aficionados.”

Filmmaker Nathan Oldfield

On the other side of the world, in the UK, filmmaker Matt Crocker was equally thrilled that his film The Endless Winter - A Very British Surf Movie made the SDSFF list.
“When we made The Endless Winter we hoped that it could be enjoyed worldwide, particularly in the big surf nations,” Crocker said. “For us to be screened in San Diego, to a room of hard core California surfers is a genuine honor and a massive deal for British surfing.”

Bird Huffman, owner of the Shed, said the festival was a complete success, and was impressed with the quality and variety of films.
“The films were great with a bit more polish on them perhaps than the year before…with a wider variety of artsy influences,” Huffman said. “It’s hard to put a top moment on the list in general, but the Greg Long film and the Q&A after was all time. I’m looking forward to next year already.”

Bird Huffman and Peter Townend Talkin' Story

What began as a venue to carry on the tradition of the “gathering of the tribes” has transformed into one of the most sought-after surf film festivals around the globe. SDSFF 2013 had a total of 75 film submissions from around the world, and another day was even added to the festival so more films could be seen.

“The SDSFF 2013 line-up was the finest in surf cinema and we praise the independent filmmakers for all of their incredible work,” Kavanagh said. “The SDSFF has an incredible spirit to it and I’m proud to be a part of it. This was my SDSFF Saturday, for example: I woke up early and headed down to a packed morning Beach Clean‐Up and Stokefest. About 50 people were already there scouring the shoreline and beyond for any signs of trash to collect. I have to tell you, this has to be one of my favorite sights in the world. This alone, made my day. But wait, there’s more. I headed back to Bird’s Surf Shed for a full day of amazing films and about a dozen director  Q&As. The final film set included Sine Qua Non: The Psychology of Big Wave Surfing with Greg Long, and was followed by a 40-minute spell‐binding Q&A with Long. Put it this way, when things get gnarly in the line‐up this summer my mantra will be, ‘What would Greg Long do?’ As if this wasn’t enough, we all walked down the street to the Griffin, the SDSFF music venue, to listen to Tom Curren. Yep, Tom Curren. If this is all a dream, please don’t wake me.”

Arianna Photopoulos, who was part of a 12-member East Coast contingency that traveled to San Diego for the SDSFF, is also still reverberating with stoke.  She said the propelling energy that drove her New England surf family westward to attend SDSFF began with filmmaker friends Dylan Ladds and Ryan Scura (New England Blood).
“As a surf artist, photographer and current film student, the festival offered a spectacular opportunity to stoke that passion organically with countless like-minded people,” said Photopoulos. “Viewing so many talented and inspired films was a truly phenomenal experience. One high point was when Dylan and Ryan introduced their film New England Blood. We watched like the passionate New England surfers we are, frothing with a sense of pride in their work.

“The kinetic assembly of ocean-minded filmmakers, surf craftsmen, artists, musicians, and simply stoked individuals is only a fraction of the attraction,” she added about SDSFF. “The venue is incentive enough. Bird's Surf Shed is easily one of the most essential collections of surf history under one roof. Each board placed in the rafters expresses a crucial importance in relation to the development and success of wave riding over the years. The family of surf-savvy characters staffing the shed, namely Bird himself, could not have been more gracious and cultured hosts. Driving this train of kindled enthusiasm was another amazing crew: Pierce and Petra Kavanagh, the quintessential stoke ambassadors, as well as others who made the event a reality. All were welcomed with hoots and shakas in abundance. The festival would not have been possible without these sensational people. We are all absolutely grateful to have met and vibed with them and so many other radical humans. I am still filled to the brim with stoke and love of San Diego. I cannot wait to come back.”

New England Stoke! From L to R, Adam Fraser, Michael Emery and filmmaker Dylan Ladds. Photo courtesy of Adam Fraser

Also along for the New England stoke-packed adventure was Adam Fraser.
“We all feel like we're a part of this amazing global surf community, and SDSFF gave us all an opportunity to keep in touch with people in that community outside of our neck of the woods, to meet creative people, see the fruits of their labor, and revel in their stoke,”  Fraser said. “The SDSFF was definitely about so much more than the films. Meeting Matt Beard and the other artists and shapers and watching them make works of art right in front of us was fantastic.”

Both Dylan Ladds and Ryan Scura were stoked to have such an overwhelming New England presence to support their film during SDSFF.
“It's really cool that we've been involved with the festival since its start last year, and it's just getting better and better,” Scura said. “Bird's Shed is the perfect venue for this amazing collection of films. All filmmakers need to show their work, and festivals are often the best opportunities to do so. Having a surf-specific film festival in one of the biggest surf cultures (San Diego) in the world is fantastic for independent surf filmmakers. We are able to show our films to a large audience and get immediate feedback, which is extremely useful to us. It's also a great way to meet other filmmakers and make connections.”

Better book those tickets for next year: Kavanagh and his crew are already planning SDSFF 2014, which, he said will blow even more minds.  “Petra and I are honored and astonished at the overwhelming response from our local surf community and the global surf family as well. Without their support none of this would be possible and we look forward to our return next May."

 

 

For more information about the San Diego Surf Film Festival, visit http://sandiegosurffilmfestival.com/

The SDSFF 2013 video below by Dan Foote at Verb TV says it all:

Hoots & Shakas!