Lucy Small
Lucy Small is an Australian surfer, filmmaker, activist and writer. Recognised for calling out inequality in the surf industry through her campaign Equal Pay for Equal Play, Lucy also uses film as a form of activism to tell impactful stories.
When the longboard champion stood up at a contest awards ceremony in 2021 and called out the organisers over the disparity in prize fund between the men’s and women’s categories, little did she know that this spur of the moment decision would resonate across the globe. “It took the same amount to drive here, the costs to fly here are the same, our accommodation costs the same yet our surfing is worth half as much,” Lucy pointed out. This story was picked up by national press and TV news channels and ultimate lead to massive shift in in how contests are run and how prize purses are distributed. Her debut documentary ‘Yama‘ produced with filmmaker Maddie Meddings, scooped awards around the globe including Best International Short at LS/FF 2023.