Archive for the ‘dvds’ Category

I’m delighted that “Kayaking the Aleutians” won “Best Film” at the 2015 German Kayak Film Festival last night. 

About 300 people watched the selection of films, including the world premiere of our Alaskan adventure. Afterwards the organiser, Olaf Obsommer, called me to the stage for a short interview. Next the judges stood up to talk about the films and announce the winner. They were talking in German of course so I couldn’t understand what they were saying. It was only when there was a pause (perhaps when I should have been coming back to the stage) and Olaf beckoned to me that I realised I had won.

It was a fantastic 4 month adventure in such a beautiful part of the world with a tough, funny woman, generous locals, amazing wildlife and more than our fair share of challenges. I knew I had the ingredients of a great film, so I’m glad I didn’t mess it & I’m grateful for all the help from people on the trip, and friends back home who watched the developing film with me and suggested changes.

All DVD orders are now shipping and the downloads are  being downloaded!

The first reviews have all been really positive. Simon Willis said “Quite simply, it is the best yet from Justine Curgenven….  There’s nothing false about the jeopardy here….This film has content.  In bucketfuls” – read his full review here.

Meanwhile, a tour is shaping up nicely for “Kayaking the Aleutians” in America & Canada visiting Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland,  Chicago, Detroit, Kitchener, Rochester (NY), Maine, Connecticut, New York, San Diego, Canoecopia, Jersey Paddler, the U.S Storm Gathering in Trinidad, California & the Bajakayak fest. Click here for more details.

As I write this, I’m taking the rough with the smooth! I’m spending the day in Munich airport after a flight mix up! But on the positive side, they have free wi-fi and I’ve just seen people walking past with a delicious looking ice-cream which I think merits further investigation!

After 101 days of kayaking and a similar number sitting at my desk, I’m excited to release the trailer for ‘Kayaking the Aleutians’.

It was an incredible adventure full of excitement, wildlife, laughter, fear, friendship and wonder. Jon Turk, a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year described the many crossings between unpopulated islands as “the greatest, as yet undone, technical sea kayak expedition in the world”, and adds that  “The film is spectacular, full of high adventure, a touching friendship, and some of the most magnificent scenery on earth” . –

Colin Angus, who has completed a human-powered loop of the globe also gave it the thumbs up.

“Superb filming to go with a superb adventure!  Justine and Sarah are kayaking alone through one of the most challenging and dangerous environments in the world.  It is incredible that not only did they make it, but that they were able to create a high quality documentary without a film crew following along.  Their film not only communicates the hardships and dangers of the expedition, but also conveys the rich backdrop of wildlife and culture in this region.  A definite 5 out of 5 stars.”

You can read more about the film on this page on my website.

The film is released on Valentine’s Day for anyone wishing to treat someone special (which could of course be yourself!). There is a discount on pre-orders so head over to the store to make sure you get your copy as soon as they are off-the-press. The DVDs are being made at the moment but we hope to be able to ship them in time for a 14th February arrival.

Click here if you live in the UK/ Europe / Australasia.

Click here if you live in the US / Canada / South America / Japan.

There will be a High Definition Download available on 14th February.

We will also be selling through outdoor stores so if you prefer to buy from your local store then please encourage them to get some in stock!

I’m going on tour with the film to venues in America, Canada, Germany, Norway & the U.K. You can check the locations here. More are being added and I’m always interested to hear from people with proposals of extra showings!

I hope you enjoy the film!

I’m eternally grateful to Gianfranco Liotta, Ivan Lamas & Yves Thomazeau for translating many thousands of words from “This is the Roll” and “This is the Sea 5” and to Gianfranco for even more hours helping me to creating subtitles for both these DVDs.

I know some Spanish, Italian and French speakers are really grateful for their hours of work so they can understand Cheri & Turner’s instruction, and follow along on some inspiring adventures. However, sales of DVDs to Spanish, French and Italian speaking countries have been disappointing  – in some cases, most notably in Spain, sales have been less than previous DVD without subtitles.

For ‘This is the Sea 5’, I created downloads of all 8 films on the DVD with Spanish, Italian and French subtitles but I’ve only sold a handful of these downloads.

So, unfortunately it’s not economically viable for me to subtitle any future films, including the film of Kayaking the Aleutian islands which will be out on DVD and download in the new year. I’d love the films to be enjoyed by a wider audience, but takes a lot of time, and costs extra money to produce the subtitles.

It’s good to try these things and a shame that there weren’t more sales as a result of all the effort. Maybe we just didn’t get the word out enough to French, Italian and Spanish speakers that “This is the Roll” and “This is the Sea 5” have subtitles, so if you have a friend who speaks any of these languages and who you think would appreciate the films, then maybe you could point them in the right direction. They can even have 15% discount on the downloads using the codes ‘bonjour‘, ‘hola‘ or ‘ciao‘.

To get in the festive spirit, I’m offering a FREE download of one of my first (and still one of my favourite) kayaking adventures. About 12 years ago, Hadas Feldman & I paddled 650km along the Kamchatka peninsula with novice Russian kayaker Alexey Sitnikov. I’ll just say ‘bears, surf and laugher’ and let the film speak for itself. To get your copy, please click here to go to the download store.  Just use the code ‘santa’ for your free download. I’d love to hear feedback if this is your first download, and please share the good cheer with your friends.

“Kamchatka” is one of the films on my first inspirational sea kayaking DVD, “This is the Sea” – you can buy the whole package as a download, or DVD, or you can pick your favourite films as downloads from just 99pence. There are some great deals on DVDs at the moment particularly on “This is the Sea 3”, “This is the Sea 4”, and “This is Canoeing” – simply because I have more of those DVDs than the others. Click here for the US / Canada/ South America store. Click here for the UK/ Europe/ Australasia store.

The December issue of Canoe & Kayak magazine has the story of Sarah and I kayaking 2500km along the Aleutian islands and Alaskan peninsula. Digital subscriptions are available for anyone interested! I’ll be releasing the film of the adventure in early 2015. I’ll definitely be at Canoecopia and plan to add more places in the US/ Canada to show the film in February/ March/ April – if you’re interested in hosting me presenting the film then please get in touch.

In case you’ve forgotten how good they are…. great value Christmas presents – “This is the Sea 3” AND “This is the Sea 4” – £9.99 or $9.95

“This is Canoeing’ is described as the best collection of open canoeing films ever. It’s won 3 awards….. it’s yours for just £9.99 or $9.95

You’ll get big thanks if you give this to a canoeist for Christmas!