The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center will present a free outdoor screening of “Water Brother: The Sid Abbruzzi Story” on Wednesday, Oct. 15, offering Newport residents a chance to view the acclaimed documentary about the city’s legendary surfer on the big screen.
The event runs from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the basketball courts behind the center at 20 Dr. Marcus Wheatland Blvd., with the film beginning promptly at 7 p.m.
The 90-minute documentary, directed by Charles and Daniel Kinnane, tells the story of Abbruzzi, an East Coast surf and skate icon whose influence extends far beyond Newport’s shores. The film explores Abbruzzi’s lifelong passion for surfing and skating, as well as his commitment to protecting these sports’ history and culture.
As Abbruzzi approached the age of 72, the documentary captured the final days of his famous Water Brothers Surf & Skate shop, set to be demolished, and examined the impact of the shop’s closure on both the local community and the broader surf and skate world.
The film premiered at Fort Adams State Park in August 2023 through newportFILM and subsequently sold out multiple screenings at the JPT Film & Event Center.
Blending rare archival footage with contemporary interviews, the documentary traces Abbruzzi’s journey from 1960s Newport to global surf destinations including Santa Cruz, Cocoa Beach, South Africa’s Jeffrey’s Bay and beyond. It features exclusive interviews with skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, renowned artist Shepard Fairey, sports commentator Selema Masekela and surfers Christian Fletcher, Greyson Fletcher, Peter Mel and Balaram Stack, among others.
While currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime and Apple TV, the MLK Community Center screening offers a free opportunity to view the documentary on a large outdoor screen.
The center will provide candy, popcorn and soda. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets.
The event is presented in partnership with Water Bros. and newportFILM and is open to all. The film is rated PG-13, and parental discretion is advised.
