Celebrating Creativity: Alex Stedman’s Portrait Haus

At Surfbreak, we love seeing our members take their creativity to new heights, and we’re thrilled to share the success of former member (and forever Surfbreaker) Alex Stedman on her exciting new project, " Portrait Haus ."

Alex’s comedic pilot is a passion project that she wrote, directed, produced, and starred in — a true testament to her drive and talent. She collaborated with her good friend and co-creator, Gia Nevel, a Santa Monica-based Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse who was eager to step into the world of entertainment.Inspired by Alex's quirky experience at a real portraiture studio, "Portrait Haus" blends humor, art, and character-driven storytelling to create a laugh-out-loud look at the absurdities of high-end portraiture.

Now in post-production, Alex has big dreams for this project, including submitting it to major festivals like SXSW, Tribeca, and Sundance. And while she’s poured her heart into this no-budget pilot, she’s crowdfunding to finalize editing, submit to festivals, and hopefully bring "Portrait Haus" to an even larger audience.

Here’s what Alex had to say about how Surfbreak impacted her journey:

"Hawai‘i and Surfbreak had such a big impact on me, creatively and personally. Honestly, I don’t think I’d have pursued this project if it weren’t for the incredible community, support, and friendships I found there."

Hearing stories like Alex’s reminds us of why we do what we do—fostering a supportive, inspiring community where creativity thrives.

We’re so proud of Alex and her team, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for Portrait Haus.