Laboral Kutxa Bilbao Surf Film Festival to be held from February 23 to 26 in Getxo and Bilbao
In Getxo, the opening of the festival in Muxikebarri, on February 23. In Bilbao, from February 24 to 26, the film program and cultural and sports activities will continue at Itsasmuseum.
Bilbao, February 16, 2023. The beauty and emotion of surf cinema return to Bizkaia with Laboral Kutxa Bilbao Surf Film Festival. The festival will be held in two venues. The Muxikebarri center in Getxo will host the opening of the festival on February 23 and Itsasmusem Bilbao will host the film festival and the rest of the activities from February 24 to 26.
Opening of the film festival in Getxo on Thursday, 23rd of October
The opening of the festival at Muxikebarri in Getxo will bring together directors and surfers who will be the protagonists of the films and the rest of the festival’s exhibitions and activities. During the opening ceremony, six Basque short films and one Australian feature film will be premiered. Among the former, Nemesis, a surprising short fiction film by Mikel Abasolo; three films by Igor Bellido (Arcade, Wiseman and Marea Viva, about surfers María Martínez, Yago Domínguez and Iker Trigueros); the new film by Jon Aspuru (Teahupoo); and Oreka, by Javi Goya, starring Basque surfer Xabier Lopez. The session will end with the Australian feature Facing Monsters.
In addition, on the opening day an Audiovisual Industry Networking will be held at the new Getxo Sormen Hub with Basque and international industry professionals such as Iker Elorrieta and Itziar García Zubiri and institutions such as Eiken, EiTB or Zineuskadi.
Film festival and other activities at Itsasmuseum Bilbao from the 24th to the 26th.
LKBSFF offers a selection of the best international surf films. 26 European, 5 American, 5 Australian and 2 African films will compete for the six awards. A total of 38 films in competition, nine guest films and fifteen premieres. Among the first, the premieres of Girls Can’t Surf, an Australian feature film that shows how the image of women was used in surfing in the 80s; 265 days without waves, the film by Catalan director Julie Gomez; the also Australian Facing Monsters and the American Humanity Stoked, which narrates the healing power of surfing for a skateboarder who finds meaning in his life by facilitating access to this sport in Cuba, a country that knows how to live in community.
As for the guest films premiering during the festival, two films by Isio Noya and Eduardo Bartolomé Dark Mundaka and Rainy surf day in Rokaputa, a short film by Sunny Breger and Annika von Schütz that is part of Jorge López de Guereñu’s showcase called El Alma and six shorts that will be premiered during the opening ceremony stand out. On Saturday, the awards for Best Film, Best Short Film, Best Local Film, Best Film Action Sports, Audience Award and Jury Award of this edition will be given, as well as the awards for the photo contest of La Salve and the Online Surfing Championship of Bizkaiko Surf Federazioa.
Tickets for the different sessions can be purchased on site, on the website www.bsff.eus and some can be seen through the streaming platform Filmin.
New festival activities at Itsasmuseum
As in previous years, in addition to the film festival, LKBSFF offers a series of complementary activities linked to surfing, both inside and on the outdoor esplanade of Itsasmuseum Bilbao.
Among the novelties this year, three exhibitions that can be visited for free, such as the two exhibitions that merge art and surf by artist and surfer Jorge López de Guereñu and the exhibition of the #LaSalve 2023 surf photography contest. In addition, the yoga workshop by television personality Ana Urrutia or the innovative product for wetsuits by Dryfing. Finally, there will be a round table on adapted surfing with Aitor Francesena ‘Gallo’, Paloma Oñate (Tenerife) bronze in the world championships of adapted surfing, Joseba Mercader, Xabier Ayestarán, or members of the association of adapted surfing Izurdeak. And two meetings on sustainable boards with Kurri and Less Plastic and on environmental awareness, the latter by Nomads.
Meanwhile, among the new outdoor activities outside Itsasmuseum, highlight the solidarity march on Saturday in favor of the visibility of adapted surfing and will consist of a walking tour, paddle surfing and skateboards from the Guggenheim Museum to Itsasmuseum to raise funds for the association Izurdeak. Another novelty is the presentation, together with the representatives of the surf film festivals of Paris and Portugal, of the agreement for the creation of a European Network of Surf Festivals.
Also of note are the concerts open to the public and free of charge by the British Adam Giles Levy on Friday and the local rock band Holy Rippers and the DJ session by Mario Azurza, which will put the finishing touch to the awards ceremony on Saturday.
Finally, more activities that can be enjoyed on the esplanade outside Itsasmuseum are the UK Skatepark skate exhibitions and skate championships of the ‘Mini Ramp Assault’ or water activities in the estuary, presentation of new products, and the market of the surfing and sliding industry, the Surf Market, with Aloka, Fangaloka, UK, Atlas, Amaia Bags, Abian, Dryfing, Frussurf…
