Surfing Documentary, Rio Breaks DVD release August 31

The Sundance Channel co-production nominated for Best Documentary at Hawaii International Film Festival

Click to watch the Rio Breaks trailer

“Gentle, touching and gorgeously lensed, Rio Breaks meshes a heartfelt hymn to surf-love with a harsh tale of slum survival. It’s a beautifully bittersweet vision of growing pains on the rough side of Rio, intimately unpeeling favela life’s poverty, violence and angst while still shining with the fragile hopes and joys of childhood.” — Jonathan Crocker, Little White Lies Magazine

Set against the volatile and dangerous world of the favelas, Rio Breaks tells the story of two surf-obsessed friends, 13-year-old Fabio and 12-year-old Naamã. The pair live in Rio de Janeiro’s Favela do Pavão, which is controlled by one of the city’s most dangerous drug gangs. However, their attention is focused on the waves of Arpoador Beach and on a coming surfing event that may help them become professionals and escape the world of gangs. Nominated for Best Documentary at the Hawaii International Film Festival and winner of the Special Jury Mention at the San Sebastian Surfilm Festibal, this Sundance Channel co-production by Director Justin Mitchell (Death Cab for Cutie: Drive Well, Sleep Carefully, Jenny Lewis: Welcome to Van Nuys, Ted Leo: Dirty Old Town & Songs for Cassavetes) and Writer Vince Medeiros (Surfing & Huck Magazine) is an inspired and hugely original documentary that takes the surf film genre into never-before-seen territory.

As a result of Rio Breaks‘ screening on Brazilian television, Naamã’s dream came true when he went surfing with multiple world surfing champion Kelly Slater in Hawaii.

Rio Breaks will be available on DVD and as a digital download from the Factory 25 website beginning August 31st (pre-order now available).