‘Florida's Surfing History’

The Mattie Kelly Fine and Performing Arts Center will present a free public screening of the new documentary, "Florida's Surfing History - Part One: The Panhandle" at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 in the Sprint Theater at the center. Mike Cotton and Dave Barnes, national producers based in Northwest Florida, spent the summer of 2012 filming interviews with many of the "old timers" and acquiring vintage film footage, photographs, news articles, and other historical content.

Cotton, a 50-year surfing veteran, says, "after helping with the launch of the museum exhibit Surfing Florida, A Photographic History at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton over the past three years, I knew it was time to do this film. Then, when I found out that the exhibit was coming to Pensacola for the summer, that was all it took to get the ball rolling on production."

The pair of producers will continue to film in all of Florida's surfing regions through 2013. The finished project will be a 5 DVD box set and will include other bonus content. Cotton and Barnes have a combined 90 years in the entertainment industry. Since the 1970's their productions have included thousands of film, TV, radio, print, live events, and many other projects.