The 6th Annual Bridges Short Movie Festival will include a variety of juried and curated videos and short films. The program will include movies, videos and animations that have been created for educational, corporate and artistic purposes, and will provide another opportunity for you to experience innovative and integrative techniques in the fields of mathematics and art.
The National Institute for Mathematical Sciences (NIMS) presents a very special NIMS-IMAGINARY exhibition in collaboration with the ICM committee and the Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach (MFO). It will feature the best of all IMAGINARY modules of the last years and a lot of new software, images, films and sculptures. It will be the biggest IMAGINARY exhibition shown so far.
Valentina Galata, now student of bioinformatics in Germany, started to use the surfer as a high school student in 2008. She specialized in remodelling real world objects with SURFER. She found equations that create images of fruits, design objects or landscapes. Generally she adds several surfaces to one image by multiplying their equations, often variations of basic geometric figures, like spheres or cones.
Helen Hunt (Cheri Hamilton, my mom) was an intermediate surfer previously, but she wanted to become a better surfer. Her style of surfing is cruise-y and mellow and it was so fun to watch her gain confidence on slightly larger waves as the days went by!
Then there was a different crew that was out in the water shooting the surfing clips. There were always 3 cameras in these situations. One was on the beach looking towards the surfers, one was on a jet ski following the surfers as they rode the wave, and one was held by a waterman to get close-up action shots from in the water.
Even before the filming started, we were thinking we needed a trip to Tahiti just because the waves are so beautiful and powerful and the surf is just INCREDIBLE there. So when we realized that some of the scenes needed better surfing shots, my family and I pushed for a Tahiti trip with the crew. The trip came together and we went to Tahiti to film me riding some bigger waves. We got some amazing surf down there and I was so stoked! Most of the scenes in Soul Surfer where Bethany is riding larger waves, especially the ones that barrel, were filmed in Tahiti.
After the shots from Tahiti were incorporated into the film, we were much more satisfied with the surfing aspect of the Soul Surfer! The cast, the crew, my family and I were so excited to bring a wholesome, encouraging movie to Hollywood that accurately represented the most beautiful, exciting and indescribable sport of surfing.
P.S. If you like Soul Surfer, check out my documentary UNSTOPPABLE! This captures my life from childhood to motherhood and shows a more unfiltered portrayal of my life! (Both films are available on Netflix and Amazon!)
Anastasia Ashley started surfing at the tender age of 5, and she won her first surfing competition by 6. From there, Ashley committed herself to competition and became a professional surfer picking up a number of awards including a national title. She also gained recognition and coverage for her exploits in big waves, receiving multiple nominations for the WSL Big Wave Awards. In her early 20s, Ashley's modeling and business career took off with an appearance in 2014's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and the launch of her jewelry line. Numerous TV appearances followed, and her Instagram account alone has topped 1 million followers.
Kai Barger had been earmarked as one of Hawaii's most talented surfers from a very young age. In surfing circles, he became a household name when he competed and won numerous events as a teenager and then went on to win the World Junior title in 2008 at 19 years old. However, the pathway to the elite CT became blocked and failed to translate his junior success and incredible talent onto the Qualifying Series; and by 2015, he stopped competing. The rare edits of his surfing are a reminder of his all-round ability and pure dynamism. Now injury-free and with a loving girlfriend, Barger still has a lot to offer the sport.
Mason Barnes grew up in Wrightsville Beach, which is widely regarded as one of the East Coast's small-wave havens. An enthusiastic and talented surfer as a kid, frequent trips to Oahu's North Shore led to a love of big waves. Barnes traveled to Portugal's infamous big wave spot of Nazare in October 2020 and rode one of the biggest waves of the day, on what many considered one of the largest swells in recent history. Out of the water, Barnes is as comfortable in a Gucci suit as he is riding huge waves. He now lives in Venice Beach, California.
