RIDE THE WAVES WITH the world’’s best

The Bells Beach Surf Film Festival (BBSFF) is the longest running surf film festival in Australia and will be returning to Torquay January 2-6 to showcase surfing footage from across the world.

For over 60 years, surf filmmakers travelled up and down the coast with reels featuring the world’s best surfers getting barrelled, and now in their place, a network of surf film festivals that take place worldwide.

Since 2010 the BBSFF screens the best surf films and documentaries (sourced locally and internationally) at the Australian National Surfing Museum; over 100 surf films have featured annually from countries such as Morocco, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, Finland, Israel and Norway.

Festival Director John Foss said he was “stoked” with the calibre of this year’s films and said the 2019 festival had a “stunning” line-up.

“Starting on opening night with award winning films Beyond the Noise and Priboi. Priboi is the first feature length surf film made in Russia and features stunning footage of surfers looking for waves across Russia and Siberia. Snow, ice, vodka and surf… Priboi has it all,” Mr Foss said.

Thursday night at the festival features several exciting films including Outrider, Tan, North Sea Holes and Rail Road, featuring Nic von Rupp as he travels four countries catching 20 trains and a heap of waves across Europe.

“Outrider and Tan explore the roles of surfboard shapers and their dedicated to the art of surfboard making,” Mr Foss said.

“Friday night is a big one with White Rhino having its Australian premiere. White Rhino tells the story of the world’s best surfers chasing the biggest waves in Hawaii and the surf photographers who follow them. Big waves and big spills on a big night of surf films.”

Also screening on Friday night is the award-winning surf documentary Never Town featuring Dave Rastovich and the Surf Coast’s own surfing legend Wayne Lynch.

“Never Town features stunning waves from King Island and around Australia as it explores issues around community and environment,” he said.

“Closing night will see Thank You Mother screening with a series of short films.”

For further information about the 2019 Bells Beach Surf Film Festival go to bellsbeachsurffilmfestival.com or phone: 0408 386 812, tickets now available through eventbrite.com.