Celebrating Adventure and Conservation: The Coast Film & Music Festival

The Coast Film & Music Festival is back for another year, bringing together a mix of films, music, and outdoor activities. This year's event runs for nine days and features a wide range of films that focus on adventure, conservation, and human stories. The festival aims to inspire and educate, with a lineup that includes documentaries, action sports films, and sustainability stories. One of the highlights of this year's festival is the screening of "The September Sessions, " a surf film by Jack Johnson. Johnson, who started his career in Laguna Beach, is returning to his roots with this film and a concert that sold out in just eight hours. The festival's co-founder, Ben Warner, sees this as a full-circle moment for Johnson and a great fit for the festival's mission of promoting stewardship of the land and ocean.The festival offers more than just films. There are workshops, live music performances, and a Do Good Village with dozens of vendors. The Coast Summit, a one-day event, brings together speakers to discuss innovative ways to focus on sustainability. The festival also includes outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, and yoga, encouraging people to explore and connect with nature. Some of the notable films include "The Eyes of Ghana, " a documentary about a documentarian racing against time to save a trove of films capturing the birth of African independence. Another impactful film is "Andre is an Idiot, " which follows a group of friends tested for colon cancer, highlighting the importance of early screening. The festival also aims to inspire the next generation. Speakers will visit local schools, and a group of students will participate in a Student Stewardship Day. The festival's creators hope to inspire young people to become change-makers and storytellers. Overall, the Coast Film & Music Festival is a celebration of adventure, conservation, and community. It's a chance for people to come together, learn, and be inspired by the power of storytelling and the beauty of the outdoors.