#winton film festival

[jcryptid]

So this is going to sound Crazy, but part of why i've been so inactive lately has been because I was lucky enough to have been selected alongside 6 of my friends in Animation to get shipped out to Winton, Australia to spend a 2 weeks making an animated short for their Vision Splendid film festival.

Together, we got to work with locals, film students, Student composers, festival hosts and first nations elders to create a collection of Animated Haikus celebrating this wonderful town, but get to know ourselves and this country in a way we never even would have considered before.

And as if that wasn't enough to make us jump up and down, flapping out hands in joy... guys... We won the Kolperi Award! A first for animation in the entire 11 year history of the festival!

So thank you thank you thank you for everyone who made it possible for me and my friends to experience Winton. It's something i'll be treasuring for the rest of my days.

Voiced by my friend Kiwi and Music by my friends in the Conservatorium (Love, Lisa and Georgia)

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Sir Anthony Hopkins landed a Hollywood film role playing a man who saved the lives of hundreds of children

One Life (2023) ‧ War/Drama. The story of British humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton, who helped save hundreds of Central European children from the Nazis on the eve of World War II. Sir Nicholas Winton saved 669 children, who were mostly Jewish, from Czechoslovakia before World War Two broke out in 1939.

Sir Anthony Hopkins will appear as Sir Nicholas Winton in an upcoming biographical film called One Life.

Sir Anthony Hopkins tells the story of 'hero' Sir Nicholas Winton in One Life. The Welsh acting legend plays a man who saved 669 Jewish children before the Second World War. Nicholas Winton from London was a stockbroker and humanitarian who died at the age of 106 in July 2015.

He was known for organising the rescue of 669 Czech children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia during the nine months before the war broke out in 1939. The story became known to the public in 1988 when it was featured on That’s Life!, the BBC magazine programme. In 2003, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for Services to Humanity for this work.

In the nine months leading up to the outbreak of World War Two, 669 children who were mostly Jewish, were transported from Czechoslovakia to Britain and other countries. This was due to the foresight and work of a small group of people organised by 29-year-old stockbroker Nicholas Winton.

He made sure that those who were displaced found a new home, but he was haunted by the thought of those he was unable to save and as a result, he never spoke of the rescue. Around 50 years later, however, his work came to light when his wife, Grete Winton, found an old scrapbook which detailed everything her husband had done, including the names of the children he had saved.

As the news of his heroism broke out, Sir Nicholas was invited to appear on That's Life!. During the show, presenter Esther Rantzen asked the studio audience if "anyone here tonight owes their life to Nicholas Winton?" and in turn, some members of the audience, who sat next to Nicholas, began to stand.

Sir Nicholas Winton was known as "Britain's Schindler" as he saved hundreds of children from Czechoslovakia in 1939(Image: PA)

The stockbroker was reunited with some of the Jewish children he had saved. He was known as "Britain's Schindler" coined after Oskar Schindler who was a German industrialist who saved thousands of Jews he had employed at his factories during the Holocaust.

The remarkable story is now being turned into a Hollywood film and stars Port Talbot-born actor, Sir Anthony Hopkins, as Sir Nicholas Winton.

On the BBC's programme That's Life! Sir Nicholas Winton was reunited with some of the children he had saved in an emotional reunion (Image: BBC)

One Life, which has been adapted from a 2014 book written by Sir Nicholas's daughter Barbara, entitled If It's Not Impossible. The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton will be a biographical film and will focus on Sir Nicholas and the rescue operation. The film will be premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Sir Anthony Hopkins plays the older version of Sir Nicholas Winton, while Johnny Flynn plays the younger version. The film also stars Helena Bonham Carter, Romola Garai and fellow Welsh actor and Hopkins' The Two Popes co-star, Jonathan Pryce. Directed by James Hawes.

#OneLife #SirAnthonyHopkins #WorldWarTwo #rescueoperation #Jewishchildren #BBC #book #Britain'sSchindler #SirNicholasWinton #reunion #Grete Winton #IfIt'sNotImpossible #knighted #BarbaraWinton #biographicalfilm #programme #EstherRantzen

[dankusner]

The Piano Lesson’ (starring Samuel L. Jackson, Erykah Badu)

Blood is a timeless melody in “The Piano Lesson.”

