Honoured to screen Sand Dancers at one of Europe’s most culturally rich surf film festivals.

When the invitation came to bring Sand Dancers to Bilbao, we said yes without hesitation. What followed were a few days that reminded us exactly why we make films — and why it matters where stories come from.

The Bilbao Surf Film Festival is unlike anything we’d attended before. It celebrates surfing and ocean culture, yes, but what sets it apart is its deep commitment to the Basque language and identity. Every element of the festival carries that cultural pride — it’s woven into how the event feels, how people speak about their films, and how the city holds the whole thing together. For a production company that believes authentic, place-rooted stories are worth fighting for, being in that room felt like being among kindred spirits.

We screened Sand Dancers and spoke about the film — about where it came from, the community behind it, and what it meant to make something so tied to a specific place and people. The conversation that followed was exactly the kind we love. We left with new friends, genuine connections with fellow filmmakers who understand what it means to tell stories that belong somewhere.

Between screenings we explored the old town — winding streets, incredible food, the unmistakable energy of a city that knows what it is. We visited the Guggenheim Museum, stood in front of Maman — the towering spider sculpture that stops you in your tracks — and took in Puppy, the giant floral dog that somehow manages to be both absurd and completely joyful. Bilbao does that. It holds the ancient and the extraordinary side by side without blinking.

What struck us most was the beauty of the place and the absolute commitment to cultural preservation. The Basque community doesn’t just acknowledge its identity — it celebrates and protects it at every turn. As filmmakers from South Tyneside, a place with its own fierce sense of who it is, that resonated deeply.

We were honoured to be selected. We’ll be back.