Justin Oakey is someone who has been on our radar for a while now. He is the directorial force behind some of the the amazing videos we have featured this year from bands like Ulver, Hexvessel, Hooded Menace, King Dude, and Godstopper. Now he is focusing on a project that is very personal to him, and one that we can already feel his passion for – The World is Burning, a short film set on the gorgeous rocky coasts of Newfoundland, Canada. If any of his past work is something to go by, this film will be stunning in its imagery and its story. He has launched a fundraising campaign for the film, and he is looking to meet a very modest budget to make The World is Burning happen. This is a call to all creative people out there: if you can spare a little to make Justin’s project happen, make sure to head over to his Indiegogo fundraiser page (link above) and donate a little or share the fundraiser page. There are various perks to donating, all of which are detailed on the page. After the jump, check out some info about the project and some promo stills of the Newfoundland setting, plus some of Justin’s work for the aforementioned bands. Below, you can watch the promo video that details The World is Burning project and introduces you to Justin Oakey…
Update: Hexvessel and Svart Records will now be releasing the soundtrack to the film as a limited edition LP and CD/DVD package…congrats Justin!
The World Is Burning, Pitch (IndieGoGo Campaign) from Oak & Arrow on Vimeo.
THE STORY
The World Is Burning is a short narrative film set in Newfoundland, written and to be directed by Justin Oakey. The story focuses on a young man living in Toronto. After learning his grandfather was fatally attacked by coyotes, he returns to rural Newfoundland to be with his family. His return becomes a reunion with a traditional lifestyle he had left behind when, late one night, he finds himself deep in the forest hunting the coyotes.
The film primarily takes place during Newfoundland’s distinct (and excessive) winter season so you can expect snow covered trees, icy waves crashing against the coast and gorgeous depictions of rural life on the island. We will be shooting in Fortune Bay, NL as well as in St. John’s, NL and Toronto, ON.
The story explores the disintegration of the bond between a man and his land. Our main character has a strong connection to his roots and traditions but has left them behind in order to follow what he thinks is the “conventional” path. At its heart, it is an examination of culture and identity.
We believe it will resonate with people around the globe, who feel the ache of being away from home. The story is influenced by my (director, Justin Oakey) personal life and came about when my grandfather was pursued by coyotes on his land, in a very small community on the south coast of Newfoundland.
FUNDRAISING
We’re trying to raise $5,000 – anybody familiar with filmmaking knows this is a modest budget, but we’re confident we can complete the project for this amount. Of course, if we raise more than this figure, we’d be able to make good use of it! If we do not meet our campaign goal, we will try to raise the remaining money in other ways to ensure this project goes ahead.
Fortunately, we have a dedicated crew of people who all want to see this project succeed. As the film is set across two provinces, our small (but efficient) crew will be traveling. A good chunk of the budget is being used to cover travel costs (land and air). The rest of our funds will be used on camera, lighting, and sound equipment (in both provinces) as well as art department costs and having warm food on set.
As many times as you’ve heard it before – any amount donated will help our project succeed. We have some perks listed for those who enjoy gifts as much as they enjoy helping out – some (such as hand-cured pelts) may really intrigue you!
If you choose not to donate, please take a moment and share this page with anybody you think might be interested! Thank you for checking out our campaign!
CREATIVE TEAM
Justin Oakey (writer/director) is an avid outdoorsman born and raised in Newfoundland, and a graduate of Ryerson University’s Film Studies program. In recent years, he’s been directing short narrative work and music videos, including work for internationally acclaimed artists such as the Spellemann-nominated Ulver (Norway) and Emma-nominated Hexvessel (Finland). View his director’s reel here!
Amanda Row (production designer) is a multi-talented Torontonian filmmaker and artist who frequently collaborates with the director, completing nearly a dozen projects together in the past year.
Adam Reynolds (producer), also from Newfoundland, began collaborating with Justin and Amanda earlier this year and has since produced a wide variety of projects.
Hexvessel, I Am The Ritual (Music, 2011) from Burial Offerings on Vimeo.
Godstopper, Everybody Writes Good Songs (Music, 2012) from Burial Offerings on Vimeo.
Borden Webb Brown
December 17, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Sounds awesome. I’ll have to check this out. Off I go to support my fellow Newfoundlander. I was very surprised to see the old pic of beautiful downtown St. John’s (my home town) as the header for this article. Keep up the great work.