The Women's Surf Film Festival celebrates women in filmmaking, art, and photography within the surf community. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet renowned surfers, artists, and NYC community leaders. The festival showcases diverse styles of storytelling from established and emerging directors, producers, and filmmakers. As part of the ninth annual festival, the selections are aimed at highlighting the inspirational stories of female surfers and their ocean-related passion and journeys.
Cancel your plans and get to New York because Lava Girl Surf is back with the ninth annual Women’s Surf Film Festival (WSFF), and you won’t want to miss it. Happening September 5-10 at Rockaway Beach in Queens is the iconic five-day event - celebrating women in the surf, film, and arts communities.
Lava Girl Surf started as a one-of-a-kind women’s surf workshop in hopes of encouraging ladies to explore the surfing world and build each other up through their array of qualities and talents. Their main goal is to inspire women and amplify their voices and stories in the surf world, which ultimately lead to the creation of this film festival.
This year’s festival features both novice and veteran filmmakers from around the globe. Two notable mentions this year are Mothers, Purpose, and the Future, directed by Hannah Walsh and SOMA, directed by Eduardo Vento. Vancouver-based filmmaker Hannah Walsh focused her latest short on motherhood and the understanding mothers and caretakers have to preserve the planet for their children. It explores the idea that we don’t inherit the Earth from our ancestors. Instead, we borrow it from those who come after us, which means we have the responsibility to take care of it. Additionally, Brazil native, Eduardo Vento, highlights the journey of an NGO named SOMA, which hopes to create a more positive future for young girls in Africa, specifically in São Tomé and Príncipe Island, where vast inequality plagues the region. Surprisingly, surfing is used as a tool to create the bright future that these young girls need by strengthening the girls and their communities.
There are so many more incredible films being highlighted at the WSFF and many opportunities for event-goers to connect with their favorite filmmakers and surfers. The festival is scheduled to host a photography exhibit by Christa Funk, an art show featuring over 20 different artists, as well as a panel discussion and Q&A with the festival's own filmmakers - including WithitGirl’s own Beth O’Rourke, who is showing her film Let’s Go Surfing!
For those of you who can’t make it to the festival in person, check out the website for more information and opportunities to watch the films yourselves!
Katelyn grew up surfing in San Diego, California, and eventually found her way to Santa Barbara, where she started her education in communication at the University of California Santa Barbara. After graduating in June of 2022, Katelyn still enjoys surfing more than ever, as well as skating, snowboarding, camping, and hanging out at the beach. She currently works as the Public Relations and Communication intern for Withitgirl.
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