The gala opening event of this year’s Surfing The Coldstream Festival is a screening of short films created by film-makers reflecting local themes. The programme features stories that highlight the surfing and Aboriginal cultures that are intrinsic to the quality of life for locals. Co-curator of the evening and film maker in her own right, Di Ellis said “It’s been a journey of discovery uncovering footage of surfers riding local breaks over the decades and putting this alongside film extracts from the likes of Paul Witzig and other local film-makers Caleb Graham, Monty Webber and Deb Novak.” “The program isn’t all surf culture either. Other themes include nature, animals and children”, said Di. Top of the bill is a mini documentary by Salvador Castro titled Ocean Music, shot on the beautiful Bundjalung Nation coastline. It features Musician/Surfer Tom Avery aka Blakboi, a Gumaroi/Maori man whose life revolves around working as a professional musician and submerging himself in the deep blue sea; swimming, surfing and hunting. The project was commissioned by SBS and NITV to provide an opportunity for Aboriginal up-and-coming film-makers an opportunity to be mentored in the process of documentary making. Festival Director Phil Nicholas said, “Out of the blue, Tom [Blakboi] approached us to play at the festival. He was unaware that we were planning to screen Ocean Music at our film night, so we invited him to perform live at the cinema. I highly recommend getting down there early to catch him.” The event will be hosted at Yamba Cinema from 7 to 10pm on Friday 16 October. Tickets are $20 and include a complimentary drink and nibbles on arrival. Call Yamba Cinema on 6646 3430 to book your tickets. Phil Nicholas