Five years in the making, Australian film director Daniel Fenech is ready to unveil his 93-minute masterpiece to South Florida, starting with the second edition of the Key Biscayne Film Festival that begins Thursday and runs through Sunday.
Co-producer of the inspirational and captivating film, "The Blind Sea," which last year emerged as a Top 5 movie at the Aussie box office, Fenech said the "low budget indie (independent) film" also sold out at the Sydney Opera House.
Audiences have been treated to the incredible real-life story of multiple world cycling and surfing paralympic champion Matt Formston, who recorded his spectacular feat of surfing on a 51-foot wave at the notorious big wave break off Nazaré, Portugal.
The artwork for "The Blind Sea."
Formston, now 45, has less than 3 percent central vision after his eyesight diminished from macular dystrophy, which was diagnosed at age 5.
"He uses a white cane every day, but, like on the big wave, he's traveling 45 mph, so his surfboard becomes his cane in the ocean," said Fenech, speaking from his native Sydney, also home to his Brick Studios production company, which completely raised the funds for the movie. "I never saw myself as a documentary filmmaker but it was fun to make and you meet incredible people."
Among the celebrities in the film are 2012 world surfing champion Joel Parkinson from the Gold Coast and Layne Beachley, a seven-time women's champion from New South Wales who, in the film, reconstructs what her vision would be like surfing with Formston's vision.
Fenech explained that whistles are used by the towing jet-skiers, urging Formston to, first, commit to a path, then when to let go of the rope or get out of the path. Cameras also film the surfer from behind to keep the audience immersed in the action, which is accompanied by an amazing soundtrack.
Formston, a father of three, works in the telecommunications business as his "regular" job. Fenech calls him a "blind role model," and wants the public to realize what one can conquer despite limitations.
"It's my first film," Fenech said. "I'm very happy with it. It has done really well. Now, we're ready to show the rest of the world."
Daniel Fenech.
"The Blind Sea" is just one of several documentaries being shown at the Key Biscayne Film Festival, which uses the theme of "Islands and Oceans" for its backdrop.
Isabel Custer, the artistic director, programmer and co-founder of the film festival, said documentaries are interesting to watch.
"I don't know if it's harder to judge, but they're all extremely well told, and based on factual events," she said. "Mostly factual, I'd say," alluding to the creative license by the director, of course.
In the case of the Key Biscayne Film Festival, she said, "We don't discriminate on genres, and fiction and documentary compete with each other (as either short features or those over 60 minutes)."
A whale of a story on film
Another film that Custer expects to be enthralling for attendees is "In the Whale," another work of art based on the real-life story of Michael Packard, who once was literally swallowed by a humpback whale while diving for lobsters off the Cape Cod coast. The 81-minute film was directed by David Abel, a Pulitzer-winning reporter for The Boston Globe.
Packard also will be on hand, answering questions about that terrifying day.
Justin Stoner Miller, the son of Key Biscayne Council member Nancy Stoner, said he usually goes to Cape Cod each Dec. 1 and meets his buddy, Brett, for three or four days when tuna season launches.
"So, one day, we had just finished a freezing cold fishing day, licking our wounds after getting our butts kicked, and in comes an old salt, one of those guys you know who have lived (that) life for years," Miller said.
The artwork for "In the Whale."
Brett relayed the whale story to him, and an incredulous Miller told his 4-year-old son who he had met during his fishing trip, since both had heard of the incredible news story.
Not thinking about that happenstance meeting, a week later his mom sent him information on the film festival. "I'm thinking, sure, it'd be nice, but I've got two kids under 4, and don't have much time ..."
Suddenly, he spots a movie called "In the Whale," and "I'm thinking, no chance, but lo and behold, I'm like 'Oh my God, this is amazing,' and it talks of an old salt of the earth guy as a commercial fisherman.
"I called my buddy, Brett, to tell him of this amazing coincidence, that they are going to show this movie about Michael Packard right in my hometown. I asked him, 'What are the chances he could come down?'"
Celebrities at expanded festival
Deborah Mellen, an accomplished businesswoman, philanthropist and paraplegic from a vehicle accident, will be on hand to show a trailer of her unfinished documentary, "Dreamers."
That film will showcase the Coconut Grove-based 58-foot, "no barrier" all-fiber catamaran, the Impossible Dream, which is entirely wheelchair accessible and has traveled up the coast from Miami to Maine with a completely physically adapted crew.
Mellen teamed with Shake-A-Leg Miami founder Harry Horgan to create the non-profit, Impossible Dream, Inc.
Deborah Mellen on her sailboat.
The film, which will inspire those with physical limitations to improve their independence and quality of life, "hopefully" will be completed by next year's festival, Custer said.
Another film, sure to be a hit, is "Savage Waters," in which an inspired family of modern adventurers follows a 19th century treasure hunter's journal to seek a never-ridden wave in a remote part of the world.
Last year's award-winning films included "Sea of Time," the top feature-length production based on a true story in which a Dutch-French couple that lived on a sailboat loses their son overboard while sailing from the Azores across the Atlantic.
"It was beautifully told, but sad," Custer said. "It was based on the life of my friend, who lost her son."
The short film winner was "Uncle Bully's Surf Skool," in which a surfer teaches homeless kids from Lahaina and Maui how to surf. Ironically, Robert “Bully” Kotter and his wife, Ashley, lost their home in the Hawaii fires of 2023, the same year the film was released.
This year's Key Biscayne Film Festival has been expanded to four days, with "a nice, big screen" in the Island Room at the Community Center and also a much larger screen in Paradise Park, where the event opens on Thursday evening, as well as the venue for Saturday night's events.
"Thirty-six hours was a little bit breathless," Custer said, laughing. But, the debut of the Film Festival went off without a hitch.
The original plan this year was to have the Village Chamber, which is being modified as a portable theater, ready for use, but it will not be ready in time.
Among the celebrities at this year's event will be Miami's own Natalie Martinez, who played the role of Vince Vaughn's girlfriend in the Apple TV series, "Bad Monkey." Also, the filmmakers who produced the movie, "The Green Flash," about the infamous Steinhatchee Seven drug smugglers on Florida's west coast, will be on hand, along with highly respected producer Billy Corben of "Cocaine Cowboys" fame.
"We're in the last home stretch," Custer said.
For details, such as ticket information, click on kbfilmfestival.org and check out other films being shown. Also, see pages 16 and 17 for a full program for this year’s KBFF.
