:: 2012 Yallingup Surfilm Festival

By: Carmine Pascuzzi

If the recent announcement of film finalists for the 2012 Yallingup Surfilm Festival wasn’t enough to get you going, there has been one more film added to the list – Thirty Thousand. Thirty Thousand is a surf film shot in and around the African continent. Directed by Richard James, the film documents the journey of two surfers who traveled 30,000km down the west coast of Africa. Along the way they surfed Morocco, Western Sahara, Senegal, Liberia, Angola, Namibia and South Africa.

Making its WA premiere, Thirty Thousand replaces Splinters, which will no longer be screened at the Festival. Thirty Thousand will be joining a number of international films that were announced as finalists at the program launch. The diverse range of films also includes pieces from Chile and Finland.

Film screenings will be held at Clancy’s Fish Pub Dunsborough and Samudra throughout the weekend of the festival, and times are available on the Yallingup Surfilm Festival website. Film screenings are just one element of celebrations over the three-day festival from January 20 to 22. Celebrating surf culture and the natural environment, there will also be a surfboard art display, music, forums, tarp surfing demonstrations and a Fancy Dress Surfing Competition.

Tickets are on sale now through the website and from NAB Bank branches in Dunsborough, Busselton and Margaret River. Stay up to date with updates on Facebook and Twitter - @yallsurfilm.

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**Wrap and pictures**

The 2012 Yalllingup Surfilm Festival was hailed by organisers and participants as a huge success. More than 2500 people attended the three-day festival, which included day and night film screenings, discussion forums, art exhibitions, live local music and even a fancy dress surf competition for charity.

Awards for best feature and short film were presented on Sunday night to a packed house at Clancy’s. Finnsurf by director Aleksi Raik was awarded Best Feature film. The Surfer by Dominic Coleman was awarded best short film, and Best Cinematography was presented to two winners – El Mar, Mi Alma and Come Hell or High Water, who happen to have the same cinematographer, Dave Homcy. The People’s Choice Award went to The Still Point by director Taki Bibelas, as voted for by those who attended the festival.

An array of painted surfboards by Australian artists was auctioned for SurfAid on Sunday night with more than $9000 being raised for the charity. Surfboards in the exhibition had been on display throughout Perth and the South West of Western Australia in the weeks leading up to the festival. Other highlights of the Festival weekend included a Tarp Surfing Demonstration and the appearance of local surf hero Taj Burrow at Saturday’s Surf Culture Forum. International film directors, screening panel guests and artists joined the local Indian Ocean Longboard Club members donning fancy dress to surf the famous Yallingup Mainbreak to raise funds for Disabled Surfers South West.

Festival Director Jesca Maas was thrilled with the success of the event, and is already planning and looking forward to next year’s event. “The festival again brought together some of the world’s most passionate and talented surf film makers, environmental activists, surfers, and artists to mix and mingle with the public and have the opportunity to celebrate the culture of surfing. This year’s films had a focus on environmental awareness and preservation, travel, adventure, escapism and the spirit shared by surfers and ocean-lovers from around the globe. Our venues played a huge part in the success of this year’s event and I sincerely thank Clancy’s, Samudra and all of the Festival’s sponsors who make it possible. We’re already talking to film directors about 2013 and it is looking very exciting!”