The film centers around a piano that bears witness to a family’s past through the carvings of their enslaved ancestors.

A brother and sister clash on whether to keep or sell the piano haunted by their lineage.

It is one of ten Netflix play adaptations led by director Malcolm Washington and produced by Denzel Washington.

With horror-like indicators similar to those found in Jordan Peele films, “The Piano Lesson” could gain Oscar recognition.

Oh and bonus:

Erykah Badu will make a musical cameo.

AFF will show the film Oct. 24. Fans can also catch it when it hits theaters on Nov. 8 before streaming on Netflix on Nov. 22.

‘The Room Next Door’ (starring Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton) Julianne Moore and Tilda Winton costar in Pedro Almodovár’s English-language full-length debut.

“The Room Next Door” follows an unexpected reunion between two old friends at a mansion.

One friend is grappling with a terminal diagnosis and is expected to end her life just down the hall from her friend’s room.

It’s quite possible both Moore and Swinton could walk away with Oscar nominations for lead actress.

The film received an 18-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. AFF badge holders can watch the film Oct. 31. It is scheduled to open in theaters Jan. 2025.

[tokyotimes]

This autumn is set to deliver an exciting array of cultural offerings across literature, film, art, and fashion, with themes spanning dystopian futures, family dynamics, mid-life reflections, and political intrigue.

In Imagined Futures, expect thought-provoking narratives with Tim Winton’s Juice and Ali Smith’s Gliff. Wayne McGregor’s ballet MaddAddam, based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian trilogy, envisions life after bio-engineered disaster. On the big screen, Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis and Dreamworks' The Wild Robot tackle futuristic worlds. Meanwhile, designers Rick Owens and Fendi embrace utopian aesthetics in their autumn/winter 2024 collections, while Tate Modern’s Electric Dreams showcases five decades of artists' visions of the future.

Family Matters feature prominently this season, with Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo and Tessa Hadley’s The Party exploring sibling relationships. Netflix’s His Three Daughters and Fatma Aydemir’s Djinns delve into family tensions, while Jean Strouse’s Family Romance explores John Singer Sargent’s family portraits.

Mid-Life Stories offer reflections on ageing with Neneh Cherry’s memoir A Thousand Threads and Gail Crowth’s Dorothy Parker in Hollywood. In fiction, Virginie Despentes’ Dear Dickhead provides an irreverent look at mid-life, while the comedy My Old Ass blends humour with themes of growing older.

As Awards Season approaches, literary giants like Alan Hollinghurst, Richard Powers, and Haruki Murakami release new novels. In film, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II leads the charge, with Alfonso Cuarón’s Disclaimer and Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door following suit. Steve McQueen’s Blitz opens the London Film Festival.

This season also sees a surge in Origin Stories, with biopics like A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, and The Apprentice with Sebastian Stan. HBO's The Penguin and Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King breathe new life into beloved franchises.

On the political front, State of the Nations narratives stand out, with Jonathan Coe’s The Proof of My Innocence and Michel Houellebecq’s Annihilation. Espionage takes center stage with The Day of the Jackal and Conclave, while Netflix’s The Diplomat returns for a second season.

Emerging Rising Stars like actor Adam Pearson and singer Flowerovlove are set to shine across music, fashion, and the arts, ensuring a culturally rich autumn ahead.

[atlfilmcritics-blog]

AFCC member Jonathan writes about the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

[adribosch-fan]

Comienza el Jewish Film Festival en Miami

El encuentro cinematográfico cuenta con 94 largometrajes y 26 cortometrajes, incluidos 10 estrenos mundiales Anthony Hopkins interpreta a Nicholas Winton en el filme One Life, del realizador británico James Hawes; un corredor de la bolsa de valores que ayudó a rescatar cientos de niños a las puertas de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Miami Jewish Film Festival Por JESÚS HERNÁNDEZ MIAMI. – El Miami…

[fordhampr]

MY AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE Pt. VI - QUEENSLAND'S OUTBACK "HOLLYWOOD DOWN UNDER"

MY AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE Pt. VI – QUEENSLAND’S OUTBACK “HOLLYWOOD DOWN UNDER”

