[Film Updates]

North East Surf Culture Recovering From Sandy

Mikey DeTemple
Mikey DeTemple

Curators named for New York film event

Smash Productions LLC announces its curating panel for the film section of Smash Fest 1, the first ever profit sharing surf film festival. The official SMASH FEST 1 Curating Panel is made up of respected filmmakers and a fashion icon, both in and out of the surf industry. The curators are responsible for selecting the films to be screened during SMASH FEST 1 taking place in July 2013.

“We are honored to have such a prestigious and diverse group of curators for SMASH FEST 1. We’re confident our curators will offer us a well rounded program that will give the film selection legitimacy and credibility. The films that will be selected will truly be the cream of the crop,” said Tyler Breuer, SMASH Founder and Director.

The following curators were chosen in order to create a well rounded film program that will appeal to both a core surf audience as well as the general public. All curators are reputable experts in their fields and are tasked with watching every film submitted with a careful eye. We are proud to present the official SMASH FEST 1

Curating Panel: Mikey DeTemple, Filmmaker/Pro Surfer: Mikey DeTemple is a New York native, professional surfer and filmmaker.

“Few surfers personify the essence of modern East Coast longboarding like Mikey DeTemple –classic yet rebellious, stylish but aggressive, competitive though utterly soulful,” said Matt Pruett, editor of Eastern Surf Magazine.

DeTemple has been an integral part to the East Coast’s surf scene since the age of 16 when he won his first pro contest and became a staple in the world of pro surfing. He has graced the covers of numerous worldwide surf publications and produced two of the best-selling surf films of the past several years. Since Hurricane Sandy, DeTemple has been constantly active in the relief effort, coordinating and participating in volunteer rebuilding efforts, hosting multiple events, donating artwork for fundraising purposes and using his high profile to keep attention focused on the continuing needs of those affected.

Julie Gilhart, Fashion Consultant: Julie Gilhart, former fashion director at Barneys New York, is a veteran and pioneer in the fashion business. Her interests are vast and cross many sectors though she is most focused on not just the pursuit of “fashion for fashion’s sake,” but also how to raise the consciousness in fashion. Currently, her role is a fashion consultant with a diverse client base including Amazon.com.

She continues to support socially responsible causes that in some way reflect fashion including Fashion Girls For Humanity and serves as Ambassador for 1% For The Planet. Gilhart struggles with finding enough time to surf.

Heather Hudson, Film Producer: Heather Hudson is a film producer living in Santa Barbara, California, where she is a community volunteer and a wife and mother of two sons. The one constant in Heather’s life is her absolute love for surfing and the ocean. After receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from UCLA in 1984, Hudson worked in advertising until she became a full-time m their in 1991. In 2007, she started her film production company, Graciegirl LLC, and created the groundbreaking documentary surf film, THE WOMEN AND THE WAVES, with co-producer and mentor, Peck Euwer of Swell Pictures Inc. In 2012, Hudson was named to Heal the Ocean’s Board of Directors where she heads up fundraising and events.

Mark Jeremias, Filmmaker: Mark Jeremias has a successful track record of creating innovative, lifestyle and youth culture-based television and film topics that fuse his lifelong love of surfing and skateboarding with his passion for film making. In 2002, Jeremias launched Build Worldwide as an outlet for developing, producing and releasing compelling, story driven youth culture-based content. The company’s releases include ONE CALIFORNIA DAY, STYLEMASTERS 1 and 2, SINGLEFIN: YELLOW, and the critically acclaimed documentary series DRIVE. In a world of disposable media, Jeremias’ mission remains simple; to create content that inspires people, leaving a positive mark that stands the test of time.

Toddy Stewart, Filmmaker: Toddy Stewart is a filmmaker working out of an art gallery in Brooklyn, NY. Hey wrote and directed the critically acclaimed surfing short film, <i>THE SURF MAGAZINES DON’T TALK ABOUT LAPSED CATHOLICS</i>, and is a partner at Picture Farm Studios. He is a wannabe sometime surfer. Toddy in fact spends more time writing about not surfing for the surf blog, The Endless Bummer. SMASH FEST 1 is a month-long series of surf film and art events that will span the NYC area, from Manhattan and Brooklyn, to Long Beach, Montauk and Rockaway Beach. SMASH FEST 1 will be the first profit-sharing surf film festival for independent filmmakers.

SMASH FEST 1 kicks off on July 13, 2013 and will run through the end of the month. SMASH (Surf/Movies/Art/Shaping/History) is a production company founded by Tyler Breuer, a native New Yorker who has been actively involved in the New York surf community for more than two decades. The mission of SMASH is to present, in a public forum, a body of emerging and historical work from the local and global surf community throughout the year.

SMASH represents the natural evolution of its founders’ individual past projects, which include art exhibits, live musical performances, websites, blogs, movie premieres and film screenings, including the New York Surf Film Festival. SMASH is an ever expanding effort to preserve the roots of surfing and surf culture and to educate both newcomers and established members of the surf community about the rich history of surfing, while maintaining a strong connection to contemporary surf culture.

[Originally found at Surfersvillage Global Surf News.]

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