The Turning Tide,shortlisted.

Earlier this year we made a short film that had nothing to do with a client brief. The Turning Tide is a five-minute documentary about Phil Owen, the founder of Ocean Therapy, and the hundreds of people he's helped through the water. This month it was shortlisted for The Shorties at the London Surf / Film Festival.

The film

Phil runs Ocean Therapy in South Wales, using surfing to support people facing mental health and life challenges. He's done it for years, quietly, for hundreds of people. When Phil himself needed help, the people around him wanted to tell his story properly, and raise money to support him. No fee was paid by Phil or his family: the film was made with care by friends and supporters, and we were glad to be some of them.

Alex directed, with Tom Parsons on second camera, Dan Jones on drone, an audio mix by Northhouse Studio and a grade by Ben Hicks. The result is a film about kindness, resilience and the impact one person can have on a great many others.

"A film about kindness, resilience and the extraordinary impact one person can have on so many through the power of surfing."

The Shorties

The Shorties is the London Surf / Film Festival's short film competition, now in its fifteenth year and described by the festival as one of the most prestigious short film contests for surf filmmakers in the world. It's open to filmmakers from, or based in, Britain and Ireland, with films of up to five minutes, and the shortlisted films are screened on the big screen at the festival, where they're eligible for Shortie of the Year, the Emerging Talent award and the People's Choice Award.

The Turning Tide is one of six films on the 2026 shortlist. It will be screened at Riverside Studios, London, during the festival on 5 to 7 November 2026.

Why it matters to us

We spend most of our year making content that has to perform: views, leads, cost per result. We love that work. But it's good to be reminded that the craft is the same whether the brief is a van dealership or a man who's given his life to helping other people get in the sea. The light, the sound, the patience to let someone tell their own story. A festival shortlist is a nice way of being told we got that part right.

How you can help

• Vote for the film in the People's Choice Award, which is decided by public vote until 1 November.
• Watch the film and donate to Phil's fundraiser if you can.
• If you're in London in November, come and see it on the big screen.

Thank you to everyone who gave their time to make it, and to Phil for letting us tell his story.