Although I travelled around Australia visiting all the big cities and coastal tourist havens, the small country town that really won my heart was WINTON, Queensland.I first became aware of Winton when it was the location for films and tv shows featuring my idol, Aaron Pedersen. The whole point of visiting with my travel companion and fellow Pedersen fan, Suzi, was to visit some of the town…

[tmcastandcrew]

Simon Baker on his directorial debut Breath

Source / Thanks to daisa‏ @dais_sa

Best known for the smooth-talking Patrick Jane in the TV series The Mentalist, Simon Baker was in Calcutta as part of the Australian delegation to showcase his directorial debut Breath at the Kolkata International Film Festival. We caught up with the handsome Australian actor for a chat after watching Breath, while he was on his way to Taj Bengal for a Bengali meal.

You got mobbed by the crowd right after the screening of Breath!

Yes, that was pretty intense (laughs). I couldn’t imagine what it would be like for Shah Rukh Khan or someone.

What are you liking about Calcutta?

You know, what I really like is actually how friendly everyone is… incredibly friendly and there’s such warmth. Everyone is in a very pleasant mood and in a pleasant state of mind. Don’t you think? I think that’s impressive. The other thing that I really love is how proud everyone is of this city. I have just been eating Indian food since I got here. I’m about to go and eat some Bengali food now.

Breath is an adaptation of Australian author Tim Winton’s novel. What excited you about the story that made you choose it as your directorial debut?

I did not immediately think that this was going to be my directorial debut. I knew that I wanted to be involved straight away when I read the book. It was probably the best writing that I have ever read about a relationship with, not only the ocean, but masculinity and the idea of growing up by the ocean in Australia.

You also played the pivotal role of Sando, an avid surfer, in the film. How challenging was it to act and direct at the same time?

Well, I have acted in and directed episodes of TV shows that I’ve worked in. I was familiar with working in front of the camera and behind the camera at the same time. So, it wasn’t so difficult.

Was it difficult for you to don the director’s hat after being an actor for so many years?No, it was good. It was fun. It was exciting and a nice, natural kind of development. It was particularly something that I cared so much about and felt so much for.

Breath is a story about two teenage boys, Pikelet and Loonie. Was it challenging to direct kids?

It took years to find and cast these boys (Samson Coulter and Ben Spence). They are both very good surfers and really great people. As a director, it was really about trying to create an environment for them so that they felt relaxed and comfortable and being able to be those characters. Once they understood that it was a safe and comfortable environment to work in, they had a good time, I think.

The panoramic shots of the ocean were beautiful. Which part of Australia was the film shot in?

It was all shot in the Great Southern region of western Australian, in Albany and Denmark. Not Denmark the Scandinavian country but Denmark, which is a small town in the south-west of Australia. It’s a beautiful place.

You’re an avid surfer. Which other adventure sports or outdoor activities do you like?

I’m getting old, so I don’t try as many adventure sports! It was a big formation of who I am as a person… my relationship with the ocean and surfing.

Now that you’ve donned the director’s hat, which one do you enjoy doing more — directing or acting?

Acting is fun but I think directing is more stimulating and exciting.

Your new film Here and Now just released. It premiered at the Tribeca film festival. How was the response there?

I wasn’t there but I think it was pretty good because they adore Sarah Jessica Parker in New York. She’s a real staple in New York. That was a fun job to shoot.

You play Sarah Jessica Parker’s ex-husband in the movie. Can you talk a bit about the role?

Yes, I play her ex-husband and I have the custody of our child. It’s little bit of a heartbreaking story.

You shot on the streets of New York City, interacting with real people and real surroundings. What was it like?

It’s good. I like it like that. If you ever shot a film in Calcutta, it’d be good to shoot a film that way… where you almost conceal the camera so that you can just get the environment. I’ve been taking a lot of photographs here because it’s so photogenic. There’s just so much for your eye to pick up everywhere you’re looking.

Does that mean that you may shoot a film in Calcutta sometime?

I would love to shoot something here. That kind of a thing is never out of the question. I love that Calcutta is not too modern. It still feels like it has got its own sort of time and space.  

You’ve worked in Hollywood, notably in Devil Wears Prada. For an actor, what’s the main difference between the American and Australian film industry?

