Who is Nickolas Bird?
I am an independent filmmaker in Melbourne.
What would you do differently to what you do now?
I should have made my narrative feature by now, and I am kicking myself because it hasn’t happened yet.
Who inspires you and why?
Bob Connolly – the documentary filmmaker. I love how he creates story without over the top exposition and finds the drama in simple situations. He’s one of the most amazing documentary filmmakers in the world.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I would stop animal cruelty. I know it sounds clichéd but that’s what I would do.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
The Island of Lipari in Italy. If heaven is on earth, that’s the place!
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take then to, and why?
My local café in Templestowe. They do excellent coffee. If they want to do tourist stuff they can do it on their own.
What are you currently reading?
Holding The Man by Timothy Conigrave. I’ve read it before but it’s really interesting to re-read it after the narrative feature has been made.
What are you currently listening to?
I am enjoying Simple Minds at the moment. Call me a victim of 80’s new wave music.
Happiness is?
Watching one of my films in the cinema, where the print looks great and the sound isn’t blasting out of cheap speakers and experiencing the audience laughing and crying in the spots I wanted them to.
What does the future hold for you?
We are developing a couple of new feature docs and a narrative feature at the moment.
Nickolas has co-directed / produced with Eleanor Sharpe, Remembering the Man – a feature length documentary based on the lives of Timothy Conigrave and John Caleo. Winner of the Audience Choice Award at the 2015 Adelaide Film Festival, and Best Documentary (Biography) at the 2015 ATOM Awards, Remembering the Man will screen at the Mardi Gras Film Festival and Melbourne Queer Film Festival, before screening at Melbourne’s Cinema Nova. For more information, visit: www.rememberingtheman.com.au for details.
Image: Nickolas Bird (supplied)