Florida Surf Film Festival Announces 2026 Award Winners
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — November 11, 2026 — The Florida Surf Film Festival (FSFF), presented by Monster Energy and the Surfing's Evolution and Preservation Foundation, with generous support from the Maya L. Auchincloss Charitable Trust, today announced the jury and audience award winners of its 2026 competition year. The awards close a four-event season that opened in February at the News-Journal Center in Daytona Beach, returned to the Atlantic Center for the Arts for Father's Day and Labor Day weekends, and ended November 6–7 with the festival's first-ever event at the Brannon Center in downtown New Smyrna Beach.
Thirty-two films competed for 2026 honors — 11 features and 21 shorts — carrying audiences from Antarctica, Tasmania, and Patagonia to New Zealand, South Africa, the Bering Sea, Alaska, Scandinavia, France, Portugal, Taiwan, and Florida's own Atlantic coast. Two juries of surfers, filmmakers, writers, historians, and broadcasters ranked the films in four categories each: Best Documentary, Best Surf Movie, Best Cinematography, and Best Soundtrack. Festival audiences' anecdotal feedback and comments chose the Viewers' Choice awards.
The feature-length field was led by Emmett Malloy's Jack Johnson: SURFILMUSIC, which took both Best Documentary – Feature and Best Soundtrack – Feature and earned more jury points overall than any other film this year. Morgan Maassen's Rán: A Scandinavian Surfing Saga won Best Cinematography – Short and finished as the top-scoring short film. Now Now Media, which swept four awards in 2025, returns to the winners' circle with The Endless Ride – An Alaskan Surf Story.
"Every year the films get better and the decisions get harder," said FSFF Executive Director Kevin Miller. "This season took us from the News-Journal Center to the Atlantic Center for the Arts to our first night at the Brannon Center, right in the heart of our surf town, and the work our filmmakers brought with them made it a year to remember. Thank you to our jurors, our sponsors, and everyone who filled the seats."
"These winners range from music mastery to the ice of Antarctica to a weekend surf in Scandinavia, and they all share the same thing: they make you want to go surfing," said FSFF Festival Director John Brooks.
2026 Florida Surf Film Festival Award Winners
Feature Film Awards
Best Documentary – Feature was presented to: Jack Johnson: SURFILMUSIC (Director: Emmett Malloy) — Jack Johnson's rise from shooting surf films with friends on Oahu's North Shore to becoming one of the most recognizable voices in modern music. His 16mm films Thicker Than Water and The September Sessions helped redefine surf culture, and the songs he recorded for their soundtracks launched his music career. Featuring Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Gerry Lopez, Ben Harper, and John John Florence; dedicated to the memory of Tamayo Perry.
Best Surf Movie – Feature was presented to: ProCasual (Director: Jack Coleman) — Coleman's new film features 2024 WSL World Champion Caitlin Simmers, among others. Coleman presented the film in person at the Brannon Center on November 7, followed by a Q and A.
Best Cinematography – Feature was presented to: Antarctica – Domain One (Directors: Julián and Joaquín Azulay, Gauchos Del Mar) — The Argentine brothers explore the far southern reaches of the planet in search of surf, narrated by Kelly Slater. Julián Azulay presented the film in person at the festival's February event.
Best Soundtrack – Feature was presented to: Jack Johnson: SURFILMUSIC (Director: Emmett Malloy) — A soundtrack drawn from the songs that grew out of Johnson's surf films, from the North Shore sessions that started it all to the catalog that followed.
Viewers' Choice – Feature was presented to: Spaces in Between (Director: Milo Inglis, Needessentials) — With no cycling experience and a surfboard strapped to her bike, Johanna Brebner pedals more than 2,000 kilometers up the length of New Zealand, her childhood home, in search of waves and reconnection. Chosen by festival audiences' anecdotal support, comments, and applause.
Short Film Awards
Best Documentary – Short was presented to: The Endless Ride – An Alaskan Surf Story (Now Now Media) — The grind of being an inland surfer in Alaska, and the commitment it takes to track down a fickle but dreamlike tidal bore wave.
