The Tamarindo International Surf Film Festival annually celebrates the vibrant world of surf culture and cinematic culture and cinematic artistry. Established in 2019, this festival vividly captures the distinctive spirit and resilience of surfing while exploring the profound intricacies of the human experience through modern surf documentaries.
More than just a celebration of surfing, this festival is a devoted supporter of the nonprofit organization CEPIA Costa Rica. Every dollar raised during the event directly contributes to CEPIA's sports and psychology programs, making a meaningful impact on the lives of over 2000 children, adolescents, and families in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
2024
Edition
Get ready for the 2024 Tamarindo International Surf Film Festival— it's going to be epic!
We're gearing up for our fourth year, and this time around, we've got a killer lineup of films that are bound to blow your mind and redefine what surf movies are about:
Picture this: awesome premieres that'll inspire, excite, and entertain both die-hard surf fans and newbies. We're taking over the TRIO Tamarindo venue, and it's going to be the perfect spot for our laid-back, surf-culture celebration. So, mark your calendars and join us for a weekend full of waves, good vibes, and the coolest surf films from around the globe.
See you there!
Friday
March 15
6:00 pm
Comienzo
Start/
2 min
Animation short
Director Nisrine Oulalite, France
Ephemeral
11 min
Director Alejandro Maytorena, Mexico
Starring Jonathan Melendres
Spanish with English sub-titles
El Gordo
16 min
Director Morgan Masseen, Hawaii
Starring Malia Manuel, English
Malia Manuel
12 min
Director Derieus Legg
Starring Chad Campbell
English with Spanish sub-titles
Stoker Machine
13 min
Director Samuel Mueller
Spanish with English sub-titles
Beyond Frames
45 min
Intervalo
Intermission/
9:00 pm
Largometraje
Feature Film/
90 min
Director Spenser Frost & Guy Williment
Starring Letty Mortensen and Fraser Dovell
English with Spanish sub-titles
Corners of the Earth-Kamchatka
Saturday
March 16
6:00 pm
Comienzo
Start/
4 min
Director/Producers Dave Tourje & Steve Barilotti
Starring Rick Griffin, English
Rick Griffin Interlude 01, Pacific Vibrations
24 min
Director Jack Kaminski & Mark Duncan
Starring Vini Dos Santos
English with spanish subtitles
Vinicus
16 min
Director/Starring Lena Kemna & Christina Gindl
English with french subtitles
The Fifth Tide
45 min
Intervalo
Intermission/
9:00 pm
Largometraje
Feature Film/
90 min
Director Matty Hannon
Starring Matty Hannon
English with Spanish sub-titles
The Road to Patagonia
Premium Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Festival Supporter
Affiliates
As the 2024 "Super Sponsor," Las Catalinas brings an equally shared passion for arts and sports in synergy with nature. Their unwavering support of the Festival + CEPIA mirrors their core values while embracing the power of cinematic storytelling as a catalyst for inspiration and transformation.
Super Sponsor 2024
Friday
Animation: 2 minutes
In this captivating two-minute animation, "ephemeral," witness the delicate dance of a surfer with the ocean's fleeting beauty and formidable strength. The film gracefully captures the transient yet profound connection between strength and tranquility, offering a visual celebration of the present moment within the animated waves.
Directed by Nisrine Oulalite, France
Short Film: 11 minutes
Jonathan Melendres “El gordo” embarks on a journey to cabo del este accompanied by his friends. They are in search of waves and something more; the fullness of the sea and connection with nature.
Directed by Alejandro Mairotena, Mexico
Short Film: 16 minutes
"Malia" takes viewers on an exhilarating journey with professional surfer Malia Manuel. From her favorite surf spots worldwide to new waves she's dreamed of, the film captures the essence of passion, exploration, and the indomitable spirit of a surfer chasing waves around the globe. Join Malia from Tahiti to indonesia, south Africa to France, Spain, back to Tahiti, and concluding with a sublime winter on her home island of Kaua'i. "Malia" is a visual celebration of surfing, adventure, and the love for the ocean.
Directed by Morgan Maassen, Hawaiian
Short Film: 12 minutes
Stoker machine is an award winning animated surf documentary. Chad Campbell, an expert surfer discovers a mysterious surfboard on the big island of Hawaii. The retro board provides only a phone number and an email address as clues to its origin, leading chad to accidentally uncover a central-coast california surf legend. The man they call, "stoker". Stoker machine puts you in the ocean and shares a folklore, capturing the spirit of stoke through surf cinematography and unique, colorful hand-drawn animation. Discover the magical and sometimes funny relationship between surfer and surfboard.
Directed by Derieus Legg, English
Feature Film: 90 minutes
The film follows surfers Letty Mortensen and Fraser Dovell as they peer behind the iron curtain to discover volcanic cold-water slabs, Mi-8 helicopters, frozen campsites, and frozen bank accounts. This travelogue was almost over before it began with the Russian invasion of Ukraine creating roadblock.
Directed by Spencer Frost & Guy Williment, English
Saturday
Short Film: 4 minutes
One tale of many from the story bag of legendary rock art, surf cartoonist and surrealist Rick Griffin. Narrated by griffin himself, interlude 01 portrays a magic-realist journey from the Texas badlands to california's point conception as seen through John Severson's lost 1970 classic pacific vibrations.
Directed/Producers Dave Tourjé & Steve Barilotti
Short Film: 24 minutes
Vinicius follows the untold story of Brazilian big wave surfer, Vini dos santos, who allegedly surfed a 97-foot wave in Nazaré in 2022. From the shores of brazil to the giant waves of Portugal, Vini recounts his surfing journey, the challenges, the injuries and the accomplishments that all lead up to the moment he would catch the biggest wave of his life.
Directed by Ack Kaminski, Mark Duncan, Portugal
Short Film: 19 minutes
Winter swells, thundering waves, sharp reefs, paddling larger waves with guns, and the struggle and joy that comes with all of that. Fifth tide shows the life of two women during the rough Portuguese winter season. It shows their connection to the ocean, waves, and nature, and how they found sisterhood through all of this.
Directed by Lena Kemna & Christina Gindl, Portugal
Feature Film: 91 minutes
The road to patagonia" unfolds as a breathtaking documentary, intertwining love letters shared between two individuals and the profound connection between humanity and the earth. Matty Hannon's solo motorbike journey along the americas takes an unexpected turn in the wilderness, leading to a chance encounter with heather hillier. Their decision to ride together, initially on motorcycles and later on horseback, brings encounters with zapatista rebels, amazonian shamans, and mapuche leaders, prompting deep existential questions. The absence of a camera crew enhances the film's authenticity, capturing human moments during their world-first expedition. Shot over 16 years, this visually stunning odyssey serves as an adventurous exposé on our relationship with the more-than-human world, offering both a physical and spiritual journey to understand our place in nature.
Directed by Matty Hannon, English
