Have you ever dreamed of a surf trip, catching a perfect barrel at breaks across the globe?
This year's Bass Coast Surf Film Festival at Berninneit on March 14 and 15 lets you live the dream, without leaving the island.
Back for its second year, now with an expanded two-day format, films on this year's program travel from the UK, to New Zealand, Canada, Indonesia, South Africa, Mexico, Ghana and Australia.
For festival organiser Anneli McKinnon, putting together the program has been a carefully-considered labour of love.
She wanted to create an experience for people who share her love of surfing.
"Being on the big screen really does justice to these films," she said.
"It's so different to watching it on the TV at home. These are real waves, in real places."
It is, she said, probably the closest you can get to surfing without getting wet.
This year's films include a look back at Australia's surfing history, environmental concerns, surf trips and a celebration of surfing in general.
"I wanted to have a little bit of something from all aspects of surfing," Anneli explained.
The festival kicks off with two unique Australia films.
Book of Hunter is a short film about a former Phillip Island family who moved to Noosa, and their young son Hunter.
The main feature, You Should Have Been Here Yesterday, dips back into Australia's past, with archival footage covering the history of our surfing journey.
"The footage has been remastered and it includes breaks from around Australia from the 60s, 70s and 80s," said Anneli.
"This opening night covers where we started, and where we're going ... all the generations."
The Saturday session includes a series of short films in the afternoon, "a real trip around the world", followed by an evening session of two longer films.
"If you have a passing interest in surfing, the afternoon session is good," explained Anneli.
"It's like a tasting menu, showing a whole lot of different things."
The evening session has an environmental focus, with a film from Mexico (Place of Thorns) and a trip along the Victorian west coast (Great Ocean Love).
Other additions to the festival include live entertainment on Saturday between the afternoon and evening sessions, with local band The Foxy Junes providing some sweet ocean sounds from 6pm - 7pm.
There will also be an exhibition of surfing memorabilia put together by the Phillip Island National Surfing Reserve, for people to take a stroll down memory lane.
History
An avid surfer herself, Anneli's idea to create a festival took hold about four years ago.
When she moved to the island about eight years ago, she finally fulfilled a dream to take up surfing, taking lessons with Girls on Board to find her feet in the waves.
"Once I started surfing I wanted to watch everything. I was watching all these surf videos and was surprised there was no outlet for it down here."
With an extensive background in events, including stints working with Moomba, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl,
Anneli saw a way to combine her expertise and her passion.
"I had dreams of watching surf films on the big screen, with surround sound," she said.
"When Berninneit opened, I saw my opportunity. The venue felt like a natural fit for this sort of festival."
Anneli also saw Phillip Island as a natural fit for her film festival dream, with the strong local surf community.
"I wanted it to be a local's festival. The surf community is here, and this is giving them the chance to get together in another environment.
"It's something I wanted to do for a long time. I feel like this is the right home for it."
She said the response to last year's festival, which was screened over one night at the newly opened venue, inspired her to expand the program this year.
"People loved it. The reaction was amazing ... everything I hoped for.
"There was a definite buzz with everyone being there. Experiencing the films with people who have a similar passion or interest, sometimes it felt like the whole auditorium was holding their breath."
There's been a strong interest in tickets for this year's festival, with the option to buy a $50 weekend pass for all three sessions or individual session tickets for $20.
Anneli says she's just as excited as everyone else to see the films on the big screen.
"You really feel like you are there, on the wave, in the water. With the surround sound it's like you are right in it and invested.
"I don't get to see them on the big screen until everybody else does. That's exciting."
And if there's no such thing as too much surfing, the day after the film festival concludes Phillip Island is hosting the Phillip Island Pro Qualifying Series (QS) 3000 from March 17 - 25.
Book your tickets for the Bass Coast Surf Film Festival now at:
or scan the QR code.