Australian National Surfing Museum launches Winter Film Series

The winter months will see the Australian National Surfing Museum in Torquay launch a winter film series featuring a mix of iconic classic and contemporary surf films.

The series kicks off with all-time surf film classic, Morning of the Earth which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The film premiered in 1972 at the Manly Silver Screen Theater in Sydney, and became an instant hit at the box office with sold-out shows for weeks to come.

The story was inspiring, visuals stunning, and the editing cutting-edge; but, a big contribution to the film’s success was G. Wayne Thomas’ legendary soundtrack (released under Warner Brothers), which became the first Australian soundtrack to sell over a million copies and go Gold.

The film’s counter-culture approach and its country-soul soundtrack resonated deeply with Australia’s youth culture and solidified it into Australian history as a national treasure.

Above all, Morning of the Earth was a labour of love for its creator: “I just wanted to make a beautiful film about surfing, the planet and the ocean.”

In addition to its Australian locations, Morning of the Earth was the first film to capture surfing in Bali, and its two surfers, Stephen Cooney and Rusty Miller, became the first to ever surf the now world-famous point break, Uluwatu.

Falzon also captured the powerful surf of Hawaii’s north shore during the winter of 1970/71, which contributes a presence of energy to the film that is unparalleled in both beauty and power.

To honour the film’s 50-year history and preserve its legacy, Morning of the Earth underwent a three-year remastering effort at Origins Archival in Los Angeles, California and offers exceptional viewing quality for audiences revisiting this master in its 50th year.

Morning of the Earth screenings will occur at the National Australian Suring Museum located at 77 Beach Road, Torquay, on the Friday and Sunday evenings of the June long weekend.

Tickets are available by pre purchase only and can be obtained at mote_ansm.eventbrite.com.

The museum’s next film series offerings occur in July with the contemporary Australian masterpiece Facing Monsters.

This epic Australian documentary details Western Australian big-wave surfer Kerby Brown’s struggles and triumphs as well as some very big waves.

Pitched as more than a surfing film, the documentary delves into Brown’s battles with addiction, his mental health, the healing power of the ocean, and the enduring love of family.

Screening dates and times for Facing Monsters will be released soon.

The Winter Surf Film Series is supported by the federal government’s Culture, Heritage & Arts Regional Tourism (CHART) program.