Southern Edge to screen at Byron Theatre

SOUTHERN Edge is set to screen at Byron Theatre on 23 April, following surfer Torren Martyn and filmmaker Ishka Folkwell as they attempt to circumnavigate Tasmania in two 18-foot sailing kayaks, chasing remote waves along one of Australia’s most unforgiving coastlines.

But as Folkwell explains, the film is less about surfing and more about everything that surrounds it.

“It was definitely more about the trip itself than the surfing,” he said.

Travelling slowly and at the mercy of wind and swell, the pair were forced to abandon the usual rhythm of surf exploration.

“All your decisions are based around trying to get to the beach safely, more so than trying to get waves,” he said.

“You are where you are – you can’t just chase the next swell.”

“We knew from the outset that waves would be a bonus.”

Instead, Southern Edge found a lot of its depth in the people and places encountered along the way.

“We met people who have grown up in Tasmania and have a really deep connection to it,” Folkwell said.

 

“The film is shaped more by their stories than the adventure side of it in a way.”

That approach reflects a broader shift in how Folkwell views surf filmmaking, a move away from traditional formats built on high-performance footage and fast-paced edits.

“There’s so many great high-performance surf films out there, but there’s space for more films that step outside of that format as well,” he said.

“Personally, I love to get to know a place a little bit more.”

“I get just as many kicks out of filming a mountain as I do surf.”

Having permanently relocated to Tasmania, both Folkwell and Martyn were conscious of telling the story responsibly.

“We didn’t want to come to a place that was new to us and try to tell people how it is,” he said.

“It felt more important to let the people who are connected to it tell that story.”

 

Folkwell added that this approach allowed him and Martyn to give back to Tasmania and its people.

“It wasn’t until we got underway that we really grasped just how much the people down here care about the place, and are proud to be from here, and for good reason too,” he said.

The result is a film that explores Tasmania not just as a rugged, wave-rich frontier, but as a deeply personal landscape.

“It’s raw and pristine, but also fragile,” Folkwell said.

“There are a lot of layers to it.”

Setting out in small, lightly built sailing kayaks, vessels more suited to sheltered waters than the open ocean, brought moments of real uncertainty for Folkwell and Martyn.

“There were definitely times where it was nerve-wracking,” Folkwell said.

“Even when we set off on day one, it was a jumbled-up ocean and we were pretty far out to sea and the weather was bland, and we were surrounded by these massive sea cliffs with nowhere to really pull in.”

 

Despite the challenges, Folkwell continues to return to these kinds of projects, drawn by the rare chance to be fully present in the moment.

“These trips are a chance to slow down,” he said.

“It’s a rare opportunity in life to really immerse yourself in something.”

That philosophy extends to his filmmaking, which resists the urgency and immediacy often associated with surf media.

“I love getting to know a place outside of the surfing,” he said.

“To experience different cultures and different places, and see things that are so foreign and new – it’s almost like being a child again.”

That influence is evident in Southern Edge, which positions surfing as just one thread within a much broader story.

 

The project was supported by needessentials, an independent company known for its focus on sustainability and simplicity.

Folkwell said their ongoing support was what helped make the film possible.

“We’re so fortunate to have needessentials supporting us and believing in us and helping through the back ends of the films,” he said.

As surf filmmaking continues to evolve, Folkwell believes there is growing appetite for stories that go deeper than performance alone.

“There’s so many stories to be told,” he said.

“If you have a platform like film, it’s nice to feel like you’ve given something back in some form – not just gone somewhere and taken.”

Southern Edge will screen at Byron Theatre on 23 April at 6:30pm and 8:30pm.