OVER 1300 locals came out in force for the Australian premiere of Drift on Thursday night.
While Aussie favourite Sam Worthington couldn’t make it to the launch, the film’s lead characters, plus cast, crew, extras and other VIPs joined locals as they sat back and watched the movie.
Shot on location in the South West, Drift focuses on the Kelly family as they make a break for freedom during the 1970s, a time when surfing was on the rise, and surf brands were beginning to grow.
The main body of the film was shot over six weeks in locations that included Margaret River, Augusta, Gracetown and Nannup, with the majority of the barrel shots filmed at Margaret River’s Surfers Point.
The first ‘whoop’ from the crowd came about five minutes into the film, when they saw local surfing towns on a retro road sign.
The next crowd-pleasing moment comes as one of the lead characters lands an incredible barrel on a crisp, clear, blue wave.
The cinematography on the wave shots creates a clear blue that is so breathtakingly realistic you could almost dive into the screen.
After escaping her violent husband, Kat Kelly takes her sons Andy (Myles Pollard; Wolverine, McLeod’s Daughters) and Jimmy (Xavier Samuel; Twilight Eclipse, The Loved Ones, A Few Best Men) across the country where they find an idyllic surf town to settle down, where the boys spend their youth in the waves with their new friend Gus (Aaron Glenane; The Black Balloon).
Jimmy becomes a great surfer but is a little lost in life, while older brother Andy begins to get disillusioned with his dead-end timber mill job, and they soon decide to open Kelly Brothers Surf Gear.
Much like how a surfer shreds through a wave, cutting left and right but never slowing the smooth progression down the wave, Drift keeps up the pace throughout the film.
The story progresses through quick scene cuts and short takes that show the twists and turns of the plot and lead the audience further into the story.
Not shying away from the darker aspects of surfing life, Drift lays bare the drug culture and the dealings that can go along with it, plus the financial hardships the brothers face trying to follow their dreams.
The story, sets, and scenery were so meticulously created that it makes you forget it’s a film, and just enjoy the story of Andy and Jimmy Kelly doing what they love – surfing
