Having a deep personal connection to the ocean, I'd been wanting to highlight the global inequality of recognition in women's surfing for some time when I came across the British Council's sub-saharan art fund. I went to Dakar, Senegal and found a group of impressive young women using the sport to create a local community as well as a potential career path. Queen Of The Sea is a short documentary exploring how the ocean can be an empowering space for women to play and connect. Told through the personal story of Déguéne, a 17-year-old surfer, from Dakar, Senegal, she leads us on a journey through the waves of her familial past which is deeply connected to the spirit of the ocean. Her story explores the symbiotic relationship between women, ocean conservation, community, and sport.

Kate graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a First Class Hons in Fine Art and went on to work as Assistant Art Director in film and TV, before moving to London to hone her photographic eye by assisting editorial and portrait photographers. She is particularly drawn to ideas of gender, the female experience and sexuality, Kate’s storytelling is both tender and bold, refusing to shy from the emotionally knotty and sensitive themes at its core. Her latest short film "Queen of the Sea" (submitted here) was recently screened at DOC NYC and at AFRIFF in Lagos