Secret wave, Biarritz among Bells film winners

The Bells Beach Surf Film Festival featured 11 surf films over four nights, including four Australian premieres in what organisers described as another successful event.

Biarritz Surf Gang directed by Nathan Curren and Pierre Denoyel was awarded best film of the festival by the festival jury for its daring film-making and storytelling on the rise of punk surfing at Biarritz in the 80s.

Keith Molloy’s personal surf story film Fish People won best cinematography for its stunning underwater photography and storytelling, while The Agave Gun by director Ross Haines won best short film.

The Festival Awards Committee were excited to announce that Julian Clark’s travel adventure, Secrets of Desert Point, won the prestigious Peter Troy “Spirit of Surfing” Award.

Secrets of Desert Point follows a group of Californian surfers venturing to Lombok in the early 70s in search of the perfect wave.

The group found the wave at Desert Point, keeping it a secret between them for as long as they could.

Festival director John Foss said the Peter Troy award honours local Torquay surfer Peter Troy, who in 1963 embarked on an amazing three-year surf trip around the world visiting dozens of nations and five continents.

“It was one of the great journeys in the history of modern surfing,” John said.

“The Bells Beach Surf Film Festival will be back in January 2019 for a record ninth year bringing the best surf films to the Surf Coast.”

For further information on the festival, phone John Foss on 0408 386 812 or visit bellsbeachsurffilmfestival.com.