The American industry is enormous and fiercely competitive. It’s an industry; it’s largely about making money. The Australian industry is more of a cultural imperative to keep the culture of the country being expressed through the art of cinema and telling stories. I think that’s really important and the evolution of cinematic history is very important. There’s a lot of great young indigenous directors that are telling indigenous stories in Australia that are so exciting and mind-blowing. That would be the new wave in Australian cinema.

We loved your character Patrick Jane in The Mentalist. Will there be a reboot?

I don’t think so. I can’t imagine! No one wants to see an old Patrick Jane.

Apparently, you came up with the costume for Patrick in The Mentalist?

Well, because I just like to engage in the process, I think.

Since you’re so good with it, how would you describe your personal style?

These days? Pretty much whatever is comfortable. That’s what my approach is most of the time. It’s always slightly dishevelled (smiles). I care less and less!

Were there any reference point for playing Patrick Jane?

There were always reference points… that’s just my process of working. The whole idea of the costume and the uniform and all that stuff was based on the American TV series Columbo. There were similarities but things always evolve.

The Mentalist was such a hit. Would you do another TV show if you’re offered one?

I don’t know, maybe. I might do another TV show. I always think about everything. But it’s not a priority for me. I wouldn’t mind doing something that’s maybe like six parts that I direct as well. That’d be fun and challenging. Netflix, Amazon Prime… they are all great platforms. It doesn’t really matter where it is, what matters is what it is.

Which are your favourite Netflix shows?

I’m always on the lookout for something interesting to watch. Most of the time, I watch films. Oh, and I do watch a lot of documentaries!

Nicole Kidman is the godmother to your younger son. You guys are very close friends. How do you look at Nicole as an actress and as a friend?

Oh, she’s very professional as an actress. She’s very committed and devoted to what she does. And as a friend she is very loyal and caring.

Which one is your favourite Nicole Kidman performance?

To Die For by Gus Van Sant in the ’90s.

Which filmmakers inspire you?

I’m very inspired by Martin Scorsese and Phillip Noyce. There are many great Australian directors that have inspired me over the years.

François Truffaut is always a big inspiration for me. Watching his films actually is a major inspiration. I’m a massive fan of Alfred Hitchcock. Oh also, Stanley Kubrick.

Which ones are your favourite Hitchcock films?

I think it’s a tie between Rear Window and North By North West. North By North West is such a spectacle.

Any Indian filmmakers whose work you’ve followed?

Satyajit Ray! His Pather Panchali is a beautiful film, Jalsaghar is an amazing film and Mahanagar was a strong feminist film. For the time, it was pretty amazing. In contemporary Indian cinema, it’s Shekhar Kapur and Mira Nair. But I haven’t watched a lot of Bollywood stuff. I haven’t been exposed to it.

What are the other projects that you are working on?

I have another book that I am working on adapting at the moment in Australia. But I don’t know if that’ll be the next project. There are a couple of other things here and there.

What’s your writing process like?

I like to write long-hand instead of type. I just like to write with a pen. I try to visualise things completely and then come backwards from there. And then it’s just the process of editing. But I try not to limit myself when I first have the idea, so if I write it out poorly that’s okay. Then I just come back and refocus it. I try to stay true to the idea and then try to make the language meet the idea. That’s where my weakness is… in making the language meet the idea.

Which ones are your favourite films of all time?

They are like music, they change. I go through different periods where I really obsess on one filmmaker and I watch all his films. Other times, I’ll obsess on Bob Dylan for six months or obsess on one album for like three weeks. And then I won’t pick it up for four years.

[lucidentia-sb]

'Breath’ a labor of love for ‘Mentalist’ star Simon Baker 

Actor Simon Baker was 7 or 8 years old the first time he saw surfing on television, and thought, “I want to do that.”

The Bakers lived in Sydney, far from any beach, but soon moved to the coast. His parents told young Simon that he could start surfing at 15, but by 10, he was stashing a board at a mate’s house. He would leave the house at dawn, telling his mom and dad that he was off to play cricket. When he got home late in the afternoon, he would frantically hide the bits of sand that he inevitably tracked into the house. By the time his parents caught on to what he was doing, he was entering surf competitions.

It was far too late to order their son to stop doing what he loved.

