Entries are now officially open for the 2014 Byron Bay Surf Festvail Surf Shorts Film Comp presented by GoPro. The increasingly prized key event is expected to draw many trailblazing filmmakers, of every age and background, from around the world. A new voting system has been designed to give film entrants the best opportunity to make a fair festival win. Film entries will be posted up online and across major social media portals, set loose to the wild world web to gather as many votes as possible. The filmmaker who gathers the most votes wins not only international accolade and great exposure, but also $1.5K in cash and $1K of the latest GoPro gear, with many other prizes for finalists, such as latest wetsuit gear and DaFin waterman fins.
The BBSF is in its fourth year, quickly having grown into a well-anticipated and vibrant event here in the Bay. Director Mike Jahn hopes to set the event apart from other global events by keeping it as a revolving door for innovation and eclectic ideas reflective of the Byron community. Even more so, to ensure that it is kept close to surfing ideologies of an organic healthy lifestyle, renewable materials and sustainable systems. In fact, straight off the bat these are strict criteria under which surf art market participants must adhere to. Film short entrants are also encouraged to support such ideologies and that is why this year the festival/film/art theme will be crowned ‘Citizens of the Sea’.
The short film comp component of the festival is one of the areas of the festival that draws in big audiences and it is a realm where filmmakers have the rare opportunity to send their message to an attentive surfing and non-surfing audience. Already entries have come in from the USA and Europe that sprout a unique thematic message of conscious living that is of the ethos that the festival hopes to deliver. It looks like this year there will be some interesting flavors on offer at the festival, so keep your eyes seaward and rally up any creative mates of yours and encourage them to submit their golden goods!
For more information visit http://surfshorts.byronbaysurffestival.com
Images of Surf Short Film finals 2013: Ming Nomchong
Words: Taylor Miller