Wings for an Angler

Incredible 16mm footage of a very young and dapper Lee Wulff first learning to fly a floatplane

Untitled

Last night the finalists in the Blue Ocean Film festival were announced - And we're in there with Itu's Bones!

It was thrill just to make it in, and we thought we'd done pretty well at that.
Then to be voted through to the first round.. and now to progress further and be a finalist - we're blown away (I have the hangover today to prove it)

Jeanie is particurly chuffed as BLUE is about as a big as it gets if you're watery documentary maker.

This year Jean-Michel Coustea will be showing a flim on his father Jacques Cousteau - Jeanie's childhood idol and the inspration that got her into Marine Biology and filmaking.

Filmmaker James Cameron will also be honored with the Award for Lifetime Achievement in Ocean Filmmaking.

About the Blue Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Event
Every two years ocean leaders, filmmakers, photographers, scientists, explorers, entertainment executives – and the general public-- gather in Monterey at BLUE to honor the best in ocean filmmaking, to learn more about the issues facing our oceans, and to collaborate on improving the future of our oceans and humanity. The seven-day event is charged with energy as these diverse groups of people share knowledge and ideas with each other and with the general public.

September 24th-30th, 2012

http://www.blueoceanfilmfestival.org/about.htm

http://www.blueoceanfilmfestival.org/blue_film_festival.htm

The Story behind Itu's Bones

Wonderful review and background story to Itu's Bones by Martin Joergensen from The Global FlyFisher.

As a producer it was great to have the opportunity to tell a little about why and how the film was made.
Martin has some great behind the scenes pictures in the background article - be sure to click on them and check 'em out.

The background story and interview can be found here 

Martins review is here 

And if you'd like to score yourself a copy of Itu's Bones you can find it here

FlyLife.co.nz

Our friend Stefan Florea has been busy with his new fly fishing site http://www.flylife.co.nz/

Stefan is a very talented chap - check out his photography - his recent HDRs are remarkable - stunning stuff!

Over 2,000,000 served!

Sometime last night our YouTube channel ticked over 2 million views and has amassed over 3000 subscibers.

That makes us the most popular fly fising Channel on YouTube - and as far as I can tell, the enitre internet!

Our "Casts that Catch Fish" trailer has almost 200,000 views alone. :-)

 

You can visit the channel and see the various playlist we've set up by heading over here.

Don't forget to subscribe!

http://www.youtube.com/user/Bumcast

 

 

Great Review for Itu's Bones in FlyLife

Brad Harris from FlyLife Publishing sent me this review from FlyLife Magazine yesterday.

Thanks Brad!

If you fly-fish and read magazines or surf the ’net, you’ve probably heard about a New Zealand film called Once in a Blue Moon. It was a landmark fly fishing film released a couple of years ago. It catapulted the genre out of being videos of guys catching fish, into proper ‘films’ about the fly fishing culture, psyche and life. On The Fly, the makers of that seminal film, have now gone a step further with the release of their latest production Itu’s Bones.

The film follows the story of Itu (eetu) Davey, a Cook Islander whose family has netted the lagoon of Aitutaki for generations. With government moves afoot to protect bonefish from netting and to move towards a more sustainable, tourism-based fishery, Itu’s livelihood is under threat. (The background story will be familiar to those who have read the Brett Wolf/Tim Angeli contribution in FlyLife #67, the latest in a series of Cook Islands bonefish stories dating back to Greg Finney’s ‘Blue Lagoon Bonefish’, published in Autumn 2003 (FL#31)). 

Enter Carl McNeil. He embarks on a mission to help Itu become a bonefishing guide. Itu builds a flats boat, complete with poling and casting platforms. Carl uses his experience as a casting instructor (remember he also produced the Casts That Catch Fish DVD) to teach Itu to cast a fly. Together they hit the lagoon, endeavouring to combine Itu’s exceptional fish-spotting skills with Carl’s extensive fly-fishing knowledge to outwit the local bonefish. The end game is to establish an eco-friendly business for Itu and his brothers.

Four tense days without a fish have them all on edge. Itu has invested his whole future in this venture. The fisheries authorities are watching, treating Itu as a test case for the viability of this scheme. The locals are not impressed because they regard bonefish as a delicacy, and have no concept of catch-and-release sport fishing.

The film bares these hardships, showing the realities of blazing a new trail. It’s a refreshing format, much more than just an edit of catch after catch highlights. The pace of the film slows and you really start to feel the pressure that Carl and Itu are under. Just when you think it’s all about to stall, everything changes. 

The cinematography is gorgeous above and below the water, as you would expect from these guys. The story is engaging, the characters interesting (I want Itu’s mum to adopt me), and the conflicts between cultural traditions and sustainable eco-tourism are given sensitive treatment. 

I trust that you’re getting the picture that this is no ordinary fly-fishing film. It is a true documentary of the highest calibre. Throw in some enormous bone-fish, and you have a DVD that’s equally attractive to both non fly fishers and the most hard-core wavers of the rod.

 

Brad Harris

FlyLife Publishing

In office - Tues, Weds, Thurs

Photography :: Website :: Pre-press

 

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