The Surfrider Short Film Fest
Like anything, the Surfrider Short Film Fest grew from a raw idea and the kindling of a few conversations: to bring outdoor films into the rainforest, to bring awareness to environmental issues at the edge of the sea.
From this early concept, the Surfrider Short Film Fest was born in the autumn of 2016 in Tofino, BC, with the mission of showcasing short films that explore issues threatening coastlines, oceans and other environments and the innovative solutions that are addressing these issues.
As an organization with roots in the waves, we also screen surf films from near and far that tell unique stories around people’s connections to the sea.
Most often, our chosen films weave together surf, environmental and/or a social justice message. With this, we always seek to show films that help us understand intersectionality in surf and in the environmental movement.
Thanks to sponsors of the 2020 event: District of Tofino, Tofino Brewing Company, Tofino Kombucha, and Claire Watson.
2020 Local Films
Sea Lice Push Wild Salmon to the Brink
In this short film, Clayoquot Action join Cedar Coast Field Station researchers for a journey into Clayoquot Sound, where they look at the devastating impacts fish farm sea lice are having on wild juvenile salmon. For the third year in a row, these vulnerable young salmon are carrying fatal loads of lice.
What’s Up - it’s the MUP
In this part animation part live action documentary by Tofino resident Myles Beeby, The Animals of Tofino sing the theme song for the Multi Use Path. This path is belovedly called the MUP by the folks that live here, and it truly is a trail of transcendence, as we travel to and from the surf, from other coastal adventures, to Tacofino, and all the other obvious and hidden joys that are made possible by, none other than, the MUP.
social distance
This black and white moody surf flick features Tofino’s Michael Darling, who was social distancing before it was cool, which you'll see in a collection of clips from this past Canadian winter. We hope this inspires your own socially distant adventures this upcoming cold season.
upper fairy creek blockade
Warren Rudd’s latest film captures the Upper Fairy Creek blockade, located near Port Renfrew. This area has been opened by the province of BC for clearcutting of old growth rainforest, which needs to come to an immediate end as it's both archaic and catastrophic to still be destroying these vital ecosystems. With peaceful protests, sit-ins and a blockade, the battle to save old-growth forests has intensified, which this video chronicles.
Pacific North Wasteland
This is a coastal apocalyptic film by Janelle Huopaleinen. In a not too distant future, and after much destruction of the environment, nature has reclaimed the land and humans are scarce. For a lone survivor, surfing brings colour and meaning to life, a solace from the daily grind of simply surviving. In this film stars Tofino longboarding champion Emily Ballard, a water dancer if there ever was one.