Flotsam Festival

Flotsam Festival Gold Coast photo, ocean arts and surf film community.

Flotsam's annual two week pixel party is staged like an arts trail across the southern Gold Coast, with pop up films and photo exhibitions both indoor and out

Dale's Snapper vs Kirra fist raise ✊Did you experience this at Flotsam's Focal Point exhibition in AR? One of the new ad...
03/06/2026

Dale's Snapper vs Kirra fist raise ✊
Did you experience this at Flotsam's Focal Point exhibition in AR?

One of the new additions to this year's Flotsam Festival was the use of augmented reality to bring surf images to life.

By scanning the Focal Point outdoor photo installations, visitors unlocked stories, interviews and archival footage connected to the images on display - preserving not just iconic moments, faces and places, but the memories and voices behind them.

This installation paired an iconic image of Dale Richards from a momentous 2012 Kirra swell. Footage from Simon Shagga Saffigna of Dale at Snapper was superimposed over the photograph by to show Dale in motion - fists firmly raised in both captures

Once one of the region's finest up and comers, Dale rocked the surfing world when he won the Quiksilver Pro Trials in 2007 and in doing so, become the first aboriginal surfer to compete in a WCT event - paving the way for the current crop of standout indigenous talent putting their stamp on the lineup

Focal Point exhibition is Flotsam's interactive archive of Gold Coast surf culture, connecting generations through the stories that shape our coastline. Flotsam's Focal Point installations are packed away for another year, but the images live on.

Surfer: .0

Film: Simon Shagga Saffigna

Photo:

01/06/2026

The art ace talks, in We Shouldn't Be Friends ep 38

Flotsam Retrospect rolled out classic surf cinema at iconic Kirra Hill with filmmaker and founder of The Surf Film Archi...
31/05/2026

Flotsam Retrospect rolled out classic surf cinema at iconic Kirra Hill with filmmaker and founder of The Surf Film Archive Jolyon Hoff hosting a panel of pioneering surf filmmakers and photographers, including Dick Hoole, David "Mex" Sumpter and Richard Harvey

The surf nostalgia deep dive included rare big screen screenings of Searching for Micheal Peterson and You Should Have Been Here Yesterday at Kirra's historic cultural centre overlooking the world famous break. Flotsam Retrospect brought together aficionados of the art of surf film making for a candid evening with true legends of the lens.

Flotsam hosts events like Retrospect during the festival to archive the coast while it’s still evolving. Historic surf photography exhibitions and film retrospectives connect the Gold Coast’s past to its emerging identity, and treat surf history as something worth coming together to share and preserve. Thanks to all who shared the night with us!

Homegrown GoldFlotsam Homegrown Gold Coast photography award flushed out the region's top surf imagesFirst place: Travis...
26/05/2026

Homegrown Gold

Flotsam Homegrown Gold Coast photography award flushed out the region's top surf images

First place: Travis Johnson of surfer taken at sunrise at Burleigh

Runner up: Josh Bystrom of surfer Jhamil Coorey

Wades World Photographics highly commended: Twin Peaks by Kim Le Sech

We'll be sharing more of the incredible images from across the hundreds submitted, with a full gallery wrap of shortlisted photos to come

Flotsam Homegrown showcase was supported by Cr Josh Martin - Division 13, Gold Coast

Flotsam Next Wave is supported by Community Bank Tugun

Flotsam Festival '26 was supported by Experience Gold Coast and City of Gold Coast

25/05/2026

Flotsam Homegrown film and photo awards rolled out the green carpet last night at Burleigh Headland, but Kirra was the star of the short surf clip comp division with this 3 minute barrel fest by pulling in to first place. Congrats Jesse!

Flotsam Homegrown was the final event for Flotsam Festival '26. Flotsam turns the Gold Coast itself into a gallery. Parklands become screening rooms. Empty walls become exhibitions. Historic buildings become cinemas again. The festival doesn’t sit behind velvet ropes. It washes across the city.

We'll be showcasing highlights from Flotsam '26 including shortlisted film and photography standouts across multiple Homegrown Gold Coast and National categories across coming weeks
Flotsam Homegrown showcase was supported by Cr Josh Martin - Division 13, Gold Coast

Flotsam Next Wave is supported by Community Bank Tugun

Flotsam Festival '26 was supported by Experience Gold Coast City of Gold Coast

25/05/2026

Flotsam Homegrown: National photography awards division sought the best images from Australia's best surf lens folk, and the shortlist included mind-bending images from across the nation.

The judging panel was divided with two images drawing a tie for equal first place.

Surrounded by and a death defying image of by took out top honours, narrowly edging out featured images by

Full gallery wrap of shortlisted images to come

Saltwater People Exhibition: The Deep Connection Between Culture and Ocean, is still running as part of .festival at Gre...
22/05/2026

Saltwater People Exhibition: The Deep Connection Between Culture and Ocean, is still running as part of .festival at Greenmount Beach Surf Club

This photo exhibition and short film directed by Indigenous cinematographer Brook Silvester shares the largely untold story of indigenous saltwater people of the region, including lifeguard Barnie Curry who patrolled Greenmount beach in the 1940’s, and their involvement in the early lifesaving movement across coastal Bundjalung Country. Also featured are Barnie’s direct descendants, Adam and Nate Corowa, who are part of the movement connecting the next generation of indigenous water people

Through recordings of oral histories, contemporary photography and a short video documentary, the exhibition will highlight the deep cultural relationship between First Nations people and the ocean, and recognises how this knowledge has contributed to modern water safety, coastal stewardship and community.

The exhibition will run until the end of National Reconciliation Week, closing June 3rd

Where: Greenmount Beach Surf Club

Directed by Red Scarlet Weapon DOP/Cameraman. Surf/WaterCameraman. 4K Video Productions
Photography by .mckinnon


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