It has been an easy decision. We needed some space to think and some time to surf. We needed to step back and take a look at the state of the surfing world in 2017. We needed to ask ourselves how the festival is best able to appraise and champion our culture, and to bring to bear upon it a critical perspective that examines our relationship with the natural world.

The festival won’t be taking place, but the brand is alive and well. We are looking forward to your submissions to the SAVAGE CINEMA programme which we will once again be directing as part of the San Sebastián Film Festival. We’ll be taking another step forward in the collaboration we began in 2016 with our friends Wheels and Waves, curating the excellent ArtRide exhibition. These and other forthcoming projects will be our focus for the time being.

It has been an extraordinary journey. It’s a privilege to have pioneered a new genre of event that is now flourishing all over the world. The magical mix of surfing and cinema has taken off in some of the most unlikely parts of the planet.

To have played a crucial role in the success of this phenomenon; to be able to count as friends artists such as Andrew Kidman; to have shown, for the first time ever, the still unrivalled masterpiece that is Litmus on the big screen; to have helped put Euskadi on the map as a key player in global surf culture; to have welcomed this culture’s foremost filmmakers and story-tellers to our city — these are the things that have motivated us over the years, and that make us proud of what the festival has achieved.

It wouldn’t have been the same without you guys, the festival’s loyal supporters, whose involvement has made the whole experience such an enjoyable one, and whose high standards have kept us on our toes. Now it’s time for us to take a step back from the front line and recharge our batteries, ready for next time.

Thanks and Acknowledgements

We couldn’t have kept the projectors running these last 14 years without the backing of some great friends. The support of Patagonia, since they started working with us in 2010, has been invaluable. They were able to see the method in the madness, and it’s an honour to be part of their family and to have them as part of ours. The Unidad de Cine de Donostia Kultura extended a helping hand when we were getting started thanks to the vision of José Luis Rebordinos, and it has stuck by us ever since, through the hard work of Josemi Beltrán, Alfonso López, Carlos Plaza, Amaia Revuelta and Montse Ramos. The team at the Teatro Principal — in particular Lourdes Aguinaga and Koldo — has been fantastic, putting up with the rabble of surfers year after year.

We would like to say a big thanks to the Aquarium for being the festival’s very first venue, and more recently its maritime hub, hosting our more environmentally-minded events. Albaola is a magical project that has converted a fantasy into reality, and we thank them for letting us take over their shipyard. And thanks to all the other institutions involved: Surfing Euskadi / Basque Country, Surf City Donostia, Gipuzkoa’s Department of Culture and the Donostia / San Sebastián 2016 European Capital of Culture Foundation.

Thanks to those sponsors that have thrown their weight behind the festival on various occasions, such as Kutxa Fundazioa with their #izanezberdin initiative, and to those that have been involved throughout: Vans, Volkswagen, Amstel, Latam Airlines, XSsories, Basqueland Brewing Project, Keler, Amaiketako.

We could never have spread the word as widely as we have done without the help of our media partners: our brothers at 3Sesenta who have been on board since the get-go, El Diario Vasco, The Surfer’s Path, Staf Magazine, Mar Gruesa, Surf Europe, The Inertia, and MagicSeaweed.

And, of course, the brilliant team that has made this whole thing possible from the start: Iñaki Bandrés and Felipe Felipe Apalategui in the early days, Xabi Zirikiain for designing the logo we still use today, Borja Garmendia a.k.a. Pensando en Blanco for capturing the essence of our vision in both images and words, likewise Jorge Elosegui from Estudio Primo, David Carson for allowing himself to be wooed one year, Andrew Kidman and Andy Davis for giving us that original international look, Felip Verger and Jaime Izquierdo, the inimitable Shaf and Kote, Iker Elorrieta, Juan Fernández, Maria Bernal, Iñigo Gaitón and Billy Wilson, to the ‘Txiringito’ at la Zurriola beach and to the staff from the Patagonia store (Arantxa y Gaizka)… and to anyone we may have forgotten, there are too many names to mention!

The Surfilmfestibal family, who will always be at the festival’s core: Julen Larrañaga and Elena G. de Murillo, Lander Irazabalbeitia, Edgar de Pedro and his brother Pedro, Ike Basterretxea “Roke”, Mikel Urigoitia, Ibone Iza, Ane Otamedi, María Ortiz, Joseba Berasategui.