It is little wonder then that Baker chose Aussie Tim Winton’s 2008 coming-of-age novel “Breath” as his feature directing debut, even co-writing the screenplay with Gerard Lee. The book relates the tale of 13-year-old Pikelet and 14-year-old Loonie, tyro surfers who come under the tutelage of former pro surfer Sando, who leads them into ever deeper, ever more dangerous waters.

“The book is probably the best literary depiction of being in the ocean and having a relationship with the ocean as a surfer that I’ve ever read,” says Baker in conversation at the Toronto International Film Festival, where “Breath” had its world premiere.

Baker plays Sando, casting newcomers Samson Coulter as Pikelet and Ben Spence as Loonie — teenagers who had never acted before, but who began surfing before they were in grade school. Finding the boys was one of Baker’s biggest challenges. Whoever won the roles had to be able to act and surf. He concentrated on finding surfers with potential. He put out a casting call on social media, inviting youths to record themselves surfing and performing a short scene (which filmmakers provided).

With casting director Nikki Barrett vetting the submissions, Baker looked at 250 kids from all around Australia, eventually inviting six to a weekend workshop, from which Coulter and Spence emerged.

“People say, ‘What were you thinking, casting no-actors? That must have been a nightmare,’” Baker says. “It really wasn’t. The learning curve at that age is tremendous if you have the right attitude and you’re willing and not afraid. These guys had that in spades.

“With this story, if you think about the character of Sando and him being a sort of mentor figure for these two young guys, he takes them into this new world. Pretty much, (I’m doing) that as a director, casting these two young guys who had never acted before. It was paralleling life, in a way."

Baker began developing the script for “Breath" in 2010, in the early seasons of his hit CBS TV show “The Mentalist.” The actor relocated to Los Angeles in the late 1990s, finding early fortune with his first film, a small role in “L.A. Confidential.” (He laughs, recalling that he thought he had it made, only to see his next three films not be released.) But after starring in three American series (“The Guardian” and “Smith” were the others) and appearing in such films as “The Devil Wears Prada,” “The Killer Inside Me” and “Margin Call,” he was ready to go home. He boarded a plane for Sydney the day “The Mentalist” wrapped in 2015. He opened his production office for “Breath” the next day.

“People have asked for years what I miss most about Australia,” Baker says. “What I’ve always missed is the environment, all those physical elements that are in this film. Those were the things I really craved when I lived in California. California has its own beauty, but the sights and the smells and the tastes of the air on the coast of Australia is in my DNA.”

That was something Baker sought to capture in “Breath,” along with a realistic experience of surfing. At 48, he’s been surfing for nearly four decades. He recalls the 1991 thriller “Point Break,” and the last scene where Patrick Swayze goes out one last time to meet a monster wave on Australia’s wild coast — only the audience doesn’t see him catch that wave.

“You’ve got to see the character go from the land into the water and be able to be with him in an intimate way in those moments," Baker says, “and then be able to go wide and see the treachery of the environment. I wanted it to feel like a real experience.”

photo source - KCRW on Twitter

[sachkiawaaj]

World reacts to legendary Aussie star’s death Acclaimed Indigenous Australian actor, David Gulpilil has been honoured at the 8th annual Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival in Winton, with his own star on Winton's Walk of Fame.

World reacts to legendary Aussie star’s death Acclaimed Indigenous Australian actor, David Gulpilil has been honoured at the 8th annual Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival in Winton, with his own star on Winton’s Walk of Fame.

Tributes are flowing for legendary Australian actor David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu after confirmation of his death on Monday night. WARNING: This story contains images of an Indigenous Australian who has passed away. Tributes are flowing for legendary Australian actor David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu after confirmation of his death on Monday night. South Australian Premier Steven…

[aristocratslog]

Last Stop For Lost Property from Vicente Cueto on Vimeo.

An intimate look at the New York City subway and the thousands of items and people that get lost in its tunnels.

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2020 / Brooklyn, NY / 12.50 min

- Jury Prize Best Documentary: San Francisco Short Film Festival 2020

- Best Human Story: Better Cities Film Festival 2020

- Jury's Citation Award: Black Maria Film Festival 2021

- Official Selection at Las Cruces FF, Salem FF, Florida FF, Ashland FF, Brooklyn FF, Rooftop FF

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Trailer: vimeo.com/461453605

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Synopsis: What happens when you lose something on the subway in New York? Chances are you’ll run into the wise, gentle, and unofficial ambassador of the Transit Authority, Sonny Drayton. Through his humor and intimate personal knowledge of the subway, Sonny invites us to consider what it means to lose and be lost underground, often the last stop for those who’ve fallen through the social safety net and have nowhere else to go. “Last Stop for Lost Property” questions how we value the artifacts of our lives: big and small, cherished and dismissed, tangible and existential.

