Major support for the festival is provided by Aqua-Aston Hospitality. Media support is provided by Surf News Network.

Ocean cinematographer Larry Haynes.

The Honolulu Surf Film Festival 2025 schedule

Opening Reception + Film: Fluid Combustion 3: Live it
July 10 at 6 p.m.
Tickets: $50 general, $40 museum members and 18 and under
The 16th edition of the festival kicks off with a reception and screening of Larry Haynes’ “Fluid Combustion 3: Live It.” The reception in Luce Pavilion starts at 6pm and includes live music by Men in Grey Suits, dinner by chef Lamont Brown of Maya's Tapas and Wine in Hale‘iwa, and a cash bar.  “Fluid Combustion 3: Live it” screens at 7:30pm and will be followed by a post-screening talk story. Doors open for film-only ticket holders at 7:15pm. 

Fluid Combustion 3: Live It
July 10 at 7:30pm
Directed by Larry Haynes. 1997. USA. 59 min. 
This vintage surf film takes viewers on a journey from the North Shore and outer reefs of Hawai‘i to Tahiti, Fiji, Australia, and California. Featuring Rochelle Ballard, Tom Curren, Shane Dorian, Johnny Boy Gomes, Andy Irons, Bruce Irons, Buttons Kaluhiokalani, Pancho Sullivan and many others. Followed by post-screening discussion with special guests.  

The Search for Volcano Island + Return to the Bering
July 11 at 2 p.m.,  July 26 at 7 p.m. 
See two new coldwater journeys from filmmakers Ben Weiland and Brian Davis on the big screen. Runtime: 78 min. 

Return to the Bering
Directed by Ben Weiland and Brian Davis. 2024. USA. 31 min.  
The crew of the HSFF 2023 film Island X heads back to a remote Alaskan island to revisit the friends, community, and surf that they got to know and love on their first surf trip there. This time they learn of an even more obscure island that holds the potential for surf, and the crew crosses over to uncover the mysteries of the new zone. Featuring surfers Noah Wegrich, Pete Devries, Josh Mulcoy and photographer Mark McInnis, as well as local surfer Ricardo Merculief. 
See the trailer.

The Search for Volcano Island
Directed by Ben Weiland and Brian Davis. 2024. USA. 31 min.   
The Aleutian Islands are some of the most remote and unexplored places on earth. In this film, five blue-collar bros (two of them are actually brothers) hitch a ride on a first-of-its-kind boat expedition, and voyage into a mysterious region in pursuit of a dream. 

“Imagine being on a boat traveling an area roughly the same as going from San Diego to Seattle, and you only have a week or so to find waves,” director Ben Weiland told Snow Bomb. “No real maps and no real known destination. Uncharted reefs. Huge storms. Zero infrastructure on land. That’s basically what we were up against.”
See the trailer.

The Big Sea
July 11 at 7 p.m., July 25 at 2 p.m.
Directed by Lewis Arnold. 2024. UK / USA. 84 min.   
Surfing is killing it. This $10 billion global industry built on a clean, green dream has never been more popular. But surfing has a dirty secret, and people are dying. “The Big Sea” is the award-winning independent documentary exposing surfing’s hidden links to “Cancer Alley”—a corridor of land than runs along the banks of the Mississippi between New Orleans and Baton Rouge—and the devastating impact of surfing’s toxic addiction to Neoprene, a synthetic material used to make wetsuits. Neoprene is born out of a carcinogenic chemical process so toxic that the California government requires wetsuits to carry health warnings. 

In this exploration of the toxic nature of wetsuits, “The Big Sea” reveals how Cancer Alley is home to more than 150 petrochemical plants and factories, among them a plant owned by Japanese chemical giant Denka, which makes the majority of chloroprene rubber chips used by the surfing industry. 
See the trailer.

Creatures of Habit + Lucuma + Salt
July 12 and 24 at 2 p.m.
A triple header of short films that showcase the global reach of surfing. Runtime: 77 min. 

Salt
Directed by Alice Ward. 2024. Ireland. 12 min.  
In this autobiographical short film, Alice Ward takes us from her mother noticing her skin was unusually salty at birth, which led to a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, to her becoming the first woman in Ireland to start shooting in the water to capture surfing from a female perspective. Salt is an artful portrayal of the primal relationship with salt that has profoundly influenced Ward in her personal and professional life. 

“I want to demonstrate to individuals grappling with serious illnesses that their conditions need not always dictate their lives, that they possess capabilities beyond their doctor’s prognoses,” Ward told Surf Girl magazine. “I aim to illustrate the positive impact that immersing myself in the ocean has had on my health. I surf and swim with my camera all year round, embracing the harsh Irish winters and cold water. It has made me tough and resilient, both mentally and physically. The ocean has become one of my most important medicines.” 

