Eat Surf Love wins festival award.

Thrilled to share that our film, written, produced, and directed by first-time filmmakers won the 2024 Audience Award for “Best Local Drama” at the San Francisco Short Film Festival. Thank you supporters and everyone who attended our California premiere at the 4 Star Theater.

We were on the radio. Listen here.

Cat Smith interviewed actors Tyler Ritter and Molly Wood, and director Nada Djordjevich for KVSY.org. Visit our news section for excerpts of our far-reaching discussion, that touches upon the power of collaboration, awkward first dates, and the long-standing baseball rivalry between Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

Eat Surf Love is a romantic comedy that celebrates the beautiful awkwardness of human encounters. Set in San Francisco, it’s also a love-hate letter to this paradoxical place, nudged between a bay and an ocean, where hearts have been left, lost, and also found.

Want to join us on our journey? As a Filmmakers Collaborative project, we are now accepting tax-deductible donations to support our film festival application fees, marketing materials, and more.

The Cast of Eat Surf Love

  • Laura Yumi Snell

    Laura Yumi Snell, "Celia"

    Laura Yumi Snell is a Japanese-American actress, pianist, singer, and co-founder of Soho Shakespeare Company. Her works include Avenue Q (international tour), Richard III (SoHo Shakes), and the films Carsick, Quarantine Horror Story, and Keiko's Hands.

  • Tyler Ritter

    Tyler Ritter, "Dave"

    Tyler Ritter was born in Los Angeles and after spending seven years abroad decided to move back to the (sometimes) sunny state. Notable TV credits include “The McCarthy's,” "Arrow," “Merry Happy Whatever,” “NCIS,” "Homecoming” and “Painkiller.”

  • Molly Wood

    Molly Wood, "Maya"

    Molly Wood is a longtime journalist and podcaster. She is the founder of Molly Wood Media, where she writes and podcasts about solutions to the climate crisis, advises companies on their climate messaging, and invests in climate tech companies. Eat Surf Love is her first film.

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  • Nada Djordjevich

    Writer and Director Nada Djordjevich is from the Bay Area, and has fond memories of surfing small waves in Bolinas. She has degrees from Harvard and Berkeley and taught writing at City College of San Francisco. Her award-winning animated short, California Pie, screened at festivals across the country. Eat Surf Love is her first live-action film.

  • Mayra Padilla

    Producer & First Assistant Camera, Mayra Padilla is a creative entrepreneur and marketing and communications professional, with proven results in brand management, program development, social marketing, and event planning. A multilingual writer and storyteller, she is interested in the expressive arts - photography, writing, and poetry. "To Sandy, from Sri Lanka “ was her first film.

  • Vera Djordjevich

    Producer Vera Djordjevich has worked in media companies for many years in roles including writer, editor, and research director. She has received recognition for both her flash fiction and short screenplays. A former attorney, she has a law degree from NYU and an undergraduate degree from Stanford University.

  • Natasha Chee

    Script Supervisor and HMU Team member, Natasha Chee is an entertainment and IP attorney and filmmaker. She is an alum of the UCLA Theater Film and Television Professional Program in Producing, Stowe Story Labs, Santa Clara University School of Law, and UCLA. Description goes here

  • Amy Harrison

    First AD Amy Harrison is a producer, director, and filmmaker, based in San Francisco. Amy’s films have screened in major festivals including Slamdance, Ann Arbor, and Leipzig. She has taught filmmaking for more than 15 years.

  • Edmundo Torres

    Sound designer and second unit camera Edmundo Torres has more than ten years of experience as a sound designer, editor, writer, and director. He has a degree in film arts from Departamento de Imagen y Sonido, Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Originally from Mexico, he now resides in San Francisco California.Description goes here

  • Julie Lipson

    Creative Producer Julie Lipson is a WGA writer and filmmaker. Her writing credits include Trap (a 2022 Blacklist script); the Netflix thriller Rust Creek (2018); and the audio play For Love or Music. She wrote, produced, and directed the short film “The River” (2018).Description goes here

  • "It's a story of connections; the ones we have with ourselves, with each other; and with the places we inhabit. Making this film helped me rediscover what I love about San Francisco." Mayra Padilla

  • "I loved making Eat Surf Love. It's a film about people, place, understanding yourself, vulnerability, hope, and the human connection we all crave. It's beautiful and I feel lucky to be a part of it." Molly Wood

  • "San Francisco has been through so many challenges. In this film, we were able to capture the city's resiliency and beauty." Amy Harrison

  • "In a time in which we have so many conditions and messages that separate us, this project brings messages of hope, humor, and human connection." Takashi Nikaidoh

  • "Eat Surf Love is a fun, fresh, and romantic take on finding love in San Francisco." Natasha Chee

  • "This project really shines a light on the complexities, the awkwardness, and the fun that you may have by putting yourself out there and accepting someone else who is doing the same." Tyler Ritter

  • We are grateful for these location providers:

    City and County of San Francisco
    Manny’s Cafe in the Mission District, San Francsico
    Nook in Russian Hill, San Francisco
    Live Oak Studio in Berkeley, California

  • This film was made possible with support from: Rosaria Alfonso, Christopher Barranti, Rodylyn Dacanay, Kristine Dixon, Alexander Djordjevich, Ana Djordjevich, Dusan Djordjevich, Takashi Nikaidoh, Carol Rabin, Michele Rabin, Kay Von Tress, Lisa Wade, Valerie Westcott, Mariette Wharton, and Molly Wood, and many more.

    Please see our film credits and supporter pages for more information.

  • We are an independently produced film, with a SAG-AFTRA micro budget project agreement.