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NARRATOR: Sonny Drayton DIRECTOR: Vicente Cueto ART DIRECTOR: Rachel Winton CINEMATOGRAPHY: Emma Yi SOUND DESIGNER: Elyse Blennerhassett EDITOR: Benjamin Stillerman PRODUCER: Emily Packer

Made as a part of UnionDocs' Collaborative Studio Fellowship.

[artwalktv]

An intimate look at the New York City subway and the thousands of items and people that get lost in its tunnels. ---- 2020 / Brooklyn, NY / 12.50 min - Jury Prize Best Documentary: San Francisco Short Film Festival 2020 - Best Human Story: Better Cities Film Festival 2020 - Jury's Citation Award: Black Maria Film Festival 2021 - Official Selection at Las Cruces FF, Salem FF, Florida FF, Ashland FF, Brooklyn FF, Rooftop FF ---- Trailer: https://bit.ly/3oWiYcs ---- Synopsis: What happens when you lose something on the subway in New York? Chances are you’ll run into the wise, gentle, and unofficial ambassador of the Transit Authority, Sonny Drayton. Through his humor and intimate personal knowledge of the subway, Sonny invites us to consider what it means to lose and be lost underground, often the last stop for those who’ve fallen through the social safety net and have nowhere else to go. “Last Stop for Lost Property” questions how we value the artifacts of our lives: big and small, cherished and dismissed, tangible and existential. ---- NARRATOR: Sonny Drayton DIRECTOR: Vicente Cueto ART DIRECTOR: Rachel Winton CINEMATOGRAPHY: Emma Yi SOUND DESIGNER: Elyse Blennerhassett EDITOR: Benjamin Stillerman PRODUCER: Emily Packer Made as a part of UnionDocs' Collaborative Studio Fellowship.

[caravaninglife]

Winton turns on yet another stunning sunset. This week is the Winton Film Festival with movies being shown in the 100 year old outdoor picture theatre #sunsets #australiapassion #loveaustralia #goldenoutback #outbackqueensland #exploringoz #travelingaustralia  #roadtripaustralia #biglap #travellingaustralia #australia_oz #wanderaustralia   #seeaustralia #visitqueensland #seequeensland  #queenslandaustralia #thisisqueensland #lappingoz  #exploreaustralia  #queenslandaustralia🇦🇺  #exploreoz  #exploroz #explorequeensland  #travelaus  #australianroadtrip #lappingoz  #lappingaustralia   #australianoutback  #seeqld #freecamping #aussiephotos (at Winton, Queensland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFbsT_snYXo/?igshid=2w4hv2m1pl32

[tmcastandcrew]

Hollywood star Simon Baker said he had no acting ambitions at first

April 28, 2018

Thank you  @YohkoTheHunter

Huge Interview ahead >>

He was working as a pool attendant at the newly opened Sanctuary Cove resort. Any spare time, any spare thought, was spent chasing waves on the Gold Coast, and crashing with his surfie mates at their fibro shack which backed on to the beach at Surfers Paradise. It was the twilight of the 1980s and Simon Baker, a carefree school graduate, had no idea, and no real cares, about what lay ahead.

“No, no, no, I didn’t have any acting dreams,” the now 48-year-old father-of-three insists when U on Sunday sits down with him at the plush QT Hotel in Surfers Paradise for a chat about his latest film, Breath, based on Tim Winton’s novel.

It’s about 30 years since Baker lived here. In the interim, his ruggedly handsome face, sharp blue eyes and self-deprecating smile have taken him all the way to Hollywood Boulevard, where he has his own star on the sidewalk; and seen him receive critical acclaim, and an adoring fan base for his movie roles (Red Planet,The Devil Wears Prada and Margin Call) and television gigs (The Guardian, and his most famous role as maverick police consultant Patrick Jane on The Mentalist).