Best Surf Movie – Short was presented to: Maps to Nowhere – In the Current (Director: Nick Liotta) — From Surfline's Maps to Nowhere series, which sends surfers to remote, undisclosed coastlines on nothing more than a forecast. The film screened November 6 with a Q and A featuring Surfline forecaster Charlie Hutcherson.
Best Cinematography – Short was presented to: Rán: A Scandinavian Surfing Saga (Director: Morgan Maassen) — The obsessive cold-water adventures of Swedish surfer Freddie Meadows, building to a historic big-wave discovery in the Arctic. Named for the Norse goddess of the sea.
Best Soundtrack – Short was presented to: Demo (Directors: Noah Beschen and Andy Woodward) — A sound and sight phenomenon. Demo also placed second in both Best Surf Movie and Best Cinematography, and finished second overall among short films.
Viewers' Choice – Short was presented to: Entrada (Director: Brett P. Schreckengost) — [One-line logline to confirm.] Screened at the festival's Labor Day Weekend event and chosen by festival audiences.
The 2026 Juries
Feature Jury: Chas Smith, David Lee Scales, Ira Opper, John Philbin, Justin Purser, Lauren Hill, Matt Warshaw, Scott Hulet, Tom Macaluso, Kevin Miller, and John Brooks.
Short Film Jury: Brad Moody, Bruce Reynolds, Joe Turpel, Luke Cederman, Marcus Sanders, Matt Shaw, Tom Macaluso, Ashton Goggans, Kevin Miller, and John Brooks.
Each juror ranked a first, second, and third choice in every category for which a film qualified. Viewers' Choice awards were decided audiences' anecdotal support, comments, and applause.
The 2026 Season in Review
February — News-Journal Center, Daytona Beach. The season opened February 7 with Julián Azulay of Gauchos Del Mar in attendance for Antarctica – Domain One and new work from Chris Benchetler, Mountains of the Moon, set to the music of the Grateful Dead.
June — Father's Day Weekend, Atlantic Center for the Arts. The festival returned to its original venue June 19–20 for a program spanning Tasmania, the Arctic, the Bering Sea, and New Zealand, including Jack Johnson: SURFILMUSIC, Spaces in Between, Southern Edge from Torren Martyn and Ishka Folkwell, and Hometown Hype – New Smyrna Beachfrom local filmmaker Sam Scribner. The following morning, the community gathered at Al Weeks North Shore Park for a beach ceremony and paddle out celebrating the life of Florida filmmaker Paul Prewitt.
September — Labor Day Weekend, Atlantic Center for the Arts. USA Olympic surfer Kolohe Andino presented his feature FUDO and recorded a live Surf Stories Podcast with New Smyrna Beach's Robbie McCormick, followed by a live set from Eric Geiselman's band, Larkade. Big-wave charger Torrey Meister and filmmaker Tucker Wooding hosted the East Coast premiere of Unmakeable, and Now Now Media returned with Rough Diamonds – A Father Son Surfing Journey.
November — Brannon Center, New Smyrna Beach. The two-night finale featured a reading and book signing by former SURFER editor Steve Hawk from his debut novel, Nearshore; a live recording of The Grit podcast with Chas Smith and David Lee Scales; new short films from Luke Cederman of The Raglan Surf Report; appearances by surf historian Matt Warshaw and author Matt Shaw (The Sea in Every Sound); a Q and A with Surfline forecaster Charlie Hutcherson; and filmmaker Q and As with Jack Coleman and Florida's Oliver Kurtz.
About the Florida Surf Film Festival
The Florida Surf Film Festival is a nonprofit festival based in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, that screens international and local surf films — features and shorts — at quarterly events throughout the year, with filmmaker Q and As, author readings, and community gatherings. Year-round access is available through the Green Room Annual Membership. The festival is presented by Monster Energy and the Surfing's Evolution and Preservation Foundation, with generous support from the Maya L. Auchincloss Charitable Trust.
For more information about the festival, upcoming events, and past winners, visit
Media Contact: Florida Surf Film Festival info@floridasurffilmfestival.com
# # #