Flotsam Festival

Flotsam Festival, the Gold Coast’s premier surf film and ocean photography celebration, is gearing up to deliver a dynamic cultural experience with a line-up of innovative events in the pipeline for this year’s program.

Flotsam Arts Inc is proud to announce that the 2024 program will be supported by the festival’s foundation partners, the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and Experience Gold Coast, when the festival returns for a third consecutive year from May 1 to May 12, 2024.

FLOTSAM FESTIVAL 2024 PROGRAM

Multi-Day Events (May 1-12)
1-12 May | Flotsam Focal Point Exhibition
Flotsam’s signature outdoor photo exhibition will make a return, with fresh inclusions to be unveiled.   Focal Point captures peak moments by top surf photographers and places them back in the vantage points they were taken from. Curated by Tim Baker, this series of installations tell the stories behind the images through informative captions and scannable QR codes for extra multimedia content. The photo trail traverses Coolangatta beachfront, Greenmount, Rainbow Bay, Snapper Rocks and Point Danger lookout, and features images from Simon Williams, Marty Tullemans, Andrew Shield, Fran Miller, Joli, Mal Sutherland, Ted Grambeau, Albe Falzon, Tony Harrington, and more TBA. Various locations. Free exhibition.

3-12 May | Flotsam International Masters of Surf
Curated by celebrated surf photographer Ted Grambeau, International Masters of Surf is a handpicked roll call of the world’s foremost lens folk each contributing a single image that exemplifies their contribution to the history of surf photography.  Featuring a lineup of surf photography luminaries, the exhibition will  run for the duration of the festival and feature the collective talents of Jeff Divine, Christa Funk, Russell Ord, Chris Van Lennep, Todd Glaser, John Witzig, Corey Wilson, Sean Davey, Tom Servais and many others. The showcase will include an auction, with exhibited works going under the hammer to benefit each photographer’s chosen beneficiary.  Exhibition free, opening event ticketed.

1-12 May | Flotsam Canisters
Photography exclusively shot on film will take centre stage in a group exhibition with a twist – images on display will be taken home piece by piece by attendees via lottery. Location: Outer Bound, Burleigh.  Exhibition free, opening event ticketed.

1-12 May | Flotsam Road Trip
A collision of photo and film celebrating the Aussie surf road trip through the ages, including Trent Mitchells’ Australian Lustre series. Location: Iron & Resin, Currumbin. Exhibition free, opening event ticketed.

1-12 May | Flotsam Now + Then
A site takeover of the Pink Hotel’s iconic fence line with a photographic journey through time via images from local coastline evolution unearthed through community archival projects. In the lead up to the festival, Flotsam will host several photo archiving workshops, as well as work with local photographers to showcase coastal landmarks past and present shown across the eras. Back stories on featured images accessible by QR. Location: The Pink Hotel, Coolangatta.  Free exhibition.

26 April – 20 May | Australian Surf Photo of the Year Finalist Exhibition
The Top 12 selected images from Surfing Australia’s Surf Photo of the Year awards presented by Tracks Magazine will appear at Flotsam Festival. Each image, framed and printed on OnStone stone, was selected on the basis of being deemed successful in ‘capturing the essence of Australian Surfing’. Finalists include Matt Dunbar, Bill Morris, Josh Bystrom and others. Location: Kirra Hill Community and Cultural Centre. Free exhibition.

1-12 May | Flotsam Ripples
Updated daily, Ripples is a community photo project exploring ‘Blue Mind’ art therapy images that are captured, distributed and then projected on screens in locations across the city to reach those unable to make the trek to water themselves. This inclusive, all-ability project will launch during the festival with a goal to become an ongoing social initiative. Various locations. Free exhibition.

Plus Solo Exhibitions:
1-12 May – Shelli Bankier – Body of Ocean. The Body Method, Tugun.
1-12 May – Ella Tubman – Feel Something. 4Pines, Coolangatta.
1-12 May – Ozzie Wright – Enter the Gateway to the 69th Dimension. Love Street, Kirra.
1- 12 May – Jacqueline Scott – Mermaids. Wade’s World Photographics, Coolangatta.

Single-Day Highlights

1 May | Flotsam Launch
Kicking off the Flotsam pixel party with mini guided photo tours, feature films, live music  and giveaways. Location: Eddie’s Grub House and Pink Hotel fenceline. Coolangatta. From 6pm. Free event.

2 May | Flotsam Canisters Opening Party
Analogue photography by Ming Nomchong, Nat McComas, Trent Mitchell, Luke Henery and more will take centre stage in a group exhibition with a twist – images on display will be taken home piece by piece by attendees via lottery. Attendees each purchase a film canister in lieu of entry ticket. Each canister is numbered inside, correlating with a print by featured photographers, and/or a reloaded camera to start their own film journey armed + inspired. Tunes, food and drinks, door prizes, surprises. Location: Outer Bound, Burleigh Heads. Doors 5.30pm. Ticketed.

3 May | Flotsam International Masters Of Surf Launch
Arguably the largest exhibition of leading surf photographers ever assembled, Flotsam International Masters of Surf exhibition curated by legendary lensman Ted Grambeau will feature a roll call of over thirty of the biggest and brightest luminaries of surf photography. Opening with a cocktail launch at the new Kirra Beach House, the exhibition will feature a single image chosen by each designated Master, with select items from the collection going under the hammer to benefit each photographer’s chosen beneficiary. Tickets include roaming deluxe canapes, live music, special guest panelists, door giveaways and more overlooking iconic Kirra Point. Location: Kirra Beach House, Coolangatta. Doors 1pm.  Ticketed.

3 May | Flotsam International Surf Film Session
Taylor Steele joins the chat room for a 10 year anniversary recap of Mick Fanning opus Missing. Plus this year’s best shorts and clips from across the globe. Location: Kirra Beach House, Coolangatta. Doors 5.15pm. Ticketed.

3 May | Ozzie Wright’s Enter The 69th Dimension Exhibition + Film Night
Projections from another dimension, art and more.
Location: Love St Cafe, Kirra. Doors 6pm. Free event.