II SURFESTIVAL: ENGLISH PRESS RELEASE

THREAD WINS BEST MOVIE IN THE SECOND CHILEAN SURF FILM FESTIVAL (SURFESTIVAL)

Thread, from the Californian Patrick Trefz, famous photographer, cinematographer and contributor to the Surfer Magazine. His new documentary is about an hallucinating visual story that narrates the lives of surfers around the world. In the movie, you can see waves from the North of Chile with the Long brothers, as Joe Curren in Cabo Verde and clips of perfect waves in California. The soul surfer Joel Tudor leaves his mark in Euskadi and France and how not to mention the old school skater Ray Barbee.

Over 1700 people enjoyed the projection of the movies from the second edition of the SURFESTIVAL realized in Santiago (December), Maitencillo (January) and Pichilemu (February). The jury of the 2nd Surf Film Festival of the Surfestival Alvaro Abarca and Icha Tapia (the first surfers and legends of the Chilean surf) and the Brazilian Gustavo Otto of the webpage Surf4ever.com.br were present, enjoyed and checked all of the movies competing. The two chileans give us their comments about the winning movie, Thread:

"Here we find a work that describes in a very harmonious way the atmosphere that surrounds the soul surfers that are motivated with everything related to the beach, manifesting in a real artistic way the spirit in which we live by the sea. The drawings in the sand, the dedication to obtain this sublime feeling is incredible. Everything, to be erased by the changes of tides, reflects the feeling that one feels when riding a wave and to take conscience that it was an unique experience that will not repeat itself" (Alvaro Abarca, Jury of the Second surfestival and pioneer of Chilean Surf).

"This is the finest and most artistic film I have seen. Shows with great professionalism that first class art can be created" (Icha Tapia, Jury of the Second Surfestival and pioneer of Chilean Surf).

What is awaiting for the SURFESTIVAL in 2008?

Rodrigo Farias (26), creator and organizer of this event is mentally focused and motivated for the festival to keep growing throughout the years. "Because of it being a free, cultural and sports-related event, I wish to participate in some competitive funds that would allow me to finance more activities, as inviting more people to work on this project. I´m focus on bringing surfers/musician artists like Jack Johnson, to make some shows this year". Rodrigo tells us that for the moment the SURFESTIVAL has been supported by a few brands that allow to finance the majority of the activities, but tell us that a lot of support for this type of event is still lacking.

Since March, the SURFESTIVAL through it's webpage (www.surfestival.cl) will be a medium of communication that will relate surf with the various areas of the event. "It will be about photography, art, music, films and ecology, no competition as a lot of media that cover this already do it, and they do it well". Adding to this, he points out that during the first semester of 2008, he will be producing along with the publicist and cinematographer Vicente Rogers (27) and the photographer Alejandro Briones a documentary about the beginning of surf in Chile with the pioneers Alvaro Abarca and Icha Tapia as protagonists. To later premiere it in the 3rd edition of the SURFESTIVAL that is planned for November in the Chilean Capital.






MORE THAN 4000 PEOPLE ENJOYED THE SURFESTIVAL, 2ND FESTIVAL OF SURF MOVIES AND SURF CULTURE

"The second edition of the SURFESTIVAL was a complete success", revealed the organizer of the event, the publicist and surf documentarist Rodrigo Farias. "We had more than 4000 people in the distinct activities, there was more photos and free projections of the movies in Maitencillo and Pichilemu. I hope the third version of the SURFESTIVAL will be able to be present in more beaches of Chile, offering surf culture through our different areas: art, photography, music and films, all for free."

This second version that started in December of 2007 in the Cine Arte Alameda, with more than 20 surf movies , later it moved to the Rip Curl Pro in Maitencillo where 3 movies were shown on the beach and later finished in the Chilean Surf Capital, Pichilemu, where he produced "II SURFEARTE" (exposition of Surf art and photography), with artists such as Julio Jean Maire, Christian Tuki and the local Nacho Vargas. Adding to the free projections of the movies in the Plaza Arturo Prat of Pichilemu. But not everything is art, photography and movies. The live music couldn't be absent being one of the pillars of the event. Santa Cochiguagua proved that every year they are consolidating their style, confirming themselves as the national surf rock band that will lighten any live stage. Skualos, a national surf rock band captivated and impressed the public with their rockabilly style. I also want to point out the presentation of "Victor Jofré y los Ermitaños" that played an unique and fluid style that allowed them to fill up their agendas with live sets in Pichilemu.

The second version of the Surfestival was sponsored by Movistar, Ron Flor de Caña, Dekline Shoes and Billabong.

Thank you to the Town Hall of Pichilemu and it Mayor Marcelo Cabrera.