This film may very well be the start of a new era of filmmaking. For years, surf cinema has been broken into two unofficial camps -- the world-class, professionally produced major surf industry release and the local aspiring filmer guy documenting the pros and bros in his own region.

We love each of them. And if there's a film created that we have some kind of personal attachment to, we tend to overlook any little shortcomings. After all, the guy who made the film probably did so on tips from waiting tables or with borrowed gear. But these independent (in every sense of the word) films are starting to catch up to the globally shot productions and big budget releases.

"The Dark Fall" just might signal the dawn of a new era -- a regional film shot in RED ultra-high def that plays as beautifully and professionally as any feature out there. The gap has been closed.

darkfallthemovie.com"The Dark Fall" premieres on July 16th at the House of Blues in A.C.

I'm not going to try to separate my obviously subjective New Jersey slant. I've been offering help and mostly observing all the hurdles Alex Dephillipo has gone through over the past two years in making this film. They have outdone themselves. I happen to know that where the industry fell short (these have been lean years and no one's fronting much money or support for a Jersey surf film) the Atlantic Ocean picked up the slack. This was one of the most active winters the New Jersey coast has ever seen and it's all captured here.

This stars Zach Humphreys, Sam Hammer, Andrew Gesler, Dean Randazzo, Mike Gleason, Clay Pollioni and the rest of the hoodlums in some serious surf at home and abroad. And NJ artists like Jumpship, the Bouncing Souls and even Bruce Springsteen were quick to offer their music for the soundtrack. I got goosebumps.

At one point, they had wanted to get the Boss to do the narration. Then when I sat down to watch the thing, I thought they somehow wrangled a young Nicholas Cage to lend his skills. But it turned out to be Gesler. Very smooth.

The film will premiere to an undoubtedly raucous crowd at the House of Blues in Atlantic City on July 16th. It's at the Tuckerton Seaport on August 5th and the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences on August 6th.