Save The Waves Film Festival 2025: Surfing for a Cause
- WS360 Staff
- Mar 4
- 4 min read
For surfers and ocean lovers alike, few events capture the spirit of adventure and environmental activism like the Save The Waves Film Festival (STWFF). As the world’s only international surf and environmental film festival, STWFF isn’t just about breathtaking cinematography—it’s a platform for action. It brings together filmmakers, activists, and coastal communities to tell the stories of waves, waterways, and the people fighting to protect them.
With the 2025 festival on the horizon, filmmakers, conservationists, and ocean advocates are preparing for a powerful celebration of art, activism, and storytelling. This is more than a film festival—it’s a movement dedicated to protecting the world’s surf ecosystems and the cultures they sustain.
Save The Waves Film Festival 2025: A Festival with a Mission
Founded by Save The Waves Coalition, the film festival is a direct extension of the organization's mission: to protect surf ecosystems through conservation, advocacy, and community engagement. Since its inception, Save The Waves has worked to preserve coastlines through initiatives like World Surfing Reserves, Endangered Waves, and Surf Protected Area Networks—programs designed to safeguard critical surf zones against overdevelopment, pollution, and climate-related threats.
The Save The Waves Film Festival serves as a powerful tool to amplify this mission. Each year, it curates an inspiring selection of documentaries, short films, and creative projects that highlight the beauty of the ocean, the threats it faces, and the efforts of those fighting to protect it. These films don’t just raise awareness; they drive action. From policy shifts to grassroots conservation projects, STWFF has sparked real-world impact, proving that storytelling can be a catalyst for environmental change.
A Global Tour for Ocean Protection
Unlike traditional film festivals that take place in a single location, Save The Waves Film Festival is a traveling event, reaching audiences worldwide. The 2025 festival will tour through major surf towns and coastal communities across multiple continents, ensuring that its environmental message reaches a diverse, engaged audience.
Each screening is more than just a night at the movies. Events feature guest speakers, panel discussions, and interactive experiences designed to connect viewers with real-world conservation efforts. Filmmakers, scientists, and activists take the stage to discuss solutions to the ocean’s most pressing challenges, from rising sea levels to plastic pollution.
By bringing the festival directly to the communities most affected by environmental threats, STWFF fosters local engagement, turning spectators into advocates. Whether it’s a grassroots cleanup campaign sparked by a screening in California or a new marine protection initiative in Portugal, the festival’s reach extends far beyond the theater.
What to Expect in 2025
The 2025 festival lineup is expected to include a mix of surf adventure films, environmental documentaries, and conservation-focused storytelling. Films may cover topics such as:
The fight against coastal destruction and unsustainable development.
Surf communities on the frontlines of climate change and rising sea levels.
Innovative solutions to ocean pollution and conservation success stories.
The intersection of indigenous culture, surfing, and environmental protection.
Submissions are currently open, with the final deadline set for April 1, 2025. Filmmakers must also sign and submit a release form upon selection. For complete submission details, visit savethewaves.org/filmfest.
Beyond the films, attendees can expect a dynamic experience that blends entertainment with advocacy. Many screenings will include fundraisers, auctions, and opportunities to support Save The Waves’ conservation programs. Every ticket sold and donation made directly funds efforts to protect at-risk coastlines and surf spots worldwide.
Stories That Inspire Action
One of the festival’s greatest strengths is its ability to turn awareness into action. Over the years, films featured at STWFF have played a direct role in influencing environmental policy, sparking grassroots movements, and mobilizing ocean conservation efforts.
In 2019, a film about illegal sand mining on the coast of West Africa helped bring international attention to the issue, leading to new conservation initiatives in affected regions. In 2021, a documentary about plastic pollution in Central America inspired community-led cleanup efforts that removed tons of waste from local beaches. These are just a few examples of how STWFF films create ripple effects beyond the screen, proving that surf media can be a powerful force for change.
Why It Matters Now More Than Ever
Coastlines around the world are facing unprecedented threats. Climate change is causing sea levels to rise, swallowing beaches and eroding surf breaks. Industrial pollution and plastic waste are choking marine life. Unchecked development is turning once-pristine surf zones into overcrowded, commercialized landscapes.
Save The Waves Film Festival is more than just entertainment—it’s a wake-up call. The festival’s films bridge the gap between inspiration and activism, reminding audiences that every coastline, every wave, and every community is worth fighting for.
The surf industry, too, has a role to play. More brands and professional surfers are using their platforms to advocate for sustainability, pushing for eco-friendly surf gear, ethical tourism, and marine conservation policies. STWFF provides a space where these conversations can happen on a global stage, bringing together filmmakers, athletes, scientists, and policymakers in the shared mission of protecting the ocean.
How to Get Involved
Whether you’re a surfer, filmmaker, environmentalist, or simply someone who loves the ocean, there are multiple ways to take part in Save The Waves Film Festival 2025.
Submit a film that aligns with the festival’s themes. The final deadline is April 1, 2025.
Attend a screening in your area and experience the festival firsthand.
Support the cause by donating or partnering with Save The Waves to fund conservation initiatives.
With 2025 shaping up to be the festival’s most impactful year yet, now is the time to get involved. The ocean is at a tipping point, and every voice, every story, and every action matters.
This isn’t just a film festival—it’s a movement for the future of our waves.
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