The SB Post

DAY 6: Tuesday, January 31st

SCREENED: Last night's film, Splinters, was another great addition to the world of both independent documentary and surf culture. The movie premiered at the Arlington Theatre to a full house, perhaps because the film was a) fantastic and b) directed, produced, filmed and edited by Santa Barbara native, Adam Pesce. Splinters follows the budding local surf culture of Papua New Guinea. The film was a unique variation on the standard socio-cultural documentary as well as the typical action sports film in its exploration of the impacts of surfing on local tribal communities as their budding surf stars take to the waves in the hopes of finding new opportunities through sport. A great story arch, wonderful characters and impeccable editing made the film a winner. In the Q and A following the film, Adam confided that he had no real film experience before heading to the small island country. He landed in "PNG" with two cameras, hundreds of tapes, a few surfboards and a vow to return with a film. The result is a truly engaging look at a variety of topics told through the eyes and hearts of some of surfing's most loyal constituents. I highly recommend it.

SAVORED: I must say, my wallet is loving all of these Film Feast deals. My waistline, not so much. Maybe it was the fact that I was screening a surf film that had me craving some true wharf food. Mac's Fish & Chip Shop provided with a cup of old school English clam chowder, some legitimate fish and chips and a glass of Santa Barbara winery wine. It was the perfect way to wind down a beautiful Santa Barbara winter day and gear up for 95 minutes of cinematic surf.

SPOTTED: Last night's celebrity sighting might not mean that much to most, but to a select few, it was a pretty big deal. To both introduce the film and follow it up with some Q&A with Adam, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival pleasantly surprised again by bringing Shaun Tomson on stage. The former World Surfing Champion, bestselling author, inspirational speaker, environmentalist and filmmaker completed a fulfilling evening of surf culture.