Move West for Irish Surf Film Festival in 2016

Go Strandhill - Shore Shots Festival

Shore Shots, the only festival in Ireland to celebrate the crossroads of surf and film, is set to move west for 2016. The event, which takes place over the weekend of April 15th – 17th, moves to the natural home of cold-water surfing in Ireland: County Sligo.

Now in its fourth year, Shore Shots features surf films and video edits from the world of surf’s leading artists and athletes, with a special emphasis on the art and creative work inspired by the cold and ferocious waves around Ireland’s west coast.

Go Strandhill - Shore Shots Festival
Images: Andrew Kilfeather Photography

Key events will take place at The Model, the world-class arts centre in the heart of Sligo, with various fringe events taking place throughout the weekend including surf photography exhibitions, food and surf trails, a surf market and beach yoga. Renowned surfers, content producers and music makers who will be in Sligo as part of the festival include: Nic von Rupp, George Karbus, Tim Nunn, Liquid Therapy, Easkey Britton, Barry Mottershead, Peter Clyne, Peter Conroy, DJ Donal Dineen and February & Mars.

The festival is now accepting submissions for this year’s event, and in celebration of being invited to the #AdventureCapital that is County Sligo, a new competition is being added to the film festival; Best Adventure Film, with short films from outside the world of surfing set to be accepted for the first time.

Perfect surf in the Adventure Capital

Commenting on the move to Sligo, Shore Shots Festival Director Aidan Ellis said: “The festival is in its fourth year, and having had a hugely successful run in Dublin, with many sold out shows during our time at the Lighthouse Cinema, we’ve decided to move the event to Sligo which is very much considered the natural home for surfing in Ireland. Many of Ireland’s leading surf videographers are based here, and Mullaghmore continues to be a subject in much of their work. We also have perfect surf breaks in Strandhill and Easkey, not forgetting our neighbours in Donegal.

Sligo, ideally situated along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Route, is a mecca for surfers and creatives, home to some of Ireland’s biggest waves like Mullaghmore, a flourishing surf community in Strandhill, dramatic and inspiring landscapes, which inspired much of the work by the poet WB Yeats, a thriving live music scene, and a cohort of creatives who have chosen to live their lives on the dramatic and unfolding Northwesterly edge of Ireland.

Allan Mulrooney, Sligo native and co-founder of Shore Shots welcomed the announcement: “This year’s festival will be a truly immersive weekend for fans of surf on the big screen – there will be screenings held at The Model art centre’s cinema on Saturday, live music gigs, and a programme of creative happenings, art exhibitions and workshops taking place around Sligo town and county over the weekend. We will have additional programme announcements over the coming weeks.

Shore Shots Irish Surf Film Festival takes place from Friday April 15th to Sunday 17th at The Model arts centre and various locations across Sligo. Further details on the programme and how to book tickets, from €30pp, are available from www.shoreshots.ie or by following @ShoreShotsSurf on social media.

A sample of films to be shown

Faroes (2015)
Directed by Chris Burkard and Ben Weiland
Chris Burkard and Ben Weiland bring us the premiere of their exciting new Outposts feature, from a land that defies adjectives – the Faroe Islands.

Bear Island (2015)
Directed by Inge Wegge
From the makers of North of the Sun, three brothers set out to explore and surf one of the most remote islands on the planet – Bjoynoya. Motivated by the classic surfers’ quest for the perfect wave they spend two and a half years preparing to visit the ice-cold waves and dangerous slopes of a forgotten island in the icy tundras off the coast of northern Norway.
Run time 1hr 22m

Gathering (2015)
Directed by Nathan Oldfield
Gathering is a short film featuring the enigmatic and free-thinking Dave Rastovich at home in the sacred playgrounds of the Far North Coast of New South Wales. The movie celebrates how diversity and difference in ecosystems, relationships and surfing contribute to the preciousness of life.
Run time 22m