Lucuma
Directed by Luke Pilbeam. 2024. UK / Chile. 27 min.  
Set against the vast and rugged beauty of Chile, this film captures the deep connection between long-time friends: photographer James Bowden and Ireland-based Australian surfer Noah Lane. Through stunning visuals and intimate storytelling, “Lucuma” reflects on surf travel’s in-between moments. It’s a journey into the heart of friendship, surf, and the natural world—a reminder that sometimes the most powerful experiences come in the spaces we least expect. 

Creatures of Habit
Directed by Nate Laverty. 2024. Canada. 38 min.  
“Creatures of Habit” explores the boundaries and embraces the uncertainty in surfing unpredictable and challenging locations. Shot in Canada and Iceland, the aim is to leave behind the comforts and certainties learned over time and embrace the cold and discomfort. Featuring Pete Devries, Redd Platenius, Cam Richards, Mathea Olin, Sanoa Olin, Andrew Jacobson, Ryan Huckabee, and Dimitri Polous. 
See the trailer.

Women & the Wind
July 12 at 7 p.m., July 18 at 2 p.m.
Directed by Alizé Jireh. 2025. USA. 95 min.  
After more than a year of restoring and rebuilding the wood catamaran Mara Noka, Kiana Weltzien, Laerke Heilmann, and Alizé Jireh set sail from North Carolina in June 2022 headed for Flores Island in the Azores.

Motivated by Weltzien’s first North Atlantic crossing in 2019, where she witnessed a plastic-littered ocean, the trio set off across the North Atlantic again to follow plastic pollution on its ride to Europe via the Gulf Stream. Throughout the month-long voyage, larger floating debris including fishing nets, buckets, bottles, plastic bags, and nylon ropes were constant companions.  

Though the initial intention of the film was to focus on telling this story of plastic, the voyage took on a much more personal tone as the days progressed. Weltzien, the owner and captain of Mara Noka, is a former realtor from Miami who chucked her career to become a professional sailor; Heilmann is a Danish illustrator, surfer, and ocean conservationist living in the Canary Islands; and Jireh is a Dominican self-taught filmmaker based in the Midwest. The women were faced with the reality of life at sea with no space from each other or themselves, transforming this film into an intimate portrayal of woman and nature. 
See the trailer.

Echoes: The George Greenough Experience
July 13 at 2 p.m.
Directed by George Greenough. 1960s. Australia. 50 min.   
Hailed by some as surfing’s most influential figure, George Greenough’s innovations have had a lasting impact. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the release of his film Echoes, Greenough had the original version and soundtrack rescanned and remastered into stunning 4K. The resulting product is incredible. 

Echoes is the first footage made inside the barrel from the point of view of the surfer. Greenough strapped a 16mm military hardware housing camera to his back. It was so incredible at the time that Pink Floyd projected it behind them when the band performed its prog-rock jam “Echoes.” It is joined by five other short films by Greenough to create a six-pack of viewing pleasure. These films are guaranteed to put a huge smile on viewers’ face as they see Greenough weave through the tube.   

Surf On, Europe!
July 17 and 26 at 2 p.m.
Directed by Constantin Gross & Lukas Steinbrecher 2024. Germany. 92 min. English, French, Spanish, Arabic with English subtitles. 
Shot over the course of five years, this feature documentary dives deep into the lives of three charismatic surfing protagonists along the European Atlantic coast, exploring the freedom Europe provides and the constraints society places upon them.  

Majid, a kitesurfing instructor in Tarifa, Spain, longs to reunite with his family that remains in Morocco due to visa constraints. While he revels in the freedom of the sea and the thrill of his sport, his world is confined by bureaucracy as he seeks to provide his children with the opportunities a European passport offers. 

In Biarritz, France, Margaux is challenging gender stereotypes in the deeply entrenched heteronormative surf scene. Tired of enduring clichés, Margaux and her friends organize Europe’s first LGBTQ-friendly surf festival to challenge the status quo.  

In Derry, Northern Ireland, we meet Rosy, who escaped the turmoil of the Troubles through surfing. The surfboard shaper now grapples with the economic uncertainty caused by Brexit until he sees a chance to stabilize his business and avoid lingering societal divisions. 
See the trailer.

NØ_WAY + Glory and Consequence
July 18 at 7 p.m.
See two films that feature incredible surf sessions from Mundaka to the Arctic. Runtime: 61 min. 

Glory and Consequence
Directed by Jon Aspuru. 2025. Basque Country. 20 min.  
On Sunday, October 20, 2024, conditions aligned for one of the most incredible surf sessions ever experienced in Mundaka, the surf capital of Basque Country. More than 200 people were in the lineup, resulting in dangerous cut-offs and snakes. The police wound up arresting a dozen surfers to clarify what happened.

