The 2024 Vague d'Or and its two settings

On the occasion of World Oceans Day, the Biarritz Film Festival – NOUVELLES VAGUES and the Surfrider collective are organizing a day of awareness and visual education dedicated to ocean protection.

The event will unfold in three parts:
It begins with a morning cleanup on the Grande Plage in Biarritz, followed by the screening of 15 short films at Le Royal cinema. These films were selected by middle school students, Princeton University students, and Unis-Cité youth volunteers.
The day will conclude with the screening of three short films — Red Flag, Vive la Baleine, and Percebes — followed by discussions hosted by the Surfrider and Biarritz Film Festival – NOUVELLES VAGUES teams.

1. Awareness & Community Action

Location: Grande Plage, Biarritz
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Volunteers from Surfrider's local chapter will lead a beach cleanup open to all. A citizen science activity stand will also be set up on the Grande Plage.

2. Screening of 15 Films from the MINI FILMA Competition

Location: Le Royal Cinema 1
Time: 4:30 PM – 4:50 PM
Free admission by reservation or invitation

From 4:30 to 6:30 PM at Le Royal cinema, a series of short and mini film screenings will be followed by Q&A sessions with the filmmakers.
This session will be introduced by Lili Hinstin, Programming Director of the Biarritz Film Festival – NOUVELLES VAGUES, alongside Festival General Delegate Sandrine Brauer and Festival President Jérôme Pulis.

3. Short Film Screenings Selected by the Biarritz Film Festival – NOUVELLES VAGUES & Surfrider

Location: Le Royal Cinema 1
Screening: 4:50 PM – 5:45 PM
Discussion: 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM

A special screening session will showcase three ocean-themed short films, curated by Lili Hinstin.

Vive la Baleine by Chris Marker and Mario Ruspoli
Duration: 12 min — Portugal/France, 2024
Synopsis: Once a vital resource for survival, whales became a target of mass exploitation with the rise of industrial capitalism. The film portrays the brutal shift from sustenance to profit-driven slaughter.

Percebes by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves
Duration: 12 min — Portugal/France, 2024
Synopsis: In Portugal’s Algarve region, this hypnotic animated short captures the life cycle of the percebes (goose barnacle) and the resilience of coastal communities facing the pressures of tourism and the sea’s relentlessness.

Red Flag by Dimitri Krassoulia-Vronsky
Duration: 22 min — France, 2025
*Part of Surfrider’s Ocean Film Friendly platform. Shot in Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
Synopsis: A beach, where everyone seeks pleasure — except for the Ocean.

With Damien Bonnard, Frankie Wallach, Victor Bonnel, Pierre Gadou, and Louis Andrieu.
Co-produced by Les Films Velvet, Année Zéro, Les Films Pelléas, and Odessa Productions.

The screening will be presented by Agathe Chaillat-Gaspar (Surfrider / Ocean Friendly), followed by a discussion with Red Flag director Dimitri Krassoulia-Vronsky.

About Dimitri Krassoulia-Vronsky
A native of Biarritz and a 2016 graduate of La Fémis, Dimitri served as Artistic Director of the Paris Opera’s 3e Scène alongside Philippe Martin for five years, producing over thirty short films and exploring virtual reality.
He co-directs music videos with his brother Roman for artists such as La Femme, Basile Dimanski, and Jean Tonique.

In 2018, he co-founded Balthus Lab, a creative hub for digital and independent cinema. In 2023, he joined Odessa Productions.
In 2024, he wrote and directed Red Flag, his first short film, produced by Les Films Velvet and co-produced by Année Zéro and Les Films Pelléas.