Surfing lands up on screen

Elia Powers

When Australian filmmaker Jack McCoy released the schedule for the

Billabong Surf Film Festival bearing his name, the site of the United

States premiere was no surprise.

“Newport Beach is practically the capital of the industry,” said

Amelia Clements, production manager for the tour. “We like to go to

the top surf destinations.”

Two hours of wave-riding action will come to the big screen

tonight at 8:15 at Edwards Big Newport. It is the second straight

year that the Billabong Jack McCoy Surf Film Festival is coming to

the United States and stopping first in Newport Beach.

Clements said she is expecting at least 1,200 people for the

event, which marks the start of an 11-city tour of California.

“There are a lot more people coming than we expected,” said Graham

Stapelberg, vice president of marketing for Irvine-based Billabong.

“There’s a lot of buzz going around.”

Headlining the festival is “Fair Bits!” a film starring prominent

surfer Taj Burrow, known for his aerial maneuvers above the water. At

the age of 25, he was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of

Frame.

“Unlike many other athletes, Taj gets involved in the movie

process,” Stapelberg said. “He helps with the story line, helps

select the music and goes through footage.”

The 55-minute film is directed by Emmett and Brendan Malloy and is

a selection of short surfing films, featuring the work of seven

different filmmakers.

McCoy’s 15-year-old surf cult classic “Bunyip Dreaming” is also

touring with the festival. The 40-minute film is the story of an

imaginary creature of Australian legend, which is said to haunt

swamps and billabongs.

The event also includes a talk from Sinclair Black, one of McCoy’s

business partners.

McCoy is flying in from Australia, where he is shooting a film, to

attend the premiere. Burrow and the Malloys will also be at the

event.

The Billabong Jack McCoy Surf Film Festival will stop in 27 United

States cities during the next five weeks. The American tour is

anticipated to reach more than 19,000 viewers.