Return: A Stunning Visual Piece From A Young Local Filmmaker

Return, a non-verbal short film was written, directed and produced by young Byron Bay filmmaker Jayden Morrison silently delves into the eyes of Australian surfers, backdropped by sweeping sandy coastlines and stretches of clear blue waters.In under five minutes, Morrison captures a vibrant insight into his subjects and the ingrained connection between ocean and surfer, offering slow-motion vivid imagery as they glide effortlessly through curling waves and give into rough waters by diving beneath its surface.Morrison simply summarises the film with the caption “we return to where we feel at home. For us, the ocean is home”.When he was 17, Morrison’s impressive cinematography and raw encapsulation of Australian surf culture took home the award for Best High School Short Film at the 25th International Film Festival, Flickerfest, this year.The wistful and melodic soundtrack gives an experience of nostalgia, wonderment, and beauty, highlighting the theme of the piece that those who experience it, will always return and finishing in a moment of stillness with a written quote “The ocean calls, and we have no choice but to return”.Morrison’s short film doesn’t just take his audience to the waters edge, but to the rumbling heart of the wave, delving under the water in a sensory experience of oneness, thrilling adventure and exploration within the eyes of Australia's young surfers. – Tamara Roxanne