Coast Film Festival 2021 Will Screen 65 Films, Which To See?

LAGUNA BEACH, CA—The Coast Film Festival is back for its third year, screening a slew of compelling shorts and features, all about humans and their connections with nature. Stories range from action sports in mountains, rivers and the sea to stunning tales of trailblazers breaking cultural barriers. Expect your curiosity to be awakened and, just maybe, get inspired to take action through conservation or embark on your own outdoor adventures.

"We're building this fire," says founder and executive director Ben Warner, "that brings people together to sit around and share stories and walk away feeling inspired—about themselves or relationships with others, and also their relationship with Earth."

The mission evolves but never waivers from its core: "The premise is to get inside the hearts and minds of our audience through great stories and entertainment. . . . Then it's up to everybody to make their own decisions."

But first, there's the daunting task of deciding what to see in the lineup of 65 films screening November 10-14 at the Festival of Arts.

For Ben, the most powerful stories are told within the short-film blocks. "So if you have only two hours to give to this festival," he advises, "I'd go to a short film block, for sure."

Each of the five themed blocks contains 90 minutes of film content, plus another 20 of in-person discussion with the filmmakers and people in the films.

One way to narrow down your selection is to attend when the filmmakers are discussing their work. Here are a few:

LA-based director Miko Lim will speak about "Ocean Mother." It's constructed around a conversation he had with champion spear fisherwoman and freediver Kimi Werner. It will screen in the Our Oceans block, as will San Diego director Kat Reynolds' film "El Canto del Mar (Song of the Sea)." A favorite of Ben's, the film delves into Latinx connections to the sea.

Urban and mountain snowboarder Jess Kimura brings her intensely personal film "Learning To Drown," seen in the Healed By Nature block. It's a popular block of films the festival has kept from the inaugural event.

"Connected Off The Grid" director Rachel Bujalski will attend when her film screens in the Our Public Lands block. Bujalski is a journalist who has written extensively in national publications about homelessness. During her research, she got the idea that led to the film. "She focuses on three groups of people, each very different," says Ben, "but united shows a portrait of people deciding to live off the grid."

During the Wanderlust block, you can catch director Samuel Fisher, who will be on-hand for "No Signal," a pandemic-inspired journey shot entirely on Super 8.

Ben told Patch about the Everyday Wonders film block when an unintentional theme for CFF21 emerged: Heritage.

For instance, a Native American from Mt. Shasta navigates U.C Berkeley. A fourth-generation fisherman must retire and sell the boat he built with his father.

"Cycle of Ancestry" follows first-generation Mayan-American Mario Ordoñez-Calderón on a 1,500-mile bike-packing trip from Mexico City to the Yucatan Peninsula.

But it's Saturday night's feature that genuinely hits the theme of heritage in multiple, profound ways.

Director Isaac Halasima's "Waterman" delves into the life of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, a Hawaiian hero, an American icon, 5-time Olympic medalist, lifeguard, king of surfing, and a true ambassador for each. It fits that the film debuts the same year one of Duke's dreams was realized: surfing competition at the Summer Olympics.

"Don't be surprised if it shows up on Netflix in a couple of weeks," says Ben of the film narrated by Jason Momoa.

This year there are more features than in the past, shown as matinees inside the Forum Theater at the Festival of Arts. This is an experiment that Ben and the selection committee will keep an eye on as things unfold. They're stoked to make each festival the best one yet, for years to come.

"We're just getting started," Ben says.

Consult the film guide to make your own must-see roster of screenings and filmmaker forums.

And stay tuned for another Ben-guided preview of closing night's Legends of Laguna, with its lineup of films and special guests.