Matt Formston will make special appearances at Avoca Beach Theatre in August to introduce The Blind Sea – a feature-length documentary following his surfing journey as a vision-impaired sportsman.
He is a four-time para surfing world champion, former Paralympic cyclist and world champion and a Guinness World Record holder for the largest wave surfed by a vision-impaired male.
At the age of five, Formston was diagnosed with Macular Dystrophy, a rare eye condition that left him two life-changing things: three per cent vision, and a desire to do what everyone else says can’t be done.
An avid surfer since his childhood, he has achieved para cycling glory and is at the heart of Optus’s diversity, inclusion and sustainability team.
When the opportunity arose to go head-to-head with the world’s biggest and most dangerous waves at Portugal’s infamous Nazaré, he was determined to face his latest obstacle.
The film includes surfing insights from world champions Layne Beachley, Sam Bloom and Joel Parkinson and big wave legends Lucas ‘Chumbo’ Chianca and Dylan Longbottom.
Formston’s parents, wife and children offer an intimate and revealing glance into the mind and motivations of a man for whom being the best is never enough.
Written, directed, and edited by award-winning filmmaker Daniel Fenech, The Blind Sea combines intimate portrait with epic action to produce a film that has to be heard every bit as much as seen.
“To the people who have a disability, I want to show them some of the processes I use to find a way through life’s obstacles,” Formston said.
“And to the people who don’t have a disability, I want to show them that having a disability doesn’t mean accepting a lifetime of limitations.
“If I’ve been able to do the things I have with a disability, then maybe we’re all capable of more than other people would like us to believe.”
The Blind Sea will screen at Avoca Beach Theatre at 6.30pm on Sunday, August 18, and 2pm on Saturday, August 24, followed by a post-screening Q&A session with Formston.
To book tickets visit www.avocabeachtheatre.com.au