Not surprisingly, this same natural charm led to Baker’s first acting opportunity which came by accident rather than by design. And it happened in Brisbane.

“We were going camping,” he says, setting up the story of how he and a mate were driving up from the Coast when his friend said they had to make a slight detour into Brisbane because he had an audition for a TV ad.

“My friend told me I could wait in the car or come in and hang out; so I came into the waiting room and the casting woman came in with a clipboard and said to me ‘Have you signed in’ and I said: ‘Oh no, I’m just here with a friend’, and she said, ‘why don’t you sign in and go in’.

“I had never done drama or improvisation before. I was used to knocking around with my mates – a bit of jive talk on the beach, on the streets, that’s all,’’ he laughs.

Needless to say he got the gig. Two years later he landed a job on the Australian TV soapie E Street (“I wasn’t trying for it,’’ he again insists) playing fresh-faced Constable Sam Farrell. It was on that series that he met his future wife, Gold Coast-raised actor Rebecca Rigg.

Baker apologises in advance for eating during our chat. His mop of boyish golden-curled hair and grey flecked-stubble is lit with a wide grin, and deep laugh before he proceeds to wolf down a salad wrap and some fruit pieces. He is refuelling after making the most of a rare break from promotional duties at last week’s Queensland premiere of Breath at the Gold Coast Film Festival, to catch up for “a quick paddle with the boys’’.

The boys are Samson Coulter and Ben Spence who play the lead roles of Pikelet, 13, and Loonie, 14, in the film. Baker co-wrote, co-produced and co-stars in Breath which is also his directorial debut.

As a father of two teenage boys himself, Baker has developed a strong bond with his young proteges with Coulter from Sydney and Spence from Western Australia.

Baker’s own family are never far from his mind, and, at an exclusive U on Sundayphoto shoot earlier at Burleigh Heads, he was keen to capture a shot of the stunning beach scene to show his tribe at home. He celebrates 20 years of marriage this year to Rigg and the couple has three children, Stella Breeze, 24, Claude Blue, 19, and Harry Friday, 16.

He says all of his children go for a “paddle now and then’’ but it is his youngest Harry, who has inherited his father’s passion for surfing.

“It’s a great joy in seeing him (Harry) surf and catch waves,’’ he explains. “I like seeing him gain trust and physical confidence in himself; to trust his wits in certain situations, because that is what a lot of what surfing teaches you.’’

Baker explains he tries to find the right balance between encouraging Harry and ensuring he doesn’t pressure his son to tackle challenging waves he is not yet ready for, because “you can’t push them into those things’’. He says it is important that Harry develops his surfing skills at his own pace.

This caring fatherly approach is the opposite pathway taken by his character “Sando’’ in the coming of age film Breath. The adrenaline-junkie Sando is former world professional surfing star Bill Sanderson who becomes like a “guru’’ to his “wide-eyed disciples’’ Bruce “Pikelet” Pike and best friend Ivan “Loonie” Loon.

Pikelet and Loonie, under the tutelage of Sando, learn to surf increasingly bigger and more dangerous monster waves as Sando conditions their minds and bodies to pursue the extraordinary. Pikelet’s parents, played by Richard Roxburgh and Rachael Blake, remain oblivious to their son’s adventures, as Sando lures, even bullies, them on his increasingly perilous missions.

Roxburgh says Baker is a natural director, and an excellent mentor to the young novice actors.

“I was attracted to working with Simon because I’ve always thought he was a lovely bloke, a terrific actor, and I thought he would work really well with the young actors,’’ he says.

Roxburgh says his role as the staid and reserved father becomes a counterpoint to Baker’s risk-taking and larger-than-life Sando.

“My character is part of the domestic backdrop, I’m often at the garden shed, being very kindly and terribly worried about my son’s wellbeing. I know something is wrong, but I cannot identify it,’’ Roxburgh says.

When Sando and Loonie go overseas on a big-wave excursion, an unsettled Pikelet starts spending unhealthy periods of time alone with Sando’s headstrong wife Eva (Elizabeth Debecki), who carries a permanent knee injury from competitive aerial skiing.

“The film is about the anguish of parenting, of being a parent and watching your son moving and shifting away, being pulled away from you in this strong current and the terrible fear that goes with that,’’ Roxburgh says.

