Thanks Jamie & thanks Surfline

Jamie Brisick came back to Donostia as a member of the Jury and once back at home he penned THIS great feature for Surfline.

Milla esker Jamie!!

Last newsletter

Smile + George Greenough

It has been 4 very intense days with 12 screenings, 13 movies, one concert where the band –Smile- played the soundtrack of the movies being screened live and short films, loooooooots of short films. There have also been lots of beers in the pubs by the Teatro Principal, and pintxos, and tapas, and a txuleton or three… and tales of tubes, surf sessions and waves. It has been the four concerts of the AMSTEL FestiBaila and the non-stop parties until the wee hours of the morning, which caused a few casualties in the line-up the next day. And there have been lots of waves surfed with alaias, minisimmons, 70s style single fins, twinnies, thumbs and bonzers on Saturday morning during the AMSTEL Surfari at Zurriola. All just the way it should be: in trunks and with a cold beer awaiting you under the tent. We had World and European premieres; local films –long and short- that massively impressed some of our distinguished visitors from overseas and films from far away that impressed us!! We’ve been lucky enough to watch some of the movies that we have been hearing so much about lately and some others, totally unknown to us, that surprised and delighted us.

Teatro Principal

The screening of the 20 finalists of the Surf Short Film Competition was an entirely different affair, and the battles for loudest cheers from each film maker and his crew after the screening of each film was fierce, brutal and merciless. Finally, the Prize for best Short Film as voted by the public went to Aleluia! (Roberto Fuentes – Zumaia), but in all fairness we must say the top three were extremely close. And the same thing happened with the AMSTEL Prize for the Jury’s Favourite: El Día Después (Rodrigo Farias – Chile) won by a whisker after tying with Lobitos a Sangre y Fuego (Luís Mori – Perú). We had to go to the Jury’s second options in order to find a winner. We actually want to thank each one of the members of the Jury (Elena G.de Murillo Artamendi, Jamie Brisick, the tow-in duo Amatriain/Agote, Koldo Serra, Juan Fernández, Josean Lizarraga, Julen Larrañaga and <Oeste) as they had a tough job that they managed to pull it off in time and with great objectivity. Anyway, Lobitos a Sangre y Fuego recovered from its loss by going on to win the prize in two other categories (Enviromental and GoPro). But as a short film director pointed out, having his short film screened in front of a full crowd at the Teatro Principal was a victory in itself. Check HERE to find out the winners for each category.

AMSTEL Surfari @ Zurriola

We don’t want to leave without thanking all our sponsors, the filmmakers who lent us their films, the public and all the different people who lent us a hand. The
AMSTEL Surfilm Festibal7 – 2009 is over but we are already working on the 2010 edition. For now we invite you to view some photos of these last four days HERE as well as the daily jailaits that the Surfilmfestibal TV crew will be uploading shortly HERE.

Thanks to all once again.

The AMSTEL Surfilm Festibal crew.

Surf Short Film Competition

And the WINNERS of the 2nd Surf Short Film Competition within the AMSTEL Surfilm Festibal are:

-The AMSTEL Prize for the Jury’s Favourite presented by AMSTEL: 1000 €

El día después, Rodrigo Farias (Chile).

-Prize for the Best GO PRO Short Film presented by Xtreme Video: Vans pack + movies pack.

Lobitos a Sangre y Fuego, Luís Mori (Perú).

-Prize for the Best Animation Short Film presented by VANS: Vans pack + Go Pro camera.

Outside, Dan Blacker (Uk).

-Prize for the Best Short Film in Basque presented by Gaztekutxa: 300 €

Aleluia!, Roberto Fuentes (Zumaria).

-Prize for the Best Environmental Short Film presented by Gaztea: 300 €

Lobitos a Sangre y Fuego, Luís Mori (Perú).

-Prize for best Short Film as voted by the public presented by El Diario Vasco: 300 €

Aleluia!, Roberto Fuentes (Zumaia).

You can watch them all HERE. More info very soon and go HERE to see some photos.