When industry veterans Enich Harris and Ben Warner launched the Coast Film & Music Festival (CFMF) in 2019, it ran for a single night and screened two films. About 500 people attended, gathering under a tent owned by Laguna Beach, Calif.’s annual summer arts event.
At the time, Harris and Warner were looking for a way to fill in the ASR-sized holes in their hearts. The trade show was an industry tradition that ran for nearly 30 years before its last show in 2010.
“At ASR we would always come together as a community and a culture to celebrate our films in the fall,” Harris said. “(Ben and I) were like, ‘God, we’re so missing that.’ So that was the spark behind Coast. Like, why don’t we have a film festival that celebrates our culture and gathers us all together again to celebrate these incredible films that come out each year. And then to take that a little bit farther.”
Expanding Across Laguna Beach
In the seven years since their first night of screenings, Harris and Warner have taken their idea more than a “little bit farther.” This year, the CFMF runs from October 16-25, across multiple venues throughout Laguna Beach including the Irvine Bowl, the Rivian South Coast Theater, the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center, and the Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center.
For Harris, the festival is a celebration of the cultures he and Warner love most.
“I’ve spent my career in the ocean and in water sports, and Ben was very much mountain,” he said. “We felt there was this myth of film festivals out there, that they’re either very mountain or very ocean, and no one ever really brought the two cultures together to celebrate collectively.”
What’s on the Schedule
The festival will feature dozens of film screenings and events about surfing, snowboarding, and the outdoors, plus fitness activities, brand activations, panels, and musical performances.
Some of the screenings at CFMF will be feature-length films with well-known stars and stories, like Jack Johnson’s “SURFILMUSIC,” the documentary “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World,” and the 1978 classic “Big Wednesday.” There will be a short film featuring Kelly Slater, another with John Florence, and another with team riders for Burton, among others.
The festival will also screen films about everyday people overcoming obstacles in a myriad of ways: “The Ascent” follows Mandy Horvath’s attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro as a bilateral amputee, and “Hilos de Mariachi” is about a Boyle Heights tailor who has spent decades creating mariachi suits. Plus, CFMF will screen a wide range of short films encompassing outdoor-related stories across snow, dance, running, climbing, and more.
Three Days of Concerts
Before things wind down, musical acts will take center stage. The supergroup Rainbow Body, as well as artists Lily Meola, Donavon Frankenreiter, G. Love, Amos Lee, and Ben Harper are all slated to perform.
“We have this incredible week of films, and then we cap it off with three days of concerts in the Irvine Bowl, which is where Pageant of the Masters happens,” Harris said. “It’s a 2,500-seat outdoor amphitheater that really hasn’t been utilized for music over the last 15 years.”
Brand Partners Join the Programming
Brand-driven opportunities have also become a highlight. One of the festival’s sponsors is Vuori, for whom partnering with CFMF is a “natural fit.”
“The (festival) sits at the intersection of storytelling, adventure, creativity, and community,” said Austin Prideaux, Vuori’s Director of Philanthropic Marketing.
“As one of our long-time partners, the festival sets itself apart by gathering people who share a passion for living actively and exploring the world around them. As a brand committed to uplifting local communities and encouraging meaningful connections, we truly value the authenticity of the festival and how it brings people together through powerful stories and shared experiences.”
Saturday, October 24, Vuori is hosting a community yoga session at the Festival of Arts main stage. After the oms, asanas, and namastes, yogis can watch wellness-focused short films.
Vuori isn’t alone in marrying brand support with festival programming. Elsewhere, Roark is guiding a group run, Surfrider is spearheading a beach cleanup, local brand Sea Love is leading a scent-making workshop, and Laguna Surf Lodge is hosting a surf session, among confirmed events.
A Rising Tide for the Industry
While the range of brands involved and growth of the CFMF bode well, Harris recognizes that the action sports industry has had its share of challenges. Amid that flux, he hopes the festival can be a force for good—a rising tide that lifts all boards, so to speak.
“I like to (say) that the industry isn’t dying; it’s being reborn,” he said. “We want to be part of that rebirth.
“There are so many brands that we want to uplift that are coming along. The industry is alive and we want to be that bridge that celebrates all the incredible things that the athletes (that those companies) have on their rosters are doing, the incredible things that they’re doing as companies, and the incredible storytelling they’re doing around their brands and their athletes.”
Laguna as Home Base
Finally, alongside those emerging companies and pursuits, there’s one more fundamental piece of the CFMF that, for Harris, underpins the entire thing: the festival’s home turf, Laguna Beach.
“There’s no more magical time to come to Laguna than the fall,” he said. “The water’s warm, the waves are good. Everyone’s getting excited for the winter to come. Mammoth opens a few weeks after our festival, so it’s really that coming together and keeping that excitement around our community and our love of the outdoors.”
Looking Ahead
This year, that community is likely to be the biggest yet; Harris expects 10,000-12,000 attendees during the 10-day event. Still, he adds, he and Warner aren’t done.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished to date,” he said. “But I feel like we’re just getting started.”
See the full Coast Film & Music Festival schedule of events here.
