Thousands Celebrate Surfing Lifestyle at Mill Valley's High Line Festival of Surfing

(PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: “Bella Vita” Director Jason Baffa, DJ Keala Kennelly and High Line Founder Ari Lurie during Friday Night’s Party, Headliner Matt Costa Closing out the Festival with his Saturday Night Performance at the Sweetwater Music Hall, The Legendary Tom Curren Plays for a Packed House while Matt Beard Interprets the Music with Live Painting)

Last weekend the Mill Valley surf community welcomed filmmakers, musicians and artists from all over the state and Hawaii for the annual High Line Festival of Surfing. With such a high level of feature films and shorts screened, the judges had a very tough job, and selected “Bella Vita,” directed by Jason Baffa for the Clif Bar Best Feature Film Award, and “Cradle of Storms,” directed by Ben Weiland and Bryce-Lowe White as the Best Short.

“When 400 people gathered at Equator Coffee and Proof Lab Surf Shop for the opening night on Thursday it was apparent that the Marin County community was ready for an all-time weekend of films, music and art celebrating surfing and the ocean,” said Ari Lurie, founder of the High Line Festival of Surfing.

Thursday, the festival kicked off with a solid opening night party at Equator Coffees & Proof Lab Surf Shop. The evening included a photo gallery curated by Adam Warmington and the screening of “The Granite Stoke”, “Malibu” and “Big Foot Country 1 & 2.”

On Friday, the festivities continued with the featuring of: “Cradle of Storms,” “Pipeline and Kelly Slater,” “Ode to California,” “Running on Fumes,” “Expencive Porno Movie” and a live performance by DJ Keala Kennelly to end the evening. Saturday concluded the gathering with film sets that included: “Catch It,” “June Gloom,” “What the Sea Gives Me,” “Whiskers,” “Gathering,” “Beyond the surface,” “Bella Vita,” and headlining performances by Matt Costa, Tom Curren and live art by Matt Beard.

– Information submitted for publication on behalf of the High Line Festival of Surfing