Aliscia Young and Richard Sidey are proud to contribute their images in the beautiful new book Wai Pasifika, by renowned environmental writer David Young. The book features over 75 of their images, including several full page spreads.
Science can be as wondrous as the explanations that come out of earth-rooted cultures. Polynesians, like the inhabitants of Oceania generally, have always lived in a state of heightened awareness of the profundity and subtlety of nature’s moods and interrelationships. Theirs was a holistic view of the world and their place in it. In this beautifully written and stunningly illustrated book, David Young focuses on the increasingly endangered resource of freshwater, and what so-called developed societies can learn from the indigenous voices of the Pacific.
Wai Pasifika is available at all good book stores.
IN THE THEATRE OF THE GOGS IS AN ODE TO OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY. THE FILM BRINGS TOGETHER AN ADVENTURE FILM-MAKER, RICHARD SIDEY, AND A LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER, CHRISTOPHER DAVID THOMPSON, TO DOCUMENT WHAT IT TAKES TO CAPTURE IMAGES OF THE REMOTE AND WILD PLACES OF AOTEAROA.
The making of this documentary, filmed in and around Rakiura / Stewart Island, mostly involved frozen fingers, slogging up massive hills, wind, and outrageous beauty. Here, Richard revisits Christopher’s dialogue from the film to share the process, moment by moment, place by place, line by line.
The as-yet unanswered questions; What have we gotten ourselves into? Are we ready for this? Can we do this? What have we forgotten, what have we left behind? Oh man, what have we gotten ourselves into?
A rainbow flickers intermittently through the squalls that tear up the surface. Our sea kayaks, lashed to the deck with a multitude of weathered straps, ropes and granny knots, levitate for a full three seconds when a gust reaches its crescendo. We shout at each other, but our voices wash overboard and depart with the wind. This is wild in every sense of the word, and in a few minutes we’re to be dispatched into the thick of it.
“E.O.F.T. is celebrating 20 years of outdoor sport and adventure films, bringing a new generation of adventurers to the big screen. This year’s program takes you to the Amazon, on a bike tour around the world, and to the icy heights of the Swiss Alps. Starting in October, the European Outdoor Film Tour will once again deliver what we’ve all been missing—real adventures, inspiring stories, and travel, the ultimate freedom.”
Spellbound is a poetic take on the extreme sport of Wingsuit BASE, filmed around Wanaka, New Zealand with highly skilled athletes and narrated by wingsuit pilot David Walden. The film has won numerous awards at mountain film festivals around the world and has been described as ‘a film that will make your hands sweat.’
The 5-minute black and white film on Wingsuit BASE also claimed Best Short Film at the China New Media Short Film Festival – Mountain Film Unit in March 2021.
“The questions run deep in this magical ensemble of the spoken word, haunting music and breathtaking footage.“
Here’s what our festival goers had to say:
“Spellbound. Wow, what an incredible experience wingsuit flying must be. These beautifully filmed images make you feel like you’re flying too.”
“Spellbound had a really unique poetic direction. I don’t think I could ever be comfortable with the idea of wingsuit BASE jumping but it was a beautiful presentation and an insight into a person’s experiences of the activity.”
In the Theatre of the Gogs is a contemplation of art and adventure in the southern wilds of New Zealand by both a landscape photographer and an adventure filmmaker. This film is the unexpected result of their two unique perspectives.’
Richard Sidey wins Best Director at International Ocean Film Festival
Aotearoa, New Zealand (20 April 2021) – Richard Sidey has just received the Director’s Award from the International Ocean Film Festival (IOFF) 2021 for his documentary, “Whales in a Changing Ocean.” The film, produced by Conservation International, follows the NGO’s study on the ecology of humpback whales in the Antarctic aboard a PONANT ship.
With perfect weather and curious whales, the expert wildlife filmmaker documented the expedition and captured rare, jaw-dropping footage. In an emotional once-in-a-lifetime experience, the animals were said to ‘mug’ the scientists, blocking the research team’s movement for hours and ironically investigating the researchers’ own presence.
“Over the years documenting Antarctica with my camera, nothing has been more evident than this constant change. It’s not only evident with the changes in ocean temperatures, weather patterns, ice volumes, and wildlife populations. But also in tourism, which has increased tremendously. Another noticeable and increasingly evident change in this period has been the recovery of humpback whales on this peninsula after industrial whales almost wiped them out,” said Richard Sidey in the narration.
Sidey is a New Zealand-based director, is a nature enthusiast and has won numerous awards for his Speechless trilogy, the final chapter “Elementa” having been released last year to critical acclaim.
“Whales in a Changing Ocean” will be shown in San Francisco at the 18th IOFF, an international festival of independent ocean-related films which runs from 15 April to 2 May 2021. Find out more about IOFF.
Even under normal circumstances we all need to mentally get away sometimes. Of course, none of us have been living under anything close to normal for more than a year. So we can really use a little break from the stress of everyday life at the moment. We’ve tried by watching a million movies and TV shows. As well as by reading, playing games, or doing other hobbies a million times. We’ve even tried closing our eyes and visualizing a far away place. But now there’s even easier, more beautiful way to transport somewhere else. Take a journey to the edge of the world by losing yourself in this relaxing ultra high definition two hour ambient video tour of Antarctica.
“Ambient Antarctica” is accurately described as a “visual meditation.” It comes from Richard Sidey. He shot it in 4K with fellow cinematographer Aliscia Young around the Antarctic Peninsula. For two mesmerizing hours they take viewers up, around, and over some of the continents most striking natural features. Using a combination of both aerial and ground-based shots, this dialogue-free nature documentary shows off some of Antarctica’s most gorgeous features with a gentle hand.
Whales in a Changing Ocean follows an international team of whale research scientists from Conservation International as they observe Humpback behaviour and gather information vital to protecting the species.
In 2015, Richard won the Wildlife Award at this same festival for his non-verbal nature film, Speechless: The Polar Realm.
