The Big Sea returns to Noosa and delivers real-world impact

News from the Noosa International Surfilm Festival:

In collaboration with the Noosa Festival of Surfing, the Noosa International Surfilm Festival brought back 2025 Best Feature winner The Big Sea for a special screening on 16 March and it hit just as hard the second time.

The documentary, which exposes the devastating human and environmental cost of neoprene production at Louisiana’s Denka plant, drew a deeply engaged audience at Noosa Event Cinemas.

Festival Director Jesca Maas said the re-screening felt essential. “With the surf community gathered in Noosa, it was the right moment to bring this story back into the conversation.”

A live Q&A with filmmaker Chris Nelson (UK) gave insight into the making of the film and delivered a powerful update: "The Denka plant suspended production in May 2025 due to declining global demand for neoprene."

The room erupted. A rare moment where awareness, storytelling, and collective action aligned — and made an impact.

But as highlighted by The Big Sea team, the fight isn’t over. The call to move away from toxic neoprene and towards sustainable alternatives continues.

NISFF returns 13–16 August 2026.

WATCH THE BIG SEA TRAILER HERE