St. Augustine Film Society: Wade in the Water

On Friday, June 21, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. at the Waterworks, the St. Augustine Film Society invites the public to a viewing of the documentary, Wade in Water: A Journey Into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture. 

Filmmaker and director, David Mesfin, was born in Ethiopia and moved to the United States when he was young — living in St. Augustine where he learned to surf. After attending college in California and getting involved with surfing there, he learned that Africa has a surfing tradition that spans 1,000 years. Wade in the Water looks at that tradition, as well as the struggle Black Americans had to claim space on the beaches in the United States. The film also introduces us to today's young surfers and how they're finding inclusion in the sport of surfing.

This film is presented as part of the community's celebration of the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the local activists who helped make that happen. After the viewing, there will be a Q & A with activists from the 1964 St. Augustine Beach wade-in.

Admission:  This event is free, though donations to the St. Augustine Film Society would be appreciated.

When: Friday, June 21, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Where: The St. Augustine Waterworks is at 184 San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine, Florida 32084.

Getting There: While the address is 184 San Marco Avenue, the only driveway on San Marco is Exit Only, so it is not available to access the Waterworks. Access to the Waterworks is through the St. Augustine Main Library parking lot, on the opposite side of the complex. (Use 1960 North Ponce de Leon in your GPS.)