2025 EVENT RECAP

AWARD WINNERS

Best Feature Film: André Is An Idiot
Directed by Tony Benna

Best Short Film: Then Comes the Body
Directed by Jacob Krupnick

Audience Choice Award: Best Day Ever
Directed By Ben Knight + Berne Broudy

Spirit Award: The American Southwest
Directed by Ben Masters

Stoke Award: Mountains of the Moon
Directed by Chris Benchetler

Wavemaker Award: Comparsa
Directed by Vickie Curtis + Doug Anderson

Cultural Maverick Award: Gangsta Gardener
Directed by Rocky Romano & Miranda Winters

MacGillivray Freeman Environmental Film: Out of Plain Sight
Directed by Daniel Straub + Rosanna Xia

MacGillivray Freeman Environmental Film - Runner-Up: Rock | Plastic | Salmon
Directed by Josh “Bones” Murphy

Changemaker Award: Jack + Kim Johnson for their commitment to art, education, and the environment.

COAST SUMMIT ‘25

Coast Summit ‘25, the third annual thought leadership event within the Coast Film & Music Festival, convened leading environmentalists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and activists on November 6th, 2025, at Rivian South Coast Theater. Presented by A New Earth Project, the summit sparked powerful conversations on sustainability, conservation, and storytelling as a driver of change.

2025 SUMMIT RECAP

2025 COMMUNITY IMPACT

In its seventh year, Coast Film & Music Festival welcomed over 10,000 people to Laguna Beach for nine days of films, outdoor experiences, and community events. Across theaters, classrooms, venues, and the historic Irvine Bowl, the festival continued its mission to inspire curiosity, connection, and positive change through story, art, and the outdoors.

FILM & STORYTELLING

This year’s festival showcased 112 films | 75 shorts · 21 features · 16 student films

Screenings at Rivian South Coast Theater, Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center, and the Festival of Arts drew thousands of filmgoers across the core program. From special director screenings and environmental documentaries to global adventure stories, filmmakers, athletes, and artists shared work that invited audiences to see the world, and their place in it, a little differently.

EMERGING FILMMAKER PROGRAMS

Our youth impact reached a new high in 2025:

75+ student film submissions to the Emerging Filmmakers program
A packed Emerging Filmmakers Showcase with 200+ students
Roughly 2,000 students reached through school talks at El Morro, Top of the World, Thurston Middle School, and Laguna Beach High School
Environmental Stewardship Day hosted 300 students and 20 volunteers for ocean education, eco-art, and storytelling workshops, with farm-to-table lunches provided by Community Roots Academy’s student garden program

Together, these programs are helping inspire the next generation of filmmakers, creatives, and environmental stewards.

FOLLOW THE LIGHT AWARDS

The Follow The Light Surf Photography Awards celebrated emerging photographers who are redefining ocean storytelling. This year honored Grand Prize winner Ian Grose and People’s Choice winner Hayden Garfield, showcasing powerful imagery and offering meaningful mentorship opportunities with leading creatives in surf media.

OUTDOOR & WELLNESS EXPERIENCES

Hundreds of guests connected with Laguna Beach’s trails, coastline, and open spaces through our Get Outside programming, which included a community run with Roark + Laguna Beach Run Club, Yoga with Vuori, Guided Hikes throughout the week with Laguna Canyon Foundation, and we welcomed the riders of the 11th annual Dirt Fondo post-event to watch films on the Main Stage! These experiences encouraged movement, presence, and a deeper relationship with the places we love.

MUSIC & COMMUNITY GATHERINGS

Music and community events helped bring the festival to life, with performances from talented bands, two unforgettable nights with Jack Johnson & The Moonshine Conspiracy at the Irvine Bowl, and gatherings like Films on Forest, Locals Night at Hobie Surf Shop, the Do Good Village, Changemaker Dinner at The Ecology Center, and our Opening Night Reception at Casa Loma. These moments amplified local culture, sparked new connections, and extended the reach of the stories on screen—all rooted in our mission to use art, music, and shared experience to inspire a healthier, more connected world.