This year Cold Hawaii Surf & Film Festival presented by California Wines screened 22 Danish and international surf films over three nights at the fishermen’s boathouse Kassehuset in Klitmøller.
The winners of this year’s festival awards were both local from Denmark, Germany and Poland, Turkey, Canada, South Korea, U.S.A., Canada, and United Kingdom. Besides the seven awards given by the jury, the audience cast votes for the Whapaa Award Short Film and the Whapaa Award Feature Film.
“We are very proud for being able to present such an amazing lineup. Watching all those films, was like going for a round-the-world trip. An exciting trip where we experience huge diversity concerning nature, culture, and people. We watched inspirational stories about friendship, love, growing-up, family relations, and of course films with pure surf. Please keep on making surf movies and keep on sharing the stoke.”, states the festival director Alicja Cupial.
Winners of Cold Hawaii Surf & Film Festival presented by California Wines
Best Sound Design: re/discover (GER) Dir. Philipp Sigmund / Finn Springborn
Best Cinematography: Many Wonders (USA) Dir. Ben Weiland & Elli Thor
Best Emerging Filmmaker: Swell (POL) Dir. Lukasz Ratuski
Best Creative Short: WHERE IS THE SURF? (DEN) Dir. Sebastian Krogh Motivation from the jury: “This film encapsulates the spirit of surf filmmaking – that it doesn’t have to be about big cameras, big adventures, or big waves. It can be a simple story, well told that makes you feel and leaves you richer for the experience. Where is the Surf does just that, it captures perfectly the enduring pleasure in the pain of wild goose chase at home with your friends, it’s what unites us as surfers.”
Best Creative Feature: Welcome to the Guesthouse (KOR) Dir. SHIM Yo-han Motivation from the jury: “It’s a rare treat to watch a narrative fiction surf feature. The film touched on important universal themes – the environment, equality, localism, and above all the sense of community in surfing with humour while showcasing new places and cultures.”
Best Short: Vona (TUR) Dir. Clint Davis Motivation from the jury: “A beautiful short that brings to life a new, off the radar, surf destination and really evokes a sense of place.”
Best Feature: Ride the Wave (UK) Dir. Martyn Robertson Motivation from the jury:
“A powerful and moving tale that is a great reminder of the power of the ocean and the power of surfing.”
Special Mention for surfing: Born Pacific (CAN) Dir. Nate Laverty Motivation from the jury: “We wanted to give a special mention to Born Pacific – it does just what a good, classic surf movie should, it makes you want to go surfing!”
Whapaa Award Short Film: The Journey (DEN) Dirs. Tobias Ernst, Gustav Ernst, Noa Stender Whapaa Award Feature Film: Welcome to the Guesthouse (KOR) (KOR) Dir. SHIM Yo-han
Festival Jury Demi Taylor is a writer, best-selling author, director of the London Surf / Film Festival and one half of Approaching Lines creative agency.
Martin la Cour is a cinematographer based in Klitmøller, who has worked on shorts, commercials, and features. Magnus Sandvad
Thorhauge is a freelance screenwriter and director, and just finished his first short film ‘ANKER’.
Angelina Owino is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and cultural entrepreneur based in Klitmøller.
For further information about Cold Hawaii Surf & Film Festival presented by California Wines check out the website here.
