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ABOUT

UK Surf Cinema is a national touring showcase launching in 2025, bringing together surfers, ocean lovers and filmmakers to celebrate story-driven films about wave-riding, culture and the sea. Born from a small surf‑film night in Bristol, it’s now growing into a national tour with the simple aim of bringing people together to watch and celebrate surf stories on the big screen. We’re inspired by the way surf films have always united surfers: not only for the thrill of watching waves, but for the shared love of the ocean, kinship and culture. 

Each screening features a carefully curated selection of short and mid-length films all chosen for their heart, purpose and storytelling. 

This new platform ensures every film is properly licensed and filmmakers are paid fairly per screening. A fund is being built to support mentoring, networking and new creative projects, ensuring that emerging talent has the support it needs. On top of that, £1 from every ticket goes directly to our charity partner, The Wave Project, whose surf therapy programmes improve the lives of young people across the UK through surfing.

In a world of doom scrolling and fragmented connection, UK Surf Cinema offers something different: a chance to gather in person, share powerful stories and celebrate the richness of UK surf culture. You’ll find yourself welcome whether you’re a die‑hard surfer, weekend wave catcher, or just someone who’s ever felt the pull of the sea.

By attending, you’re helping us sustain the creative heartbeat of our surf community. UK Surf Cinema invites you to join a community that believes in surf film, celebrates homegrown talent, supports a great cause and has a lot of fun along the way.

THE FILMS

Riptide - byKristian Kane & Lewis Carter

RIPTIDE

Kristian Kane & Lewis Carter

Finding San Nicolas - by Martin Dorey & John Cutts

FINDING SAN NICOLAS

Martin Dorey & John Cutts

Salt - by Alice Ward

SALT

Alice Ward

THE LOCATIONS

SALT

Alice Ward

Sodium chloride is vital for all life, serving as the primary salt in seawater and an essential compound within our bodies. This is a short film exploring the role salt has played throughout filmmaker Alice Ward’s life. From her mother noticing her skin was unusually salty at birth which led to a diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis to Alice 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 Alice in her personal and professional life.

FINDING SAN NICOLAS

Martin Dorey & John Cutts

In 1970 John Cutts and Roger Tout left the UK on a banana boat heading for the Canaries. John was carrying six rolls of super 8 film. After an horrific journey they landed at Arguineguín, a popular point break on Gran Canaria. When things turned sour with the local Garda they set off across the island. Having spotted waves at the bottom of a steep valley, they set off to find them, ending up in San Nicolas, a paradise on earth. This is their story, told with modern day interviews cut to John’s original Super 8 footage.

RIPTIDE

Kristian Kane & Lewis Carter

Riptide tells the story of Welsh surfer Mark ‘Jock’ Jones, as his surf-dominated life is upended by a catastrophic Myeloma blood cancer diagnosis. The film follows Jock over a five-year period as he’s forced into isolation, away from his surfing obsession and his family. Jock channels the energy that would usually be focused on surfing into a mega ‘virtual paddle’ challenge to raise money for charity and send ripples of hope into a community suffering with their own issues. The result is a film about compassion, the power of surfing on mental and physical well-being, and finding out what truly matters in life.