“Byron remains the most precious spot on the earth for me. It’s utterly unique. I always walk away wanting to stay forever.” Marcel chief creative officer, David Nobay, has turned the love he feels for Byron Bay into a poem.
Goodoil and Taxi director, Justin McMillan, has turned it into a two-minute short film.
And their promotional film, Byron, has been turned into a highlight of The 2017 Byron Bay International Film Festival. The Festival, which started 11 years ago, spans across 10 days at six venues, and features over 175 independent films and attracting filmmakers and film lovers from all over the world.
BBFF festival director, J’aimee Skippon-Volke, commented, “I was familiar with Justin’s work and so welcomed the opportunity to collaborate. It’s such a gorgeous piece, both visually and at the core of its message. We previewed it to a room of long-time locals and a few got just a little bit teary watching it – the heart of Byron I think really resonates with how so many feel about this very special place we call home.”
“I’ve been bringing my family to the area every Christmas for over a decade,” Nobay stated.
“Although I spend a huge amount of my time overseas on jobs, Byron remains the most precious spot on the earth for me. It’s utterly unique. I always walk away wanting to stay forever. There’s something in the light here, regardless of the season that breathes creativity back into me. It’s where I wrote the poem, Byron. It’s where Justin and I stood on Belongil Beach and dreamed up the idea of seeing my words realised through his pictures.”
McMillan added, “Byron is my home. It’s where I built a life for my family.
“It’s where I surf every morning. It’s where I feel most secure personally, yet most inspired creatively. Funnily enough, it was BBFF that brought me to the area six years ago when I was invited up to do a talk about documentary filmmaking after a screening of Storm Surfers. We all fell in love with the Bay that weekend and three months later we moved here…”
Superb cinematography and sharp directorial decisions underline an emotive declaration of love. In all, the shoot took several days and used up every one of McMillan’s local mates and favours.
“The one thing I love about the Bay is that the locals are keen to help out if you’re putting something back into the community – and the film festival is something we’re all proud to host. I’m really happy that Glen Cassey, Dustin Hollick, Steffan Jose and the few other locals around town all pitched in to make this film happen,” McMillan noted.
Byron, which can currently be see on the Byron Bay Film Festival homepage, will be screened at all film festival venues in the lead up to and throughout the festival, that runs October 6 to 15. Nobay and Byron’s filmmakers (see credits below) will also be holding a Q&A and master-class at the festival. Dates and ticketing information to be confirmed.
Credits:
Creative Agency: Marcel Sydney
Poet: David Nobay
Executive producer: Holly Alexander
Production Company: Goodoil
Director: Justin McMillan
Director of photography: Tim Tregoning
Director of water photography: Stefan Jose
Executive producers: Glen Casey
& Sam Long
Producer: Justin McMillan
Production manager: Dustin Hollick
Post production: Heckler
Editor: Andrew Holmes
Head of production: Aborah Buick
Producer: Amy Jarman
Creative director: Garry Jacques
Grade: Greg Constantaras
Design: Kyra Bartley
Sound House: Nylon Studios
Sound: Simon Lister
Composer: Michael Yezerski
Voice: Lee Perry
Client: Byron Bay Film Festival
Festival Director: J’aimee Skippon-Volke
