DANA POINT FILM FESTIVAL AND SURFER ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP CELEBRATING SURF CULTURE AND FILM

Partnership brings together two organizations with deep roots in surf culture to showcase filmmakers and expand the reach of surf storytelling.

DANA POINT, CA, UNITED STATES, October 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Dana Point Film Festival (DPFF) today announced a strategic partnership with SURFER and SURFER TV, kicking off with the fourth annual DPFF, which takes place Oct. 29–Nov. 1, 2026, in Dana Point, California. The collaboration unites one of surfing’s most influential media brands with an international film festival dedicated to surf, ocean and marine storytelling.

Founded in Dana Point in 1960 by John Severson, SURFER has documented the people, places and culture of surfing for more than six decades. The partnership builds on that legacy while creating new opportunities for filmmakers to reach audiences through both theatrical screenings and digital distribution.

As part of the collaboration, DPFF will showcase established and emerging filmmakers whose work explores surfing’s history, personalities and global culture. SURFER TV will present a special showcase of selected projects during the festival, connecting the communal experience of surf cinema with a platform that reaches viewers worldwide.

“This partnership is about giving great surf stories the platform they deserve. There’s still something incredibly powerful about bringing the surfing community together to experience these films on the big screen, while SURFER TV allows that storytelling to continue well beyond the festival,” said Jake Howard, editor-in-chief of SURFER.

“What makes DPFF special is its deep local roots. Founder Lloyd Bryan Mölander graduated from Dana Hills High School, and today the festival brings South Orange County’s coastal communities together through great films, philanthropy, and a shared love of the ocean. I’m proud to be part of it,” said Norb Garrett, DPFF advisory board member and former president of SURFER and former owner/publisher of the Dana Point Times and Picket Fence Media.
The collaboration also reinforces the enduring importance of long-form surf filmmaking in an era dominated by short-form digital content. From Bruce Brown’s pioneering screenings to today’s international surf documentaries, film has played a defining role in preserving surfing’s history and bringing its community together.

“My relationship with SURFER goes back to my early grom days, when my friends and I devoured every issue, then headed to Strands and Salt Creek to try everything we’d learned. It was the only required reading of our youth,” said Lloyd Bryan Mölander, founder and managing director of DPFF. “John Severson founded SURFER right here in Dana Point, and that legacy remains part of our town’s DNA and the soul of our festival. Having former SURFER publisher Norb Garrett on our board, and now partnering with Jake Howard and his team, brings that history full circle. Together, we’re keeping the stoke alive for a new generation.”

The fourth annual Dana Point Film Festival will feature four days of surf, ocean and marine-focused films, filmmaker conversations and special events.

ABOUT THE DANA POINT FILM FESTIVAL

The Dana Point Film Festival is an internationally recognized, four-day celebration of surf, ocean and marine storytelling, showcasing documentary films from domestic and international filmmakers. Recognized as a Gold-level festival by FilmFreeway, a leading global film festival submission platform, DPFF brings filmmakers and audiences together through screenings, conversations and special events. The festival is a program of Blue Sea 2 Sky, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ocean awareness, education and conservation through storytelling and community engagement.

ABOUT SURFER

Founded in 1960 by John Severson in Dana Point, California, SURFER has been a leading voice in global surf culture for more than six decades. Through journalism, photography, original programming and digital storytelling, SURFER chronicles the people, places and experiences shaping surfing. Its dedicated streaming channel, SURFER TV, delivers surf films, documentaries, athlete profiles and original programming to audiences worldwide. For more information, visit Surfer.com.

DIGITAL PRESS KIT LINK

SURFER MEDIA CONTACT
Jake Howard
Editor-in-Chief, Adventure Network
jake.howard@thearenagroup.net

Shon Tomlin
DANA POINT FILM FESTIVAL
+1 949-775-6244
shon@danapointfilm.org