LS/FF 2011 Winner

SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL: FINNSURF Directed by: Aleksi Raij, Produced by Pablo Films and Flatlight Films, Fin, 2011, 48 mins, Subtitles

UK Premiere. This film peels back the fleecy layers on the lives of a handful of surfers from one of the world’s most inhospitable surf locations and discovers just what drives them to paddle out into the Baltic Sea in water that is life threateningly frigid. This film is both touching and inspiring and will make you re-evaluate just what it means to be a hardcore surfer.

Featured surfers/ artists: Kalle Carranza, Rumon Chapman, Jukka Karhunen, Aija Korhonen, Tomi Lagerroos

Finnsurf received the ‘ LS/FF 2011 Spirit of the Festival’ award, a category selected by the Festival Director and Creative Director. “We created this very personal award to honour the film we feel best encapsulates the spirit of surf story telling, a tradition that is at the very heart of the festival,” says Creative Director Demi Taylor. “Finnsurf is a beautiful story, beautifully told. It takes you on an unexpected journey with moments of humor, tenderness and heart wrenching honesty. It is not just a surfers tale but a story of human endeavour.”