THE OCCASIONAL

A newsletter for colleagues and friends

One benefit of lockdown. Beautiful skies in Kathmandu.

Welcome to my first occasional newsletter.

You are part of a select group of friends, colleagues and people whose work I admire. I hope this occasional newsletter will let you know what I’m up to, and perhaps open up possibilities for collaboration.

After living for most of the last 10-15 years in Washington DC, Nigeria, Indonesia and Nepal I am back in Australia and full of ideas, perspective and energy. I’ll be based in Adelaide until the end of the year at least, and remain open to moving anywhere in Australia or worldwide. Who knows what will happen next?

My long term goal is to tell stories which bring us closer together and to develop film projects which take advantage of my unique experience and connections around the world, particularly in the developing world. To strengthen my creative producing skills and am currently looking for a production company who would be willing to join a Screen Australia Enterprise People Grant application with me.

Some brief info about some of my current projects below. Most are looking for producing partners or producers and I’d love to discuss anytime.

Hope we can meet again soon for laughs and adventures - filmmaking or otherwise.

Love and respect to you all.

Jolyon

PS: It’s easy to unsubscribe below if it’s not for you.
 

Welcome to Paradise, Now go to Hell

A writer can’t be honest with himself but sets out to become famous by telling the truth about everyone else.

I love this project and have optioned on Chas’s book. It’s looking for a producer with some international experience. With its Hawaii & California surfing backdrop I’m sure it will find some support in the US.

I’m currently working with ever thoughtful Kate Stone on the treatment and script and good friend Kingdom of Ludd has just completed some initial artwork.

A hilarious and irreverent cultural essay uncovering the violence and corruption at the heart of surfing.

In the style of The Big Short. Take a look at the treatment.
 

The Staging Post Sequel

The refugee-led education revolution continues.

There are now over 10 refugee-led schools and nearly 2000 refugees getting education in Indonesia. All based on a model pioneered by Muzafar and a small team of refugees in 2013.

Being in South Australia brings Muzafar and I back together and we are working through five years of footage while our star, Farhanaz Salehi, is filming, diary-style, from Cisarua.

Our first film was the 13th biggest documentary at the Australian Box Office and we look forward to building our borderless community and connections further with this sequel. Looking for a producer.
 

Searching For Michael Peterson re-released.

I'm chuffed to see Searching For Michael Peterson re-released 12 years after it was completed, and I love that it continues to resonate with surfers around the world all these years later.

Nick Carroll wrote a great story on it for Coastalwatch and Surfline here.

It's only finished to Standard Definition and MP is still the number one hero of Australian Surfing. I reckon this would be perfect for a remake if anyone wanted to give it a nudge.
 

The Maria Grette Story

A divorced Scandinavian woman is scammed on a dating site, before forgiving her scammer and falling in love with Africa instead.

We have optioned Maria’s life story and this article which Adaobi wrote about her. The article still is one of the most read articles on the BBC website and Maria now runs a charity with other scammed women supporting programs in Africa.

This project has lots of possibilities as a feature film or limited series. We are looking for partnerships.
 

Other L/SAF Projects

Light Sound Art Film is developing a TV surf series - Australian Surfing, Then and Now - with Nick Carroll and I’m halfway through an Antonioni-esque feature script designed to be shot in Coober Pedy before the end of the pandemic. Maybe more in the next newsletter about this.
 

Look at you! Super proud of this work by my friends.

  • The Kingdom of Ludd continues to bring a little punk philosophy to the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Here’s his recent titles for Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky.

  • Babyteeth! Instantly up there with The Boys, The Year My Voice Broke and the great Australian films. Congratulations to all involved and especially friend and sometime collaborator Andy Commis. He’s starting to reach living legend status. Love ya Andy.

  • Already a couple of decades into her living legend status Martha Ansara was the consulting producer on Women of Steel. With so many documentaries screaming their ‘world changing status’ at us, this documentary reminds us that real change happens in a million small moments. Loved the cheeky immigrant women and their broken English!

  • No need to introduce this woman to you but Bonnie Elliott is behind this great diversity project. More female cinematographers? You bet. Especially of they are as great as she is!

  • The son of an old friend of mine, Gabe Gasparinatos is doing some remarkable work. File under ‘One to watch’.

  • Also under one’s the watch. Congratulations to Bella Panggabean. Already one of Indonesia’s best cinematographers, she has received an ACS mentorship with Mandy Walker. Hooray to some more Australian/Indonesian collaboration.

  • And finally, over in Nigeria, Ema Edosio’s series The Governor has been picked up by Netflix. I’m looking forward to seeing more great work from this dynamic young woman.
 

September Film Recommendation.

I caught Les Miserables (the 2020 version) at the movies. Inspiring work by another documentary to drama crossover director. Echoes of Ghost Dog, The Wire, City of God and a lashing of Ken Loachian authenticity! Loved it.
 

Hope you enjoyed the newsletter and that you are all well in this crazy time. Especially my Nepali friends. Hang in there and stay safe. Please stay in touch.

Until the next Occasional.

Jolyon

Light Sound Art Film|lightsoundartfilm.com|jolyonhoff@gmail.com |0476 452 408