93 min
9.9
2024
USA
Impassioned surfer Taylor Lane builds a functional surfboard with 10,000 cigarette butts collected from California beaches. The Cigarette Surfboard becomes a platform to learn from professional surfers who are working to protect the ocean, and the symbol of a grassroots campaign to hold Big Tobacco accountable for their toxic, plastic waste. Surfing is the medium, but the message is universal.
Overview
Reviews
maxlandon449 wrote:The Cigarette surfboard is a passionate documentary style film depicting some of the ugly truths of the tobacco industry, butts. Taylor and Ben bring us through a gorgeous cinematic experience leading us all around the world, introducing us to scientists and athletes, but ultimately driving real policy change.
gwenmitch wrote:Such an Inspiration!
I first saw this film at my MiraCosta college late last year! I got to speak to Ben and see two of the boards featured in the film, which was super cool. I was recommended to go to the showing by my Geology teacher at the time and I am so thankful that I did. This film not only educated me on conservation, but inspired me to further my education in environmental sustainability and deepen my overall involvement in the surf community. I can not recommend watching enough, it is a good film made by good people who truly care to spread awareness and keep our oceans clean.
Chris2526 wrote:I had the opportunity to view this impactful documentary in San Francisco (October 2025) and since then we dedicate 2 hours every Saturday for beach clean- up as well as ad hoc ciggy butt refuse collections. This beautifully filmed movie has an important message that needs to be seen worldwide!
jonj7 wrote:This film left me feeling motivated to go out and make changes in the world; so inspiring and incredibly beautiful. The various characters were woven together in a cohesive and thoughtful way, the cinematography was dialed, and the message was powerful. Highly recommended if you're looking for something to entertain and inspire you.
mamagartz wrote:Young or old, surfer or not, you will find the story line, film quality, musical score and urgent messages of this documentary to be uplifting and inspirational, even while focusing on a terrible environmental pollution problem: cigarette butts are the most toxic discarded items in the world. The film is at once exhilarating and calming, educational and empowering. It is just the kick in the pants I needed to take action to benefit the ocean's and our planet’s health. I saw this film at the 2024 Crested Butte, CO film festival and the audience loved it. Treat yourself and watch it!
[email protected] wrote:I found this movie extremely inspirational. Even though I have different interests and concerns than those expressed in the movie, it still motivated me to go out and do something to address those areas of environmental issues in which I am interested. Beyond that,the film was beautifully made, engrossing, there are our many moments of humor and joy, and I loved the incredibly professional and clean editing and the music. I would recommend this to anyone. It will appeal to surfers and non-surfers and to anyone with concerns and passion about how the world is today and how to change it.
margaman wrote:I saw this movie at the Green Film Festival of San Francisco Oct 2024, and it was super inspirating and motivating. For surfers and non-surfers alike, it is a beautiful film and engaging story! Motivated me to spend my mornings picking up trash at my local beach and push for more legislation to curb waste ending up in our watersheds and ocean. Highly recommend watching it!!
hannahescalante wrote:I watched this film during my junior year of college in Charleston on September 25 2025. I've never surfed, but I am an advocate for environmental justice. As someone who is studying to not only protect and save our Earth but also to better the communication between communities for sustainability, this film was so genuinely beautiful and meaningful. Every single second. Culture is what brings us together - and I think learning from each other and listening to one another is what this world needs. This film highlights this idea - the intersection between surfing with the environment that lifestyle relies on. I think anyone who gets the opportunity to watch this should - no matter how old, young, whether you surf or not. Every second I felt their story, and it inspires you to learn how to thread together our relationships with both our community and the environment.
jbrimmeier wrote:My school hosted this film and was impressed with how well it's done. It's entertaining and informative without being preachy. The story of Taylor and the journey of the surfboard is inspiring.
Loved this film. Thoughtful and just look at ecology and beach culture. I would encourage anyone interested to watch!
Dawn380 wrote:I first saw this film almost 2 years ago at the Scottsdale Film Festival here in Arizona. I found it to be informative, engaging, and a call to action in protecting a natural resource, our beaches. You don't have to be a surfer to be caught up in the surfing artistry of this film, but it does have you cheering for the surfboard!
callumsn8 wrote:I loved this film. I was fortunate to see it at a screening at UNCA in Asheville NC. The film was a beautiful combination of a young man's personal story to clean up the beach and make a difference in his community, and an expose on the tobacco industry, combined with glorious footage of beautiful ocean environments. I'm not a surfer, but I felt like I could feel the ease and flow of surfing in this film. The combination of care for community and the wider world, the real activist struggle of making a difference in the world, and the pure joy of sport made this an engaging, uplifting experience.
hmjangar wrote:I saw The Cigarette Surfboard at the Crested Butte Film Festival in August 2024. This film is inspiring, funny, and entertaining. I was honestly surprised that Netflix, Hulu, or another major streaming platform hadn't picked it up immediately. I highly recommend The Cigarette Surfboard to anyone looking for a feel-good film that is both uplifting and enjoyable to watch
milesmunding wrote:The Cigarette Surfboard is one of the best documentaries I have seen. As a surfer, I loved watching world-class surfers ride incredible waves around the world. As an environmental educator, I also appreciated its simple but powerful message: taking ownership of the small actions we can all make to reduce our impact on the ocean.
In a world filled with daunting environmental challenges, it is encouraging to be reminded that meaningful change can come from common-sense legislation and individual responsibility—like making sure cigarette butts end up in the trash instead of our oceans.
Before you watch, ask yourself a few questions: Do you like surfing? Do you enjoy adventure? Do you care about our planet? If you answered yes to any of those, then this is a documentary worth watching.
jessswigs wrote:At a time when doom and gloom stories are all too common, The Cigarette Surfboard is a breath of fresh air. We need films like this that keep communities inspired and hopeful as we build the more beautiful world we all know is possible. I came upon the film at Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City, CA and had the pleasure of meeting the filmmaker as well (plus got a photo with the famous ciggy surfboard!) You can tell when a creator cares deeply about their work and it's a joy as an audience member to experience it.
kluongo wrote:I screened this film for about 50 of my students during our Sustainability Awareness Week, and I have nothing but positive feedback. As a piece of art, this film truly stands on its own, with breathtaking cinematography that highlights the exhilarating nature of surfing and the connection that us humans have with nature. The cinematography and movement of the camera imbue The Cigarette Surfboard with an aesthetic gravitas that signifies that importance of an initiative like Taylor's. We only get to enjoy the beautiful landscapes, vistas, and pristine blue waves in this film because of the efforts of people like Taylor, the emotional core of this story, who makes a call to action feel more like a battle cry.