NØ_WAY
Directed by Harrison Roach and Jake Burghart. 2024. USA. 41 min.
In Norway’s Varanger Fjord, on the northernmost coastline of continental Europe, the Barents Sea fluctuates between mystic calm, ferocious instability, and fleeting windows of harmony. NØ_WAY follows a mixed group as they chase the perfect wave and ponder their motivations. Experience the highs and lows of surf exploration in the 21st century with this raw, off-the-cuff look at the Arctic.
See the trailer.

Whomp + Finding True North
July 19 and Aug. 2 at 2 p.m.
This program highlights the different ways we’re all able to enjoy the ocean. Runtime: 69 min. 

Flow Motion
Directed by Dominick Nicholas Valdivia. 2025. Hawai‘i. 4 min.
A bodysurfing experience. 

The Metaphysics of a Barrel
Directed by Ari Bernstein. 2025. Hawai‘i. 4 min.
Poetry in the motions of a barrel.

Whomp
Directed by Wendy John. 2025. Australia. 30 min.  
This 30-minute mixed-media documentary dives headfirst into the offbeat, salt-soaked world of bodysurfing. Set along the golden coastline of Australia, the film follows a cast of ocean-obsessed eccentrics—fringe-dwelling surfers who ride waves with just their bodies, a pair of fins, and a whole lot of heart. 
See the trailer. https://youtu.be/rgs0o_5mzv4?si=Su2XKmYI9uKB8Ash 

Finding True North
Directed by Matty Schweitzer. 2025. Hawai‘i. 39 min.  
After a life-threatening infection led to the amputation of three of his limbs and part of a hand, Josh Bogle found a new sense of freedom and purpose through adaptive surfing in Hawai‘i. Since catching his first wave in 2018, Bogle has become a globally recognized figure in the sport—most notably as the first quadruple amputee to surf standing on prosthetic legs. Representing Hawai‘i in the World Adaptive Surfing Championships and advocating for inclusivity in the ocean, Bogle’s story is a moving testament to human resilience and the healing power of the sea. 
See the trailer. 

The Inevitable Return + Aldan Okkar Allra
July 19 at 7 p.m., July 31 at 2 p.m.  
These two films explore the relationship between surfer and wave and the struggles against militarization and capitalist development. Runtime: 55 min. 

Aldan Okkar Allra
Directed by Steve Wall & Berglind Jóhannsdóttír. 2024. Iceland. 16 min. Icelandic with English subtitles.   
“Aldan Okkar Allra” is the story of the community that has grown around the world-famous surf break in Þorlákshöfn, Iceland. As powerful industrial interests and foreign companies hatch a plan to reshape the Icelandic coastline, this tight-knit group of surfers is all that stands in the way of an irreplaceable natural wonder being covered underneath a senseless landfill. With the outcome far from certain, will the Icelandic people step up and ensure that this magical place will be experienced by generations to come? 

The Inevitable Return
Directed by Zachary Zezima. 2025. USA. 39 min. World premiere.
This short documentary explores the history of how military technology and atomic testing became entangled in contemporary surfing at the beaches of the San Diego area. Using vérité footage and animation, the film follows Shuuluk, a Kumeyaay surfer, who interacts daily with the resulting effects and complexities of occupation on his land and in his sport, and reclaims it as a practice of joy, play and connection. 
See the trailer.

Surf Poets Society + Christa Funk: First in, Last Out
Friday, July 25 at 7pm
This celebration of local surf photography and art begins with a presentation of the Surf Poets Society led by HSFF committee member and artist Manny Aloha before diving into the waves of the North Shore through the lens of surf photographer Christa Funk.  

Christa Funk: First in, Last Out
Directed by Keith Malloy and Andrew Schoneberger. 2025. Hawai‘i. 25 min. 
While in the Coast Guard in Hawai‘i, Christa Funk discovered surf photography. Inspired by her late father, she’s pushed herself into wild lineups to capture the ocean through her unique perspective. The screening will be followed by a Q+A with Christa Funk.  

The Surf Poets Society is a group of artists who create art about the poetic aspects of surfing—the glide, the mist, the mood, and not only the dude in the tube. 

We the Surfers + Return to Zero
July 27 and Aug. 1 at 2 p.m.
Directed by Arthur Bourbon. 2024. France/Liberia. 51 min.  
In a small village in Liberia, a West African country marked by twenty years of civil war, local surfers try to change their destiny and that of their village by creating a surf club. Five years after making the documentary Water Get No Enemy, about former child soldiers turned surfers, director and surfer Arthur Bourbon returns to Liberia to see his friends and document the evolution of surfing in the village. 
See the trailer.

