Drift – Directed by Ben Nott, Morgan O’Neill

Release date – May 2nd 2013

Any movie about surfing is going to live or die by it’s cinematography and it’s soundtrack, and this film has both in spades.

It also has a fantastic story, excellent cast, perfect art department, frankly it couldn’t have more going for it and it doesn’t disappoint.

A crystal clear snapshot of regional, coastal Australia in the early 70’s, white, conservative old farts don’t get the young generation and the birth of the  Australian surf culture and the wandering surf lifestyle which is now a mystical ‘dream life’.

Screen Australia gave a green light to the 70’s-set Sam Worthington-led surfing drama, shot in Worthington’s hometown of Perth.

The story follows the Kelly brothers who “escape their brutal past to start a new life in a remote Australian coastal town”. The pair soon battle “suspicious locals, killer waves and ruthless bikers as they struggle to kick-start a business from their greatest passion – surfing,”

Actor turned filmmaker Morgan O’Neill (“The Factory,” “Solo“) directed the $11 million project while Ben Nott (“Tomorrow When the War Began,” “Daybreakers“) served as the director of photography. Tim Duffy and Myles Pollard produced.

Screen’s acting CEO Fiona Cameron called it “the first character-driven action movie set in the surfing world since Kathryn Bigelow‘s Point Break.”