Tia Blanco's father was in the Coast Guard so they were always stationed near the ocean which is how she started surfing at just 3 years old. Eventually, Blanco and her family settled in San Clemente, California, and she was quickly earmarked as a future star. With big wins in 2015 and 2016, Blanco came close to her ultimate dream of qualifying for the Championship Tour. A committed vegan, Blanco's positive energy and health-conscious outlook on life has helped her amass over 300,000 followers on Instagram alone. In 2018, Blanco and her sister, Aja, launched Dear Self, a cruelty-free skincare line, and was also an early-stage brand ambassador for Beyond Meat, a plant-based food company. While Blanco has carved out a successful business career, her main goal remains to reach the upper echelons of competitive surfing. She's come close a few times and those experiences have only hardened her resolve.
Austin Clouse grew up in Ormond Beach, Florida, and lived across the street from the ocean. He was taught to surf at the age of 5 by his brother and spent as much time as he could surfing with the kids in the neighborhood. Clouse remained passionate about surfing throughout high school but it wasn't until he graduated that he began competing, quickly winning his first local pro contest. From there he moved to Jacksonville and then California, where he lived in Huntington Beach, working to pursue his surfing dream. Tragically, his father was diagnosed with cancer which led to Clouse moving back home to Florida. After his dad's passing, Clouse returned to Jacksonville, which he now calls home. With renewed dedication, lots of hard work and the support of his hometown, he continues to chase his surfing dream.
Brianna Cope started surfing when she was 4 years old with her dad and sister, and immediately fell in love with the ocean. She started competing at the age of 10 and won her first surf contest shortly after. That victory was the start of her competitive surfing dreams where she enjoyed a successful junior career. Cope came extremely close to qualifying for the elite Championship Tour in 2014 and 2015, and has been fighting to reach her ultimate goal ever since. A beacon of positivity, Cope is a role model for many and uses her huge social media following to spread her message on good health, meditation, fitness and the power of positive thinking.
Luke Davis grew up in the thick of Southern California's professional surfing community and, from a young age, longboarded at two of the state's most deep-seated surf locales of Doheny and San Onofre. As young as 8, his talent was obvious and early junior success led to sponsorship deals with local surf shops. After treading the well-worn path from the junior pros to the WSL's Qualifying Series, Davis went on to carve out a career as a freesurfer. "The Ultimate Surfer" might be the perfect opportunity to showcase that electric mix, and as one of the most technically gifted and truly stylish surfers in the field, he has to be considered a favorite.
It was on a family trip to Cocoa Beach that Kayla Durden watched her brother catch a wave, and when her dad asked if she wanted to try, she said yes. From that point on, Durden was hooked! Despite success in the junior surfing ranks, Durden was always committed to her education and graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Florida with a degree in marketing and a minor in Spanish. Since then, she has been appointed as the physical education teacher, athletic coordinator and girls varsity basketball head coach at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville.
Juli Hernandez describes herself as Cuban and Costa Rican with some Italian and Spanish thrown in, and has made a name for herself in the California surf and skate communities. Hernandez started surfing and skating at around 7 and, despite both scenes being dominated by boys, quickly gained the respect of her peers. She competed in both disciplines on the junior circuits, with her initial goal to become the first girl ever to surf and skateboard in the U.S. Open of Surfing. Always passionate and outspoken about inspiring girls to start skateboarding and surfing, Hernandez created Camp Grommette, designed to improve the abilities of girls in both sports, when she was just 17. Hernandez has dedicated her life to her passions of surfing, skating and snowboarding whilst continuing her career in the public service. She is an athlete with a mission to have fun and inspire.
Zeke Lau is a proud native Hawaiian who honed his wave-riding craft in Honolulu. His father, Leonard Lau, played football at the University of Hawaii before becoming a prominent high school coach. When Lau decided early on that surfing was his thing, his father instilled him with the discipline and structure he'd need to succeed. From the age of 10, Lau was an early standout but his road to the Championship Tour was a long and bumpy one. Eventually, in 2017, after years of hard work, the Hawaiian reached his lifelong ambition of making surfing's top tier and had three consecutive years surfing against the world's best, before being relegated at the end of 2019. The pandemic postponed his attempt at his return and he spent the year away from competition. However, the competitive fire still burns strong in Lau, and of all "The Ultimate Surfer" cast, he has had the most elite-level experience and success.
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