SALT IN HER VEINS
SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER
Across oceans, generations and very different lives, Salt in Her Veins brings together stories of women whose relationship with surfing runs far deeper than competition or the perfect wave.
At the centre is She in Storms, following Austria’s first female big-wave surfer Christina Gindi as she takes on the immense waves of Nazaré, before injury forces her to confront what happens when the thing that has defined you is suddenly taken away.
Around her are women finding confidence later in life, building friendships in the water, carving out their place in surf cultures traditionally dominated by men, braving the winter seas of northern Denmark, and creating community across cultures and coastlines.
From extreme performance to the simple ritual of paddling out with friends, these films capture surfing as freedom, resilience, identity and belonging - and the powerful pull of an ocean that keeps calling them back.
SESSION TIME
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BRUNSWICK PICTURE HOUSE
Sunday 18 October
27 MIN | 2026 | DIRECTOR: ANTONIO SARAIVA | PRODUCER: CHRISTINA GINDL | PORTUGAL | AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Big waves only come with storms. So do the moments that reshape a life.
SHE IN STORMS follows Christina Gindl, Austria’s first female big wave surfer as injury forces her out of the ocean and into a reality that strips away rhythm and certainty. Cut off from what once defined her, she is left in a space where instinct, identity, and endurance are tested through a quiet process of resistance and becoming.
A portrait of women in extreme sport, and the search for direction when everything familiar begins to fade.
BEST SURF FILM NOMINEE
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![Poster for the film "Cold Water Sirens"]()
COLD WATER SIRENS
10 MIN | 2026 | DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: LENA SIEBERTZ | DENMARK
A community-driven short film about what cold-water surfing truly looks, feels and sounds like. Built from every day stories, it follows a group of female surfers in Northern Denmark preparing for a surf day: from frozen locks and flat car batteries, to laughter, anticipation and the challenge to actually catch a wave in daylight.
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![Poster for the film "Of Waves and Worth"]()
OF WAVES AND WORTH
8 MIN | 2025 | DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: SEPHIA WOHLRABE | UNITED KINGDOM
Especially in colder waters, female surfers have often been overlooked in surf culture and media. The film follows Bella (a Cornwall surf photographer and magazine editor) and her journey in overcoming these challenges and becoming an inspiration for future generations of female surfers.
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![Poster for the film "Surf, Eat, Repeat"]()
SURF, EAT, REPEAT
18 MIN | 2025 | DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: KAREN SONG | USA
An adventure around New York City’s surf and ethnic food scene, through a diverse crew of women who share personal narratives of NYC's surf community. The film blasts the status quo representation of surf culture and is a celebration NYC's greatest wealth - its diversity and contributions by immigrant communities.
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![Poster for the film "Surf Sisters"]()
SURF SISTERS
7 MIN | 2025 | DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: CHRISTIAN BUXTON | AUSTRALIA
Learning to surf at 50, Lara discovered not only waves but a new sense of self. Through the Peninsula Surf Sisters and Maladiction Longboarders, she built deep friendships, courage, and joy. Her story from heartbreak to saltwater healing celebrates the power of reinvention and the women who find strength - and sisterhood - in the sea.
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![Poster for the film "Women of the Waves"]()
WOMEN OF THE WAVES
5 MIN | 2025 | DIRECTOR: HAN SOO YOO | PRODUCER: EMMA OXLEY | AUSTRALIA
Women of the Waves celebrates the impact of community in breaking barriers to access for female surfers. It showcases the ocean as a safe, empowering place for women to connect with others and find strength.
