Chris Malloy is an American filmmaker and commercial director from Ojai, now based around Gaviota ranch life in Central California. A former pro big-wave surfer from the Momentum Generation—Surfer magazine cover at Mavericks, Eddie Aikau invite—he moved behind the camera after a career-ending injury in the late 1990s. His debut surf documentary Thicker Than Water (with Jack Johnson and family collaborators) won Surfer Poll Movie of the Year, followed by 180° South, Fisherman’s Son, A Brokedown Melody, Shelter, and Patagonia Provisions’ Unbroken Ground on regenerative agriculture. He spent over a decade in creative-director and leadership roles at Patagonia across design, marketing, and retail. working with Farm League in the US, his commercials include Apple’s Apple at Play x World Surf League, Toyota’s Outlive The Day wilderness film with Saatchi, Jeep Built Free, Corona’s La Playa Awaits multi-set Rio supershoot with GSD&M, plus work for Ford, RAM, Tide, Gerber, UCSF, Lone River, HBO Max (The Climb trailer), Coors, YETI, and KIOTI Tractor (Dirty Work). His spots favor location-driven action-sports, automotive, and docu-style storytelling grounded in real environments, hard work, and respect for nature and local cultures.