Thanks to all the artists involved:

Andrew Kidman, Jack McCoy, Alby Falzon, Jamie Brisick, Takeshi Kitano, Kathrin Bigelow, Patrick Trefz, Dane Reynolds, Thomas Campbell, Chris Malloy, Dan Malloy, Stacy Peralta, Michelle Lockwood, Richard Kenvin, John Severson, Kai Neville, Mickey Smith, Taylor Steele, Rodrigo Farias Moreno, Michael Oblowitz, Mick Waters, Jason Baffa & Mark Jeremias, Nick Waplington, Takuji Masuda, David Carson, Mick Waters, Jon Frank, Craig Peterson, John Severson, George Greenough, Nathan Myers, Kohl Christensen, RC Cone, Darius Devas, Lea Brassy, Thomaz Crocco Sellins, Blake Kueny, Chris McLean, Ray Kleiman “Runman”, Tim Burnham, Eddie Obrand, Nicolas Dazet, Sebastien Zanella, Simon Bruncke, Trent Beattie, Masaki Sekiguchi, Toby Cregan, Mark Sutherland, Sarah Menzies, Bryce Lowe White, Ben Weiland, Kevin L Smith, Jali Films, Dustin Humphrey, Chas Smith, Yani Lidori, Talon Clemow, Lewis Arnold, Jeremy Rumas, Jack Coleman, Dylan Stot, Tin Ojeda, Ian Thomson, Thomas Castets, Joaquin y Julian Azulay, Fred Berho, Thomas Larocca, Vincent Kardazik, Ben Knight, Derek Dunfee, Denis Delestrac, Jose Madalengoitia, Jason Hearn, Ben Nott, Morgan O´Neill, Tim Bonithon, Craig Griffin, Toma Jablon, Cyrus Sutton, Marion Poizeau, Tiffany Campbell, Simon Lamb, Arthur Neumeir, Doug Hancock, Mikey Detemple, Ixa Llambias, Christian Merello, Nathan Oldfield, Peiman Lotfi, Karoly Spah, Inge Wegge, Jorn Nyseth, Kai Sehr, Erich Lyttle, Garret McNamara, Paulo Caldeira, René Eckert, Julian Watson, Steve Jones, Tatiana Velasco, Doug Walker, Riley Blakeway, Pandora Decoster, Aleksi Raij, Rafael Mellin, Henrique Ogro Perrone, Olivio Petit, Victor Manuel, Stefan Nadelman, Chistopher Cutri, Angel Marin,Christophe Brachet, Guile Martins, Loic Wirth, ROcky Romano, Wangdu Chiu Hovey, Zack Noyle, Johnny Abegg, Christopher James, Jaciel Santiago, Naálehu Anthony, Jo Blakenburg, Andy Fox, Adam Pesce, Nick Waggoner, Daniel Leeb, Taki Bibelas, Peanut 3E, Denise Galvao, Emiliano Cataldi, Maxence Peyras, Leonardo Santini, Vincent Kardazik, Halvor Angvik, Jason Kenworthy, Claire Gorman, Matt Kleiner, Stephen Low, Greg Rabejac, Richard Stewart, Skeleton Sea, Louie Psihoyos, Alexander Klein, Justin Mitchell, Bjorn Richie Lob, Nathan Apffel, Rodrigo Diaz, Jolyon Hoof, Joel Conroy, Karim Rejeb, Antonio Silva, Dustin Miller, Dave Arnold & Tyrone Lebon, Pascal Scheneider,

Pedro Temboury, Igor Bellido, Jon Aspuru, Kepa Acero, Koldo Almandoz, Mikel Yerobi, Unai Borda, Imanol Sorazu, Rayco Cano, Iker Elorrieta, Nacho Susaeta, Gabriel Farciña “Malone”, Iñaki Camacho, Mario Entero, Carlos Guzman, Jan L. Latussek, Javi Muñoz “Pacotow”, Iñigo Gaiton, Jim Box, Xabi Zirikiain, Juan Azpitarte, Iker San Martin, Shaf, Maneto, Skatergorris, Ysio, Igor Eizaguirre & Mikel Makala, Justin Gane, Dani Holguin “Txapu”, Nacho Escobar e Iker Treviño, Patrick Guisasola, Juan Azpitarte, Alain Gonfaus, David M Potter, Sally Lundberg & Elisabeth Pepin, Rosaldo Cavalcanti y Jorge Guimaraes, Gentxane Aguirre & German Maneros, Bideolan, Marten Persiel, Iñigo Aizpuru, Ander Lopez, MarioAzurza, Popeto y sus clásicos anuales “Jarriko da”, Oscar Valencia, Jon Goikoetxea / Bideolan, Antonia Obrador, Xavi Clavero, Unai Borda, Pau Rico, Iñigo Agote, Eneko Moro, Guillem Cruels, Manu Uranga, David Ruiz “Ñute”, Inka Reichardt, Eneko Huarte, Jon Sanpedro, Iñigo Kintana, Ion Eizaguirre, Juan Diaz Fdez, Eduardo Sanchez, Hector Barrero, Matthew McGregor Mento, Alfonso Nieva, Palots, Fernando Ferrao, Hermanos Aguas.