Come on a surf safari in celluloid and discover epic film journeys – from Puberty Blues to Bra boys. Join surfers, filmmakers and cultural commentators to explore the making of these classics.

Gidget (1959) and Blue Hawaii (1961)
11 February | Nell Schofield; actor, TV presenter and producer | Jaimie and Aspasia Leonarder; Mu Meson film archive |

Gidget is one of the quintessential and original surf movies. It follows the story of Francis who has a run in with some surfers while swimming one day and becomes drawn to the sport, as well as the surfers. Blue Hawaii, an Elvis classic, is the first of three movies that he shot in Hawaii. It is a fun musical that follows Chad Gates as he returns to the surfing culture of Hawaii after serving in the army.

Puberty Blues (1981)
18 February | Paul Byrnes; Sydney Morning Herald film critic and senior curator for Australian Screen Online | Jaimie Leonarder; Mu Meson film archive  | Rebecca Olive; academic and surfing blogger |

Puberty Blues is a cult-classic that follows the lives of a group of Aussie teenage girls as they grow up on the beach and hanging out with the local surfer boys.

Heaven (1997), Hell (2009) and Bra Boys (2007)
25 February | Nell Schofield; actor, TV presenter and producer | Macario De Souza; director of Bra Boys |

These surf flicks are experimental and controversial. Hear Nell Schofield talk about her movie Hell which was created in response to Tracey Moffatt's art film Heaven, which compiles footage of male surfers posing, surfing, dressing and undressing on Australian beaches. Bra Boys tells the story of the notorious Maroubra surf-gang. The film looks at their success as big wave surfers as well as other aspects of their sometimes turbulent lives within surfing culture and Sydney society.

Festival ticket

The festival ticket gets you into all THREE sessions for the price of two