7 Films You Must See At The Oceanside International Film Festival

While all are worthy of viewing, we'll give you a brief rundown on a few, first up, Shape of Things: The Dick Brewer Story. To put it simply, Dick Brewer is to surfing what Elvis was to rock n' roll--the king, no doubt about it. Dick's story is a fascinating look at one of the most influential figures in modern surfing, someone who mentored and inspired a whole legion of shapers and surfers. What many might not know is that Brewer, before he got into shaping surfboards, was a master at building model airplanes and race cars. He brought a deep knowledge of aerodynamics to surfing at a time when most were only focuses on hydrodynamics. His surfboards continually redefined what was possible on big waves thanks to test pilots like Jeff Hakman, Buzzy Trent, Reno Aberillo, Laird Hamilton, Derek Doerner, and many others. This documentary is an absolute must-see for anyone interested in surf history, big wave surfing, and overall strong storytelling of an iconic figure.

Creatures of Habit, is brilliant display of Canadian surfing at its finest. A nod to exploration of far out places with the reward of zero crowds and breathtaking vistas of untouched wilderness. The surfing itself is incredible, braving the frigid elements to take on monster slabs, pounding beach breaks, and remote reefs with Orcas in the lineup. The soundtrack and chapters play perfectly into the viewer experience, each segment has you wondering what it all took to get there and asking yourself, just where the hell are they? Bonus points for the fact that, wherever you are, you won't likely find it to be so cold after seeing how our friends up North go the distance and brave the elements to score surf.

Return to Zero is a beautiful 16mm film about the life, death, and reincarnation of a surfboard. Filmed over 6 years all up and down the California coast with an impressive roster of stylish surfers on surfboards shaped (and reshaped) by Andrew Fletcher.