It took Sydney-based Baker a year to cast the two leading actors after a social media call-out to competent surfers netted thousands of entries from around the country including many from Queensland’s Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

Baker, who did much of his own surfing, is surprised that Winton envisaged him as Sando for the film version of his 2009 Miles Franklin Award winner and much-loved bestseller.

“I suppose I don’t know too many actors who surf, there’s a few that have a paddle,’’ Baker says. “I’m at that point, where it is sort of getting sad, because my body is not keeping up with what my heart and mind want to do, sometimes it’s humiliating and sometimes it’s exhilarating.’’

When producing partner Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad) gave Baker the novel to read in 2015 he was immediately smitten and secretly harboured dreams to direct a film adaptation. Baker has directed several episodes of his television shows, including The Mentalist, over the years.

“We started meeting with a few different directors and started developing the script and at one point Mark turned around and literally said ‘has it occurred to you, that you should direct this film’ and I said ‘Yes’,’’ Baker says.

He did have doubts and he worried about time constraints, but then his seven-year contract on The Mentalist ended.

He has devoted several years to bringing the film to the screen including extensive scouting of the Western Australia coast, where the novel is set, and finding the perfect locations on the southern coastline at Denmark and Ocean Beach.

Baker enlisted “colourful’’ Brisbane-based screenwriter Gerard Lee (Top of the Lake) to help with the film script.

“I knew I had to reduce it down to certain key thematic moments and hone in on those and the story, I had to let go of the book in a lot of ways,’’ he says.

Tasmanian-born Baker sees some similarities with his own childhood, growing up in Lennox Heads, on the northern NSW coast, and spending plenty of time at the beach with his surfing buddies. The former Ballina High School student admits he was more like the reserved and restrained Pikelet than the confident and thrillseeking Loonie or Sando.

“I grew up riding around with a pushbike with my mates, discovering the ocean and surfing,’’ Baker says. “There are a lot of parallels there with the book but there are obvious parallels with a lot of people who grew up in Australia.’’

Roxburgh agrees: “Tim Winton can really write about water, especially about the nature of water: what it is; what it does for us; and what it is to be with it; and to live with such a passion for it.’’

It was while growing up that Baker first developed a love for going to the movies.

“As a kid I would go to see a movie and I would be instantly transported by the story and characters. You go, ‘oh wow, I would like to do that one day’,’’ he says.

The 1957 American classic Old Yeller, about a young boy and his ill-fated dog, profoundly affected him as a Year 3 student.

“It’s funny because I watched Old Yeller with my kids 10 years ago and they were saying ‘why are you making us watch this?’,’’ he says. “It’s so heartbreaking and powerful. I can track back the emotional impact that cinema has had on me over the years to that point.

“I still get so excited about going to the movies, getting a choc-top, sitting in that dark room and letting a film take me away.’’

Baker grew up as Simon Denny – the name of his stepfather – but changed it to Simon Denny Baker after reuniting with his birth father as an adult. He later dropped the Denny part.

In 1993 he won the Logie for most popular new talent and then appeared in Home and Away (as James Hudson: 1993-1994) and Heartbreak High (as Tom Summers: 1996).

Baker and Rigg – who married in 1998 after five years of living together – decided to try their luck in the US, which became their base for 18 years.

Soon after arriving, he landed a role as troubled gay actor Matt Reynolds in the Oscar-winning LA Confidential (1998) and a couple of years later snared the key role of lawyer Nick Fallin in the television series The Guardian (2001-2004).

But it was his role as the cheeky and sharp-minded former conman Patrick Jane on The Mentalist (2008-15) which saw an astronomic popularity rise, especially among women. It was rumoured he signed a contract that delivered a payment of $US30 million for his role as Jane. Some 17 million watched the final episode of The Mentalist in the US alone.

His rising profile also led to contracts promoting prestigious French perfume house Givenchy as well as Longines watches.

“I take my hat off to Simon, and others, who have moved to America and have achieved over there,’’ Roxburgh says.

For Baker, his focus is not on the past but on the future, and that continues to look bright with the actor recently optioning Winton’s latest novel The Shepherd’s Hut.

“You should read it,’’ suggests Baker, flashing that trademark winning smile once more.