With the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show coming up, you’ll more than likely already be in town by the last week of October. That’s why you should come a week earlier to experience the first annual yacht film festival.
The Adrift Film Festival will take place on October 23 to showcase video submissions from everyone involved in the yachting industry (whether employed or there for fun) in the following four categories:
- Best Short Film: zero to three minutes long
- Best Long Film: three to 10 minutes long
- Most Creative: for the most ingenious film
- Wild Card: any funny or amazing cellphone shot films (no time requirements)
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., screenings start at 7:30, and voting will take place shortly afterwards with an awards ceremony at 9:30. Entry will be by donation with proceeds promoting and benefiting ocean awareness.
Co-founders Shelton Du Preez and Randi Barry have been working hard since June to put the film festival together. Du Preez, a professional filmmaker and photographer, is also the founder of Luxury Yacht Films and former crew — whose last charge was as chief mate aboard M/Y Latitude. Barry is the founder of Nautic Nomad, which she describes as TripAdvisor for the yachting world — she’s also the crew chef aboard M/Y Samadhi when docked in Fort Lauderdale.
Barry says this will encourage and inspire yacht crew to create and share their unique points of view. “We hope to invoke passion and wanderlust while providing a little getaway during the FLIBS madness,” she says. “Adrift Film Festival is the only platform for onboard content creators to showcase their creativity and be recognized by their peers. Our aim is to create a non-yachtie event for yachties to relax, unwind, chill, and get away from the general madness of FLIBS.” She adds that they hope to bring a sense of camaraderie, encouragement, and prestige “rather than it feeling like a competition.”
Du Preez agrees. “What I hope to create is not only [an] event, but a community for everyone shooting out there. We have had a very successful start, with over a dozen entries in the first twenty-four hours of launching, with a variety of yachting businesses and companies approaching [us] about how they can get involved,” says Du Preez.
“Something yacht crew struggle with is not having any kind of creative outlet on board,” Du Preez says. “Videography has become a popular hobby for many, and this will provide a place for those to feel like they are a part of something creative and fun in the industry,” he says, adding that the prizes don’t hurt.
Entries close on October 7. Follow them on Instagram @adriftfilmfestival. www.adriftfilmfestival.com