Festival Awards Program
Films entered in the festival are eligible for one of four prestigious awards as judged by the Festival Jury: BEST FILM, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST SHORT FILM and the PETER TROY 'SPIRIT OF SURFING ADVENTURE' AWARD. Peter Troy was a Torquay surfer who in 1963, embarked on a three year surfing journey around the world. It was one of the greatest surf journeys in the history of modern surfing and an inspiration for this award which recognises films that display the same spirit of surfing adventure. Peter was founder of the first Bells Beach Surf Contest with Vic Tantau in 1962 and co-founder of the Australian National Surf Museum In Torquay.
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2022 Festival Award Winners
BEST FILM - SWEET ADVENTURE (UK) Dir: Peter Hamblin
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - SWEET ADVENTURE (UK) Dir: Peter Hamblin
BEST SHORT FILM - FREE SCRUBBER (USA) Dir: Vaughan Blakey / Nick Pollet
PETER TROY 'SPIRIT OF SURFING' AWARD - LOST TRACK NEW ZEALAND (Aust) Dir: Ishka Folkwell
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2020 Festival Award Winners
BEST FILM - TROUBLE (USA) Dir: Chas Smith
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - A CORNER OF THE EARTH (Aust) Dir: Spencer Frost
BEST SHORT FILM - A STATE OF PLAY (Aust) Dir: Robert Sherwood
PETER TROY 'SPIRIT OF SURFING' AWARD - PACIFICO (Aust) Creative team: Christian Gibson, Chris Gooley, Andreas Geipel
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In January 2020 to celebrate our 10th festival the committee presented the second FILMMAKERS RECOGNITION AWARD to George Greenough for his achievements in surf film innovation and production.
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2019 Festival Award Winners
BEST FILM - PROBIO (Russia) Dir: Konstantin Kokorev
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - BEYOND THE NOISE (Aust) Dir: Andrew Kaineder
BEST SHORT FILM - TAN (France) Dir: Alena Ehrengold
PETER TROY 'SPIRIT OF SURFING' AWARD - PROBOI (Russia) Dir: Konstantin Korkorev
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2018 Festival Award Winners
BEST FILM - BIARRITZ SURF GANG (France) Dir's: Nathan Curren / Pierre Denoyel
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - FISH PEOPLE (USA) Dir: Keith Molloy
BEST SHORT FILM - THE AGAVE GUN (USA) Dir: Ross Haines
PETER TROY ' SPIRIT OF SURFING ADVENTURE' AWARD - SECRETS OF DESERT POINT (USA) Dir: Ira Opper
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2017 Festival Award Winners
BEST FILM - DISTANCE BETWEEN DREAMS (USA) Dir: Rob Bruce
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - LETS BE FRANK (SA) Dir: Peter Hamblin
BEST SHORT FILM - BRUCE GOLD: THE LAST OF THE GREAT SURF HIPPIES (SA) Dir: Anders Melchoir
PETER TROY 'SPIRIT OF SURFING ADVENTURE AWARD - LAS OLAS (Aus) Dir: Joel Sharpe
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2016 Festival Award Winners
BEST FILM - FISH (Aus) Dir: Joseph Ryan
PETER TROY 'SPIRIT OF SURFING ADVENTURE' AWARD - MAD DOGS (Brazil) Dir: Roberto Studart.
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2015 Festival Award Winners
BEST FILM - STRANGE RUMBLINGS IN SHANGRI-LA (USA) Dir: Joe Guglielmino
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - EXPENCIVE PORNO FILM (USA) Dir: Tin Ojeda
PETER TROY 'SPIRIT OF SURFING ADVENTURE' AWARD - TIERRA DE PATAGONES (Argentina) Dir: Julian and Joaquin Azulay
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INAUGURAL FILM MAKERS RECOGNITION AWARD
Jack McCoy
In 2015 the Festival Jury chose to acknowledge a film maker
whose innovative work had inspired generations of surfers
and film makers. We were extremely pleased to announce
that Jack McCoy was the winner of our inaugural
FILM MAKERS RECOGNITION AWARD.
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Jack has been a pioneer of surf film making for
over 30 years. His films have featured the
world's best surfers riding the world's best
waves. Jack's underwater cinematography has
regularly set the benchmark high and produced
incredible images for surfers to enjoy.