Editor

Livin’ the Dream
 
Sometimes a surf film’s biggest achievement is not its epic barrels or its mind-bendingly awesome airs, sometimes it’s simply that it serves to remind the us mortals why surfing is, in fact, such a great thing to spend our time doing.
 
This year’s Byron Bay International Film Festival’s program is a veritable feast of surf culture that takes us to the far reaches of its impact on planet Earth. International and local films, feature-length and shorts, they tempt viewers to step onto the board and glimpse the unique physical, spiritual and cultural perspective surfers enjoy the world over.
 
BBFF 2014 casts the net wide. Starting with the features, there’s the World Premiere of American film,A Life Outside The story of six New Jersey surfers who pioneered the renow

ned surf break at Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, USA, in the 1960's. This soon coveted spot remained an icon for decades until Hurricane Sandy left it completely destroyed. This is a film of these surfers and the Pier - then and now. Screening Sunday 9 March SESSION 30 11.30 AM at Byron Community Centre. Buy your tickets here.

Out in the Line Up is a groundbreaking documentary about homosexuality in surfing; it follows the story of two gay surfers who unite to bring this issue out into the open. Together they embark on a global journey to hear the perspectives of people from all corners of the surfing community, including former World Longboarding Champion Cori Schumacher, professional big-wave rider Keala Kennelly, and former US Congressman Barney Frank.
 
As their journey unfolds they uncover a culture of fear, secrecy and exclusion, but are also inspired to affect change by connecting people, provoking discussion and looking to surfing’s grassroots values of a freedom of spirit and a true love for the ocean. Screening  Friday 7 March SESSION 25 7.30 PM at Byron Community Centre. Buy your tickets here. 

In Nordfor Sola (North Of The Sun), Inge Wegge (25) and Jørn Ranum (22) spend nine months of cold, Norwegian winter in the isolated and uninhabited bay of a remote, arctic island by the coast of Northern-Norway, facing nothing but the vast Atlantic Ocean. There they build a cabin out of driftwood and other cast-off materials that wash up on shore, and eat expired food the stores would otherwise have thrown away. But the boys bring with them two items of utmost importance - their surfboards - perhaps their biggest motivation for the arctic adventure. Because the remote bay holds a well kept secret; some of the worlds finest surfing waves. Screening Saturday 1 March SESSION 5 5.00PM at Byron Community Centre. Buy your tickets here.

Then in Covelong Point, we visit the first surfing village in India, and discover the story a fisherman named Murthy. With nothing more than a few old boards, a deep passion for surfing and teaching others to surf, Murthy strives alone to nurture the awakening of a new surfing culture against the backdrop of an ancient, simple culture. With lush cinematography and an amazing world fusion soundtrack, Covelong Point, is a must-see film from the team behind BBFF 2008’s Best Film, The Laya Project, and who will be attending the screening. Screening Friday 7 March SESSION 23 12.30 PM at Byron Community Centre. Buy your tickets here

Closer to home, Burra Jurra documents the heart-lifting collaboration between the Arakwal Corporation, representing the traditional owners of the Byron Bay region, and Surfing Far North Coast with its long list of surf royalty supporters, to provide life-changing surf coaching for local Indigenous youth.
 
Burra Jurra stars seven times world champion Layne Beachley, World Champion Pauline Menczer, current ASP World Tour surfer Adam Melling, two times World Junior Champion James Woods and two times Australian Junior Champion Jock Barnes, to name a few… Screening Saturday 8 March SESSION 29 6.30pm at Byron Community Centre. Buy your tickets here.

Then in an amazing series of short films, BBFF also takes us from the isolated coasts of British Columbia to the rivers of Wyoming, from sizzling jazz into the deep bonds that form between a father and son through surfing
 
Don’t miss this incredible line up at Byron Bay Film Festival 2014.

Film trailers:
 

• Out In The Line Up: 
• Covelong Point: 

Check out the full program here