The goal of the new Dana Point Film Festival, organizers said, is to shine a light on ocean conservation, education, exploration and recreation.
“We are all inspired by the ocean,” said the festival’s co-creator Lloyd Bryan Molander. “It doesn’t matter who you are, every time you go to the ocean and you see a dolphin or whale breaching, it makes you smile. We’re all connected to the ocean and this festival is a way to connect people in the community. We can put aside our differences and agree the ocean is something that makes us smile.”
The four-day festival kicks off May 4 and will run through May 7, celebrating what Dana Point is known for – ocean, wildlife and surf. It will have a mix of full-length feature films and shorts, some by local filmmakers and others created in oceans across the globe.
Dana Hills High School students will also showcase their films and several panel discussions will shine a light on coastal environment issues, as well as the rich surf history of the coastal town.
“How can we recreate in the ocean without destroying it?” Molander said is the question the festival is addressing. “Most people know there’s problems with the ocean. What we’re here to do is add to the community’s education and provide them with great examples of how people are going to great lengths to protect, restore, preserve and enjoy the ocean.”
Molander, 61, was introduced to the film industry world during his younger years, when he lived in Burbank, before he and his mother relocated to Laguna Niguel. It was at Marco Forester Middle School that he developed a love for the ocean.
“I wouldn’t have any of the ocean experience if it wasn’t for my mom. She brought me to the beach, sailed out of Dana Point Harbor,” he said.
He remembers seeing a surfer pass by with a board one day at Doheny State Beach and thinking, “I have to get one of those.”
Not long after, at age 13, he found a beat up Gerry Lopez Lightning Bolt in the…
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