By Erin Free
Australian writer, producer and actor James Ivor is doing the hard yards with his evocative drama Storm Bird, getting the film in front of audiences himself for a series of special screenings.
“I put all my money, plus help from friends and family, into a production company and we just went ahead and shot it in my hometown,” says James Ivor. “We shot in the church I was baptised in, the beach and rivers I grew up swimming in, and even one of the houses I spent many years playing in as a small child.”
For writer, producer and actor James Ivor, Storm Bird is very much a labour of love. Shot in the hothouse environs of Ivor’s home-ground of North Queensland, the promising talent takes the lead role of blue-collar bloke Jack Sprawling, who’s on his way to prison, and is also quietly at odds with his decidedly more rarefied neighbour, Richard Hollingsworth (Anthony Phelan), an acclaimed classical musician. When beautiful young New York writer Carla (Serena Ven Sandalwood) hits town to make preparations for a proposed biography on Richard, Jack becomes involved in their lives into their world. As new relationships are formed, Jack is formed to take stock on his life.
Co-directed with Eryk Lenartowicz, Storm Bird is a quiet revelation of a film. Its characters feel real and their interactions crackle with unmistakable authenticity, while the ragged, tropical beauty of North Queensland provides a stunning backdrop. Cannily and inventively shot on a low budget, Ivor has been taking the film around Australia for a selection of self-distributed event screenings.
How have the screenings been going so far?
“Where we’ve been able to advertise (logistically) we’ve had full houses. It’s a myth that the cinema going audience in Australia is either lovers of genre or arthouse. If people see an interesting story and it’s well advertised, they will go. Just like the theatre or a music concert.”
Had you always intended to write and produce, or did that more grow out of the need/want to create material for yourself as an actor?
“I never wanted to produce but with such a small budget and shooting in my hometown, it actually simplified everything alongside writing and co-directing.”
Is it tough getting the film into cinemas etc? Are you involved with that at the ground level?
“Initially it was but once they knew we had a streaming deal they were willing to watch the film. We’re doing lots of Q&A’s and treating it more like a music tour. So far, we have nineteen cinemas playing it. We’re doing everything from one off Q&A’s to two-week daily runs. Five Star Cinemas and Moving Story Entertainment were the first Cinemas to get behind us, so a big thank you to them.”
Storm Bird just resounds with FNQ atmosphere…can you tell us about your ties to the area?
“I grew up in North Queensland, and there’s a melting pot of cultures, leisure activities and attitudes which are both beautiful and ugly, exotic and historic. It’s brimming with stories and its wild terrain is so visually stunning.”
Can you explain the process of co-directing with Eryk Lenartowicz?
“Eryk and I have been mates for a while, and though we have different tastes, co-directing this was very fun and natural. It worked effortlessly. We both got on the same page very early and trusted each other.”
I found the blue-collar qualities of Jack really refreshing; he’s just not a character that we see very often in Australian cinema. Were you aware of that in the writing, or did he just evolve organically?
“I think because I’ve been a carpenter and worked so much in construction and on farms over the years that I understand those guys pretty well. They’re complex, just like anyone, and I wanted to show that and not a stereotype.”
You really walk that tonal tightrope of comedy and drama with true skill…did you find that difficult?
“That’s such a compliment, thank you. It was a big focus to straddle humour and drama without sliding into sentimentality or farce. I did my best to keep it buoyant and forward moving.”
How did you bring Anthony and Serena onto the film? You’d worked with them before?
“I’d briefly worked with Anthony on a Belvoir production of Strange Interlude in 2012. We got to chatting about North Queensland, as he’s also from there, and came up with the idea of the film. Serena is a friend from way back and we’d done a bunch of traveling together. She’s an incredible musician. I wrote the parts for both Anthony and Serena. They’re not playing themselves at all but the roles are very much inspired by their personalities.”
What was the biggest challenge you encountered with the film?
“Distribution and music licensing were both challenging and took quite a long time because I’d never done it before and was learning on the go. You also don’t have a lot of control of the outcomes but it was a great learning experience for me.”
What’s next for you?
“I have a crime-thriller, also set in North Queensland, and a 24-hour romance set in New York. Whichever finance come first, I’ll do next.”
Storm Bird will screen at Roseville Cinema, Sydney (September 13), Hayden Orpheum, Sydney (September 16) and New Farm, Brisbane (September 7), Sun Theatre Yarraville (September 26), Eclipse Theatre Collingwood (September 27), and Gawler Cinema South Australia (September 10-23). Click here for all ticketing, session and venue details. Click here to read our review.
