LS/FF 2023 – THE LINE UP
Corners of the Earth: Kamchatka Dir. Spencer Frost // Image: Guy Willimet UK PREMIERE 24th November LS/FF 2023
We’ve just dropped the line up for the 12th Annual LS/FF x Finisterre hosted 23 – 25 November 2023 at Riverside Studios. And it’s going to be pretty special if we do say so ourselves!
From over 100 submissions, we’ve assembled a handpicked programme of the very best films from across the globe – hotly anticipated premieres, award winning features and independent films – that represent the pinnacle of contemporary surfing in the here and now. From seeking out new waves and new adventures on the outer-most frigid fringes of the surfing world, to challenging expectations, overcoming the odds, sticking a pin in those ephemeral moments of perfection, exploring the notion of paradise and charging hard, it’s about serving up fresh perspectives and new line-ups.
There are documentaries to inspire, travelogues to stir the wanderlust as well as cinematography and surfing that redefine the bounds of possibility. Accompanied by Q+A’s and ‘Audiences with…’ some of the world’s most relevant exciting surf creatives including surf explorers Kepa Acero and Mike Lay, chargers Connor Maguire and Sandy Kerr a raft of game changing filmmakers from Chris McClean to Spencer Frost plus a special session hosted by cultural commentator Looking Sideways’ Matt Barr, this is a true celebration of the cream of surf culture.
We’re bringing to the UK a whole host of premieres, but it’s always about more than that. It’s about the people, the places, the gathering together and the sharing of stories, ideas and stoke.
For many of the movies we screen, the festival will be the only chance to watch them as they were intended to be enjoyed – on the big screen, accompanied by a packed crowd of likeminded folk – the original “social media” experience… you’re not going to want to miss this.
Tickets are on sale now priced from £12.50. Evening passes: £20 include entry to a whole night of films plus a free beer from our friends at Sharp’s… and a few exclusive goodies! Evening passes are limited, always sell out and when they’re gone, they’re gone.
12th Edition LS/FF
23rd – 25th November – Riverside Studios, W6 >> TICKETS
LONDON SURF / FILM FESTIVAL 2023 LINE UP
THURSDAY 23RD NOV, Riverside Studios // SESSION 1 // 7.00pm
MUNDAKA DOUBLE BILL
MUNDAKA Dir. Jon Aspuru
UK PREMIERE: Presented by legendary surf adventurer Kepa Acero this must see documentary combining archive footage and interview with legends takes us back to a moment where AI, The Goat and the hard charging locals tucked into the perfect day at this hallowed spot, a magical session that would leave a permanent mark in European surf history. Celebrating that special convergence of tide, wind, swell and time, this triple bill gala opening is an ode to that elusive moment we all chase: RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
Accompanied by a very special Q+A
BEYOND FRAMES Dir Samuel Muller
UK PREMIERE: Celebrating renowned lenseman Jon Aspuru, this is an ode to friendship, adventure, travel and the lure of home.
STOKER MACHINE Dir. Darieus Legg
UK PREMIERE. Perhaps the most feel good, stoke filled movie of the year, this is surfer’s quest to unearth the legend of a mysterious surfboard,‘The Stoker Machine’.
Showing with: Shorties shortlisted film: Where The Land Meets the Sea Dir Tim Walker, 5mins, UK
Plus Shorties shortlisted film: The Floater Dir Mr. President, 5mins, UK
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THURSDAY 23RD NOV, Riverside Studios // SESSION 2 // 8.50pm
POINT OF CHANGE Dir: Rebecca Coley
UK PREMIERE Stumbling across the perfect wave, two surfers start a chain reaction of unintended consequences – disease, disappearance and death – perfection comes at a price. This award winning documentary reveals the true story of Nias, an ‘idyllic” island community changed forever by the discovery of a ‘perfect wave’ in the 1970’s. With culture clashes, malaria, black magic and tragic consequences, this is a cautionary tale of paradise lost.
Accompanied by a very special Q+A
Showing with: Shorties shortlisted film: I’m Still Dreaming of Being a Surfer Dir. Jay Amin, 2mins, UK
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FRIDAY 24th NOV, Riverside Studios // SESSION 1 // 6.45pm
TRANSLATE Dir. Chris McClean
UK PREMIERE: From multi award-winning team – filmmaker Chris McClean and composer / musician CJ Mirra, this award winning audio visual free surfing feature is an ode to the raging North Atlantic and the communities who embrace it. Intense, terrifying, uplifting and always extraordinary, this must-see visceral journey features some of Europe’s hardest and finest chargers.
