Coast Film Festival Announces Award Winners

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Coast Film Festival announced the 2020 film award recipients after a red letter year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Coast Film Festival unites global outdoor lifestyles, action sports and cultures from the mountains to the sea through the power of film. Held annually in Laguna Beach, the festival’s focus is on the art of storytelling and inspiring productive discussions on topics, initiatives, and issues facing people and places from around the world.

Top honors went to "Voice Above Water" directed by Dana Frankoff, and Here We Stand as first runner up, both recipients of the newly established Coast Film Festival + MacGillivray/Freeman Environmental Filmmaker Award.

"Any One of Us," directed by Fernando Villena took the Audience Choice Award and "A Life of Endless Summers: The Bruce Brown Story" directed by Dana Brown won for the Best Feature Film.

Films were rated on a variety of topics including innovation of storytelling, compelling themes and subjects, and the film’s power to entertain, inform and inspire viewers.

2020 Coast Film Festival Awards
MacGillivray Freeman Environmental Filmmaker Award
- "Voice Above Water," by Dana Frankoff
- "Here We Stand," by Chris Cresci – First Runner Up
Audience Choice
- "Any One of Us," by Fernando Villena / Red Bull Media
Best Feature Film
- "A Life of Endless Summers: The Bruce Brown Story," by Dana Brown
Best Stoke (Inspiring the theme of #getoutside)
- "Arc of Aleutia," by Ben Weiland, Chris Burkard
Spirit - (Most emotionally inspiring)
- "Unnur," by Chris Burkard
Making Waves (most compelling film tied to an environmental non-profit organization)
- "Purple Mountains"
Best Short Film - 10 minutes or less
- "Concrete Solitude," by Perry Gershkow
Best Short Film - < 40 minutes.
- "Into America’s Wild," by Greg MacGillivray