PROMISING young Ulladulla surfers Russell Bierke, Paul Morgan and Elliott Marshall all feature in the 12th Australian Surf Movie Festival screening at the Arcadia Cinema tonight (Wednesday) from 7pm.
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Russell is a particular standout in the movies captured through the lens of film director and cinematographer Tim Bonython, as he rides monster swells in Western Australia and on the South Coast.
Russell, who has recently returned from shooting footage for a remake of the classic surf/crime movie Point Break in Tahiti, will be a special guest at tonight’s screening, and will join director and filmmaker Bonython for a question and answer session at the end.
The 12th Australian Surf Movie Festival shows where the sport is now, by highlighting the best slabs on the planet - right here in Australia.
Expect the ultimate extreme action sequel - the stories behind some of the up-and-coming, brave and talented Australian surfers - all captured through the lens of film director and cinematographer, Tim Bonython.
It includes stories shot this year of the Right in Western Australia, Cape Solander (aka Cape Fear) in Sydney, a secret spot off the NSW South Coast, Shipsterns in Tasmania and Pedra Branca - a reef 27 kilometres out to sea, along with footage from last month’s massive swell in Fiji.
They show how and why Australia has become a Mecca over the past 10 years for surfing crazy, ocean slabs - big lumps of water that come out of deep ocean water and unload on to very shallow reefs.
These waves create monster barrels and are intensely dangerous. Their size and power are truly a spectacle. The breaks can be found dotted all over Australia’s coastline.
Years ago, Hawaii was the only place surfers could travel to in order to surf these big waves. Places like Sunset Beach, Pipeline and Wiamea Bay, on the island of Oahu, were the only places they could test their surfing gladiatorial skills.
In the mid-nineties, Laird Hamilton, with his Maui buddies, started tow-in surfing at a place called Jaws, on the north shore of Maui.
This changed the surfing landscape, especially in relation to what could be surfed here in Australia.
The waves that could be seen breaking out at sea, were now the focus of what was possible.
"Each year I am searching for the greatest moments the ocean can offer,” Bonython said.
“When it comes to surfers verses nature and the pure exhilaration of what the ocean can deliver, the Southern Hemisphere has the greatest playground of options on the planet.
“It's seasonal but there's always so many amazing options to surf and shoot."