Accompanied by a very special Q+A
Showing with :A14 Dir. Aurelien Bacquet
UK PREMIERE: The A14 is the fastest road out of Paris to the ocean, it’s also the most expensive. An exploration of what it means to be a surfer in Paris, 200km from the ocean.
Showing with: We’re Here Now Dir Seth Hughes.
WORLD PREMIERE: After winning The Shorties at LS/FF last year, Seth continued his trajectory north accompanied our favourite surfing bard Mike Lay. They ended up in the Hebrides, and this is the postcard they sent.
Showing with: Shorties shortlisted film: So, Bonnie Land Dir. Thomas Horig 5mins, UK
Plus Shorties shortlisted film: It’s Still Sunny in Winter Dir. Charlie Key 5mins UK
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FRIDAY 24th NOV, Riverside Studios // SESSION 2 // 8.45pm
CORNERS OF THE EARTH – KAMCHATKA A film by Spencer Frost & Guy Williment
UK PREMIERE: A journey to the frigid outer reaches of Kamchatka. After 2 years of planning this was to be the adventure of a lifetime. As the trip got under way, Russia invaded Ukraine changing the political landscape and obstacles faced by the team. With Mi-8 helicopters, skidoos, frozen campsites, and frozen bank accounts, this surf journey quickly became far more than anyone could imagine. “Maybe the greatest surf adventure of the century.” Nick Carroll, Surfline
Accompanied by a very special Q+A
Showing with: Shorties shortlisted film Colours Dir: Lewis Arnold, 5mins, UK
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SATURDAY 25th NOV, Riverside Studios // SESSION 1 // 6.30pm
YAMA x TURNING TIDES DOUBLE BILL
Cultural commentator and host of essential podcast Looking Sideways, Matt Barr takes us on a journey of campaigning and activism, from the macro to the micro with film and conversation with filmmakers and campaigners.
Turning Tides Dir. Antoine Couturier.
EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW SCREENING: When a retired local notices a surge in sewage effluence on his daily walk at the nearby beach, he decides to confront the water authority. What the polluters don’t realise is that they are taking on a former industry expert in a reverse tale of game-keeper turned poacher.
Blood Type Plastic Dir. Owen Tozer
WORLD PREMIERE: In 2021 Jo Royle, CEO and founder of ocean plastic NGO Common Seas, commissioned a study into whether micro plastic particles had become small enough to cross membranes and travel into our blood. The results are as horrifying as the film is beautiful.
Accompanied by a very special Q+A
Yama Dir. Maddie Meddings.
LONDON PREMIERE: This award winning short follows Australian surf activist Lucy Small to Ghana to meet a pioneering crew of female surfers and skaters in a tale of travel, colonialism, reclamation and hope.
Showing with: Granny Grommets Dir. Leah Rustomjee
WORLD PREMIERE: A powerful, joyful reframing of the narrative around ‘age appropriate activities’.
Accompanied by filmmaker panels and conversations.
Showing with: Shorties shortlisted film Sleepwalking Dir: Rory Sutherland 5mins, UK
Plus Shorties shortlisted film Unplugged Dir: Bella Rose Bunce 5mins, UK
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SATURDAY 25th NOV, Riverside Studios // SESSION 2 // 8.45pm
THROUGH THE DOGGY DOOR Dir. Joe Alani
EUROPEAN PREMIERE: Featuring Mason Ho and Sheldon Paishon, this award-winning and intimate documentary follows a surfer’s dream to trade extreme poverty in paradise for the life of a pro surfer and a world of perfect waves. Sheldon Paishon is a talented surfer from Oahu’s Westside. At the age of 12, his family lost their home and lived in a beachside tent for the remainder of his adolescence. Surfing was Sheldon’s escape. Inspiring a deeper conversation about the realities of poverty in paradise and the importance of community, you don’t want to miss this
Showing with: The Hounds of The Storm Dir. Clem Mcinerney
UK PREMIERE: Exploring Ireland’s wild Atlantic Way above and below the sea – “It’s all Connor Maguire, blue sharks, seals and of course some big heavy waves too!” says Clem.
Accompanied by a very special Q+A
Showing with: Shorties shortlisted film There and Back Again Dir. Robert Blackett, 5mins, UK
TRANSLATE Dir. Chris McClean // Premiere London Surf / Film Festival Friday 24th November 2023