Wavescape features "bumper crop" of movies

Presented by the Save Our Seas Foundation, the festival will begin with the Wavescape Surfboard Art Exhibition from 1 to 7 December at the Cape Town restaurant, Depasco Cafe. Twelve surfboards decorated by artists will be auctioned on 8 December and proceeds will go to ocean charities, including the SOSF, NSRI and Shark Spotters. A special board decorated by township children will be auctioned on behalf of the Ticket to Ride Foundation's surfing development programme.

Also to be auctioned will be a mini-surfboard reshaped from a broken board, part of the My First Surfboard Project. Every year, thousands of broken surfboards end up in dumps and landfills, and are environmentally toxic. The project turns broken boards into new boards for beginner surfers who can't afford them, transforming junk into transforming a kid's life.

Open-air free screening

The film section of the festival begins with the open-air free screening of Scratching the Surface on Clifton Fourth Beach on Friday, 10 December after the sun goes down. The film includes cutting-edge camera technology in use by pioneering surf filmmakers.

Thousands of like-minded people gather on the beach with picnics from early in the evening to enjoy a long, languid summer evening. Indoor films will be screened at the Brass Bell, Kalk Bay from 12 to 15 December and at the Labia Theatre on Orange from 16 to 19 December.

Prize give-aways from official surfing sponsor Quiksilver and Roxy will be randomly handed out to members of the audience throughout the festival, with three Sector 9 skateboards and surfboard give-aways added to the loot at Clifton Fourth.

The most diverse line-up of films

According to curator of the festival, Spike from Wavescape.co.za, the festival offers the most diverse line-up of films since the first Wavescape festival in 2004.

"There is something for everyone, from the usual soulful visuals and underground soundtracks to the hot moves of the now generation. Among others, Modern Collective and Scratching the Surface showcase the most awe-inspiring waves of the world and the outrageous aerial and other skills of the new guard, including Julian Wilson, Dusty Payne, Dane Reynolds and South African Jordy Smith.

"However, we also represent the darker side of surfing. Sea of Darkness exposes the sometimes grisly, drug-scarred underbelly of the surf travel dream, while the award-winning Lives of the Artists documents a freakish French snowboarder, crazy Irish surfers and an angry British punk band in their quest for the salt-encrusted, powder-snowed, guitar-ghettoed grail of their inner artist."

Special screening of End of the Line

"Fibreglass and Megapixels brings to life the vivid digital world of surfing photography, featuring top South African photographer Pierre Tostee. We also have a special screening of End of the Line, a scary film about the extinction of fish that has caused a global stir, and two films about how surfing can transform the lives of the disadvantaged: Surfing Favelas (Brazil) and Somewhere in Tapachula (Mexico)."

Films are R30 per person at the Labia and Brass Bell. For details call the infoline on +227 (0)79 0260 669 or www.wavescape.co.za.