Surf's up for Sharp's-backed movie festival

August 17, 2007: Sharp's Brewery has launched Doom Bar Big Wave Film Nights – a series of fundraising surf movie screenings taking place in Cornwall later this month.

In a collaboration between the brewery and campaigning group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), Sharp’s has organised screenings of popular big wave movies.

Working with Cornish independent cinema chain WTW Cinemas, Riding Giants will be screened at Truro's Plaza cinema on August 28 while two days later Padstow’s Cinedrome will play host to a screening of Billabong Odyssey.

In addition, an open-air screening of chilled-out surf flick Sprout is being held at Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, west Cornwall, on September 1. Money raised from all three evenings will go to SAS.

Joe Keohane, director of Sharp’s Brewery, said: “Working with SAS is a natural partnership for us – we wholeheartedly back their ethos of working towards cleaner waters for everyone to enjoy.

"We wanted to organise a series of events for both residents and visitors to Cornwall which would raise the both profile of this worthwhile organisation whilst bringing in vital funds.”

Also taking part in the film festival is Cornish big wave surfer Daniel 'Mole' Joel, who has been travelling the length and breadth of the country in search of Britain's biggest waves. Mole, sponsored by Doom Bar, currently holds the record for the biggest wave surfed in the British Isles — a 50 footer at Aileens, off the west coast of Ireland.

Mole will feature in a special extended version of H30, a short documentary about Britain's big wave surfers, which is set to be shown before The Plaza screening of Riding Giants and at Porthcurno.

Siobhan Keyes, fundraiser for SAS, said: “We’re really excited about the film festival — it’s not often that audiences in Cornwall have the chance to see great surf movies on the big screen. Sharp’s is already one of our sponsors so it gives us a fantastic opportunity to work together on an exciting project.”

Tickets priced at £5 have already gone on sale at the Plaza at Truro, available by calling 0871 2003304 or online at www.wtwcinemas.co.uk. Bookings for Billabong Odyssey are available at Padstow Cinedrome on 01841 532344, booking lines open from 6.30pm and 9pm each day. Tickets for Porthcurno event are priced at £6.50 for adults and £5 for concessions, available from the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum Box Office on 01736 810966. £1 from each ticket will go to SAS, with further donations from sales of Doom Bar beer. Gates open at 6pm, screening commences at 8pm.

For more information on the events, check out www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk and the Doom Bar Big Wave Film Nights facebook page at www.facebook.com