The third fringe screening, Surf’s Up!, was held on 13th of October 2017, Friday from 2000 to 2230 at the Black Box Theatre KK, 8th Floor, Suria Sabah Shopping Mall, Kota Kinabalu. The film, ‘Gaza Surf Club’, is a fascinating look at a new generation of Gaza residents who find escape from “the world’s largest open-air prison” in surfing the waves of the Mediterranean. It is a poignant look at the relationship between humans and their environments and how in a harsh political landscape, the vast ocean becomes a place of release.
The screening was done in collaboration with the Sabah Surfing Association (SSA) and Sri Pelancongan Sabah (SPS), who also took the opportunity to promote the upcoming Music and Surf Festival at the Tip of Borneo from 24 to 26 November 2017.
BEFF Board Member Holly Jonas began with a brief introduction to the film and the evening’s programme. After the film, Sabah Surfing Association Vice President Charles Mawan gave a special presentation on the association’s role and activities, while sharing his personal surfing experiences, citing Kudat as one of the best locations to surf in Sabah. This was followed by a brief presentation by Chloe Lee Mei Tchuin of Sri Pelancongan Sabah on the upcoming ‘Music and Surf Festival @ the Tip of Borneo’, co-organised with the Sabah Surfing Association. She detailed the activities of the event, which aims to promote the beautiful beaches of Kudat as a tourism destination for outdoor activities and surf culture, as well as to showcase the tradition and customs of the Rungus community.
About the film:
Tajuk Filem / Title: Gaza Surf Club
Jenis / Type: Documentary
Tahun / Year: 2016
Negara Asal / Country: Germany / Palestine
Tempoh Tayangan / Duration: 87 min
Bahasa / Sarikata: English and Arabic with English and BM subtitles
Pengarah Filem/ Penerbit / Director / Producer: Philip Gnadt and Mickey Yamine (Directors)
SINOPSIS / SYNOPSIS
Trapped in “the world’s largest open-air prison” and ruled by war, a new generation is drawn to the beaches. Sick of occupation and political gridlock, they find their own personal freedom in the waves of the Mediterranean – they are the surfers of Gaza.
About the Music and Surf Festival:
The Music and Surf Fest @ The Tip Of Borneo, Kudat will be held from 24 to 26 November 2017, at Kalampunian Beach, Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, Kudat, Sabah. The three-day event aims to promote the beautiful beaches of Kudat as a tourism destination for outdoor activities and surf culture, as well as to showcase the tradition and customs of the Rungus community.
The Music and Surf Fest will kickstart the festival with a surfing competition on 24 November. The surf competition will be held for three days, in which the first day will be exclusively for participating surfers. Learn how to surf are encouraged to attend scheduled surf clinics as well as a free-entry Sunset Music Concert will be held on the 25 November from 4:30pm until late.
Holly closed the fringe screening by summarising the evening sessions and thanked everyone for their time and Sri Pelancongan Sabah for sponsoring the venue.
More about Sabah Surfing Association
