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ABOUT

UK Surf Cinema is a UK-wide surf film events project built around a simple idea: good films, on a big screen, with a room full of people who care about the sea. It started in Bristol as a small surf-film night, and those early events proved what we’d hoped, that there’s still an appetite for offline gatherings in celebration of wave-riding. That momentum carried into our first national tour, where we welcomed surfers, ocean lovers and the surf-curious into cinemas across the country.

Now we’re growing UK Surf Cinema into something that lives year-round. Alongside a 2026 tour, we’ll be running “spotlight” events in different towns and cities; one-off screenings; special guests; Q&As and collaborations - whenever there’s a good reason to gather.

We care a lot about doing this right. Films are licensed properly, and filmmakers are paid fairly per screening, because surf creativity deserves real support. We’re also working on building a fund to help new projects happen, and £1 from every ticket goes to our charity partner, The Wave Project, supporting surf therapy for young people across the UK.

If you’ve ever felt the pull of the ocean, you’re welcome here.

PREVIOUS SCREENINGS

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

Point of change

POINT OF CHANGE

Rebecca Coley

Seb

SEB

Matilda Thompson

Surfaced

SURFACED

Nick Corkill

Surf on europe

SURF ON EUROPE

Constantin Gross & Lukas Steinbrecher

WINTER TOUR

Our first UK Surf Cinema tour took surf storytelling on the road and proved what we’d always felt in Bristol: people genuinely want to gather, switch off for a couple of hours, and watch great surf films together. 

We brought a carefully curated programme of shorts and mid-length films to venues around the country, with a real emphasis on stories made within the surf communities of the British Isles - alongside films that speak to the wider pull of the sea. We met brilliant people along the way, and left each night buzzing at how quickly a room can feel connected when the stories hit home.

Since then, we’ve been working quietly behind the scenes on what comes next. The plan is to bring the tour back in 2026, building on everything we learned the first time around, broader variety in the line-ups, more community gatherings, and more moments that make a cinema feel like a proper celebration of surf culture.

If you’re a filmmaker and you’ve made something you think belongs on a big screen, we’d love to see it. You can submit your film directly through the website, and we’ll keep an eye out for great work which will speak to our surf & ocean community...

If you’re an audience member, the best way to stay in the loop is to join our mailing list for first access to tour dates and ticket drops, or follow us on socials for updates, clips, and announcements as things take shape.

Submit your film

Our 2025 Partners

SURFACED

Nick Corkill

Surfaced is a film about resolve, recovery and the power of the ocean. 
A personal story by professional ocean photographer Nick Corkill.

SEB

Matilda Thompson

Seb, a Surf Therapy Journey is a short documentary about a charismatic 12-year-old with ADHD and autism who embarks on a six-week surf therapy course. Ride the waves of Seb's infectious personality as we follow him on his journey of self-discovery, aided by the unwavering support of his loving mother Naomi. This uplifting and inspiring short documentary uncovers the wonders of neurodiversity, explores the transformative power of surf therapy and shows the incredible impact it can have on the lives of young people.

The Wave Project, is an award-winning and evidence based charity that harnesses the power of surfing as an effective form of alternative therapy.

POINT OF CHANGE

Rebecca Coley

Point of Change is the story of an island community changed forever by the discovery of a ‘perfect wave’ in the 1970’s, chronicling the first surfers to ‘discover' this Point at Nias Island, Indonesia, and the unintended dramatic consequences that followed. This compelling documentary feature film is told through a unique blend of previously unseen Super 8 archive, contemporary interview and beautiful animation, with an original score composed by academy-award winning composer Stephen Warbeck, and featuring exclusive new music tracks by Paul Oakenfold and local musicians.

SURF ON EUROPE

Constantin Gross & Lukas Steinbrecher

"Surf on, Europe!" revolves around the lives of three surf enthusiasts, each facing their own struggles with European norms and ideals. Majid, a kitesurfer in Tarifa, battles visa issues to unite his family from Morocco. In Biarritz, Margaux organizes Europe's first LGBTQ-friendly surf festival to challenge gender norms. Rosy, a surfboard shaper in Northern Ireland, navigates post-Brexit turbulence. The film explores the promise of freedom in Europe and the enduring challenges that threaten it.

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.

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.

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.