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This Sexy Tequila Brand Is Bringing a Surf Film Festival to Fort Lauderdale

Solento Surf Festival will deliver two days of surf-inspired films, panels, live music, and more.
Image: A panel at Solento Surf Festival
The Solento Surf Festival is coming to Savor Cinema November 22-23. Solento Surf Festival photo

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Fort Lauderdale may not be the first city that comes to mind when thinking of surf culture, but one film festival is here to change that for good. Solento Organic Tequila is bringing its signature Solento Surf Festival (SSF) to South Florida for the first time.

Set to take place November 22-23 at Savor Cinema, the festival promises two days of surf-inspired films, panels, live music, and more. It combines the laid-back spirit of surfing with the sophistication of Solento.

Launched initially in Encinitas, California, the Solento Surf Festival was born from founder Taylor Steele's passion for surfing and film. Now, the festival is expanding east, and Steele tells New Times that Fort Lauderdale was a natural fit.

"We know there is a strong surf community in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding areas, but it often gets overlooked in the surf industry," Steele explains. "We really wanted to bring the SSF somewhere that it would add value."

The festival isn't just about catching waves, Steele adds, but about slowing down and appreciating the moments in between. It even fits in with the brand's name, a take on the Spanish words "sol" and "lento," or "slow sun."

"The festival is an opportunity for those who love surfing and the environment that surfing creates to enjoy the slower things," he says. "From competitions where surfers wait for the perfect wave to film screenings, music, and discussions, it's all about embodying Solento's ethos of savoring life's simple pleasures."

Steele adds, "When I was growing up, there weren't quick outlets like Instagram or YouTube to share your work. Pretty much every film hosted premieres, and it was a time to bring the community together. This festival is my way of trying to bring back that feeling of seeing amazing films in the environment they were meant for."
click to enlarge Attendees at the Solento Surf Festival
"From competitions where surfers wait for the perfect wave to film screenings, music, and discussions, it's all about embodying Solento's ethos of savoring life's simple pleasures," says founder Taylor Steele.
Solento Surf Festival photo
The festival also will feature thought-provoking panel discussions, including one with professional surfer Lisa Andersen. Although the sport has long been male-dominated, Andersen was actually one of the first trailblazers of the sport in Florida. Known as one of the most successful female surfers in history, the four-time American world champion will bring her insights into the sport to the festival.

Festival-goers can also expect performances from local bands the Floridians and Camp Blu.

The festival isn't Solento's only big move in South Florida. Steele hints at an exciting collaboration with AKA Hotels during Miami Art Week, featuring a bespoke single-barrel tequila and an art component.

But aside from the mesmerizing nature of the water activity itself, Steele has spent much of his career exploring surfing through the lens of filmmaking. Combining the two art forms allows the festival to celebrate all the facets of surf culture.

"I love bringing all of the elements of surfing to the community to appreciate more than just catching waves," Steele says. "Seeing surfing from all of the beautiful angles that exist brings that emotion out in myself and so many others. There is so much for us to appreciate in the world around us. I hope those that attend all or even some portion of the festival take the slowness into their everyday lives and better appreciate the beauty that exists in their day."

Solento Surf Festival. 5:30 p.m. Friday, November 22, and Saturday, November 23, at Savor Cinema, 503 SE Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale; solentotequila.com. Tickets cost $30 via eventbrite.com.