Return to Zero
Directed by Amado Parame Stachenfeld. 2024. USA. 26 min.
This 16mm surf film explores the theme of life, death and reincarnation through the physical form of a surfboard. Featuring Andrew Fletcher (We Quit the Plain Surfboards), Anna Gudauskas, Joey Bookout, Kassia Meador, Paul Takahashi, Kyle Kennelly, Troy Mothershead, Grant Noble, Demi Boelsteri, and Trevor Gordon. 

Global Waves
Aug. 1 at 7 p.m.
See a collection of films showcasing waves from the far corners of the earth and the people who surf them. Total runtime: 46 min. 

Mimi
Directed by Ishbel Alderman. 2024. UK. 5 min. 
This short follows Mimi Faccenda who lives the surfing life in the Canary Islands after growing up in landlocked Switzerland. It is an ode to women’s surfing, adventure, and dedicating one’s life to the endless pursuit of waves. 

The Red Island
Directed by Jon Aspuru. 2025. Spain/Madagascar. 20 min. 
With 3,700 miles of coastline, Madagascar is a dream playground for wave hunters. Basque surfer Kepa Acero had heard plenty of stories about empty lineups, perfect peeling waves, and reefs that can handle serious size. So when a solid swell popped up on the charts in summer 2024, he made the call with two full-send chargers—his Basque buddy Natxo Gonzalez and Portuguese ripper Miguel Blanco. With the help of surf pioneer Blair Rogers, they scored stellar waves and soaked up a culture just as rich as the surf. 
See the trailer.

Shaped by the Elements
Directed by Duda Bertho, Gabriel Novis, and Gustavo Duccini. 2025. El Salvador. 21 min. 
Follow surfers Brisa Hennessy, Jake Marshall, and Imaikalani deVault on a journey of self-discovery in El Salvador. Beyond the perfect waves, this film explores the surfers’ connection to the four elements—earth, water, air, and fire. 

Locals Only 2025
Aug. 2 at 7 p.m.
This quiver of short films showcases the waves and talents of our islands. Total runtime: 58 min 

Layers: Mysto + Maddix
Directed by Nainoa Langer. 2025. Hawaiʻi. 6 min.    
A double serving of the “Layers” series with profiles on artist Chris Miyashiro and surfer Maddix Alotis. 

The Air We Breathe
Directed by Arthur Neumeier. 2023. Hawaiʻi. 10 min.
“The Air We Breathe” dives deep into environmental organization Parley’s global mission to safeguard our planet’s blue spaces, featuring activists, scientists, Indigenous leaders, surfers, volunteers, and marine biologists dedicating their lives to protecting the seas. 

Reel Wāhine of Hawaiʻi: Pākē Salmon
Directed by Vera Zambonelli. 2024. Hawaiʻi. 9 min.
Surfer Pākē Salmon uses filmmaking to document and uplift her Mākaha community. 

Koholā
Directed by Daniel Sullivan. 2025. Hawaiʻi. 9 min.
In the aftermath of the Lahaina wildfires, the return of the koholā (humpback whales) provides a powerful symbol of hope and healing.  

Kainoa
Directed by Nyzjon Jefferson. 2025. Hawaiʻi. 6 min.
A profile of local hydrofoil surfer Kainoa Andrade.  

Kaiwi Winds
Directed by Jeff Hawe. 2025. Hawaiʻi. 15 min.
Follow Edo Tanas to the 2024 Moloka‘i 2 O‘ahu (M2O) World Championships, which he won. 

Screening will be followed by a panel discussion with available filmmakers. Panelists to be announced. 

Surfing, Made in Hawai‘i + Talk Story
Aug. 3 at 5 p.m.
Filmed by Bud Browne. Produced by Bud Browne Film Archives. 50 mins.
“Surfing, Made in Hawai‘i” pays tribute to the birthplace of surfing. A mix of archival footage captured by the father of surf film cinema Bud Browne and current interviews, this thoughtful, provocative film explores a sport that is now global yet deeply connected to the place of its roots. 

The evening screening will open with kahiko hula and will close with a mo‘olelo panel of Joey Cabell, Randy Rarick, Jock Sutherland, Darrick Doerner, Clark Abbey, and Kala‘i Ahuna. The first 100 people to arrive at the screening will receive a free copy of Going Surfin’: Surfing Profiles of Bud Browne’s People, 1950s–1970s by Anna Trent Moore. 

​​The Honolulu Museum of Art is Hawai‘i’s premier art institution, inspiring and uplifting the community through transformative art experiences. Founded in 1927 by Anna Rice Cooke to reflect Hawai‘i’s multicultural makeup, today HoMA’s extraordinary collection of more than 55,000 works of art from across the globe spans 5,000 years.