Eclectic quiver: Rasta, Junod, Stuth and Carrol by Thomas Campbell

The Present, Californian artist/photographer/filmmaker Thomas Campbell's eagerly awaited follow-up to his cult classics Sprout and The Seedling, is coming to the UK this spring - and will be shown on the big screen in a selection of intimate venues across the south of England in April, May and June thanks to The Surf Screen.

Created in luscious Super 16mm film, The Present is a visual delight filmed in West Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Sumatra, Java, Hawaii and California. Featuring a host of über-stylish surfers such as Dave Rastovich, Dane Reynolds, Joel Tudor, Sofia Mulanovich, C.J. Nelson, Dan Malloy, Kassia Meador and others, it promises to delight surf movie fans - especially when viewed on the big screen.

"Big screen exhibition of independent surf movies is a vital element in the enrichment of our surf culture, inspiring and bringing together a community for a shared experience," says Christiaan Bailey, director of The Surf Screen - an exciting new organisation set up to exhibit independent creative perspectives of surf culture and support new filmmaking talent . "The Surf Screen is bringing surf movies back to the big screen on a regular basis and in doing so will support a stream of original content from talented filmmakers for us all to enjoy."

Where's the beach? Photograph by Dave Homcy

In launching The Present, Thomas Campbell wants to help preserve one of surfing's longest running social happenings off the beach: surf movie tours. Surf movies have their origins as one of the culture's most significant cultural barometers, dating back to the sport's fledgling years. With zero surf media in existence during the late 1950s, the draw of a surf film screening was intense. "The tremendous sense of community you felt at those shows was powerful," explains Steve Pezman, publisher of The Surfer's Journal, who was a teenage surfer at the time. "So for us, going to see a surf film wasn't a choice — you had to go."

The tradition continued through the late 1960s and 1970s. By the 1980s, however, video had entered the picture and would soon change everything.  Shooting video was cheap and the filmmaker could skip costly theatre screenings by going direct to consumer with a VHS tape. By the mid-1980s, film tours faded to a distant memory as the home viewing experience became the norm.

In the late 1990s, a few young independent filmmakers began to pick up old Bolex 16mm film cameras and document modern day surfing using the old traditional format. Among the relatively small number of purists — using film instead of video — to successfully emerge at the time was Campbell. He then went a step further by doing a US tour.

"I am not re-inventing the wheel or anything, just doing what those filmmakers did back then," explains Campbell, who extensively toured his second film, Sprout (2004). "Doing a tour is a long-time tradition in our culture. It's also the most sure fire way of bringing the film to the surf community directly - people love it."

Like his other films, The Present covers several surfing subcultures. Throw in a funny skit and some exotic overseas travels and you end up with a classic surf film narrative. All of this happens to the backdrop of a timeless, down-tempo soundtrack that has been a hallmark of Campbell's other works. "The Present is going to blow minds," adds Christiaan Bailey. Be sure to get yourself down to an independent cinema or village hall near you!

These are going to be an incredibly popular events, and seats are limited at the individual venues, so be sure to turn up early to avoid disappointment.

THE PRESENT TOUR DATES AND VENUES

* Wednesday 22nd April: The Royal Cinema, St Ives
* Saturday 25th April: The Sallis Beeney Theatre, Brighton
* Friday 1st May: The Carnmarth Hotel, Newquay
* Saturday 2nd May: Woodlane Theatre, Woodlane Campus, Falmouth
* Saturday 9th May: The Lighthouse Centre, Poole
* Sunday 10th May: The Cube Cinema, Bristol
* Saturday 16th May: Braunton Village Hall, Braunton
* Sunday 17th May (tbc): The Reel Cinema, Kingsbridge
* Saturday 23rd May: St Merryn Village Hall, St Merryn   
* JUNE: London screenings TBC

Watch The Present trailer: