Fort Lauderdale is set to host the Solento Surf Festival this week, and it's shaping up to bring a new wave of attention to the city's surf community. The festival, which has seen success on the West Coast, is migrating to the sunny shores of South Florida, promising two days crammed with surf films, live music, panels, and more, according to a report by NBC6 Miami.
Savor Cinema will open its doors at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, with films starting shortly after. The festival focuses not only on surfing and its waves but also the culture and camaraderie that define the sport. It highlights the laid-back, "take your time" attitude promoted by Taylor Steele, the festival's founder and filmmaker, who also created the Solento Organic Tequila brand after which the festival is named. "Fort Lauderdale has a really strong, tight-knit surfing community that often gets overlooked when people think of the great surf cities in the US," Steele told NBC6 Miami.
Steele's Solento Surf Festival isn't limiting its scope to the beach; the event is set to feature significant industry figures like Lisa Andersen, a four-time world surfing champion and a Florida surfing icon, as well as the up-and-coming talent Ryan Huckabee. Their insights and films are expected to be highlights of an event that has long celebrated the intersection of surf and film. The music side sees bands such as The Floridians and Camp Blu slated to perform, which should further set the tone for a laid-back, immersive experience.
"The festival is an opportunity for those who love surfing and the environment that surfing creates to enjoy the slower things," Steele explained in a statement obtained by Miami New Times. Steele aims to recreate a sense of connection that he feels has been lost in today’s digitally-driven world.
