Wild Goat Surf Explained

Wild Goat Surf
Director:Caitlyn Sponheimer
Producer:Mike Johnston
Caitlyn Sponheimer
Warren Sulatycky
Starring:Shayelin Martin
Leandro Guedes
Dyllón Burnside
Caitlyn Sponheimer
Brittany Drisdelle
Music:Cayne McKenzie
Cinematography:Joseph Schweers
Editing:Sarah Trudelle
Studio:Studio 104 Entertainment
Runtime:104 minutes
Country:Canada
Language:English

Wild Goat Surf is a 2023 Canadian coming-of-age drama film, directed by Caitlyn Sponheimer.[1] The film stars Shayelin Martin as Rell "Goat" Anderson, a young girl living in a trailer park in Penticton, British Columbia, who aspires to become a surfer like her recently deceased father despite living hundreds of miles from the ocean.[2]

The cast also includes Sponheimer as Goat's mother Jane, Leandro Guedes as Nate, Dyllón Burnside as Jason and Brittany Drisdelle as Erin.

The film entered production in August 2022 in and around Pencticton.[3]

The film premiered at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival.

Critical response

For Exclaim!, Holly Hunt rated the film 8 out of 10, writing that "What begins as a film centred on the pains of youth and everything entwined in that process matures into a film about overcoming bereavement. The script is littered with myriad memorable lines that bounced around my mind long after hearing them...A deeply realistic and poignant portrayal of navigating the loss of someone special, Wild Goat Surf materializes as a meticulously written and captivatingly shot film that resonates long after the credits have finished rolling."[4]

Notes and References

  1. Melanie Goodfellow and Andreas Wiseman, "Caitlyn Sponheimer’s Directorial Debut ‘Wild Goat Surf’ Announces Start Of Shoot, Cast". Deadline Hollywood, August 25, 2022.
  2. Monique Tamminga, "‘Wild Goat Surf’ filming in downtown Penticton". Penticton Western News, September 18, 2022.
  3. Angelica Babiera, "Caitlyn Sponheimer’s Wild Goat Surf starts production in B.C.". Playback, August 29, 2022.
  4. Holly Hunt, "'Wild Goat Surf' Paints a Stunning Portrait of Growing Pains". Exclaim!, June 17, 2024.