The Dalmatians, a local indie folk-rock band comprising (from left) Mansell Laidler, Hayden Kinsman, Naomi Smith, Wil Allen and Jonny Pushkash (DC Bolan). Photo: Golden Thread Photography.
Over the past year, Canberra band The Dalmatians have blitzed the international film festival circuit with the music video for their song Far Away Man.
Originally released on Anzac Day 2022, the moving song is dedicated to the struggles of war veterans and the impact those trials have on their loved ones.
Founding band member Wil Allen travelled to the south of France for the annual Cannes film market (Marche du Film) after being invited to celebrate their recognition in the short-film category.
Born and raised in Papua New Guinea, Wil said he grew up with war materials all around him due to both his grandparents’ participation in World War II.
“I’ve always been interested in the strategy and tragedy of war, but it was the withdrawal from Afghanistan that really touched me,” he said.
“It’s a bit hard to explain as a songwriter. One morning I woke up with this song in my head and it fell out pretty quickly, almost fully formed.”
After a week, Wil said the footage began to come together in his mind. So while Jonny Pushkash (DC Bolan) finished the song, Wil began putting together the video, which he already had experience doing through his work at the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service.
During the video’s production, Wil and the band took the time to ensure the content expressed the reality of veterans’ experiences by speaking with members of their community.
“The music video has been finely crafted. It’s one thing to put some emotional images together and butt it out there, but we spent around 80 per cent of the time ensuring it wouldn’t offend anyone,” Wil said.
Wil said all the meetings at Cannes happened after lunch and a lot of drinking was involved. You also had to have a serious financial plan ready to explain in under five minutes, or there was no hope for your project to get off the ground. Photo: Wil Allen.
The Dalmatians began with Wil and Jonny as a songwriting duo, who, after many years, had built up enough confidence in their material to expand the entourage with keyboard player Hayden Kinsman, percussionist Naomi Smith and bass player Mansell Laidler.
Although music has remained the group’s central goal, their recent foray into video production has garnered more than 50 international film festival awards, including Audience Favourite at the 7th Art Film Awards in Cannes.
Since that ceremony in October, the music video has received an award at the Bridge of Peace Film Festival in Paris, which earnt them an honourable mention at the Marche du Film despite there being no dedicated music video category.
When Wil entered the music video through the online festival submission hub Film Freeway, he never expected the reception that would follow.
“It’s great that I’ve had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity happen twice. Usually it’s very hard to win entry into a film festival and most people just celebrate that,” he said.
“Until you’ve been accepted by those smaller festivals, the more Hollywood ones won’t let you in. It’s very much a ladder you’ve got to climb.”
While at the film industry’s biggest event in the world outside of Hollywood, Wil rubbed shoulders with fellow creatives and offered the band’s services as film composers.
He said the band’s aspiration of making a dystopian rock opera based in Canberra was difficult to pitch in the crowds of popular French actors, directors, supermodels and producers all making their backroom deals at the pink-carpeted event.
“Quite a few very attractive actresses approached me thinking I was somewhat important, but burned me quite quickly when they worked out I wasn’t a movie director or producer,” Wil said.
On top of the filmmaking elite, Wil said, there were diplomats trying to persuade industry attendees to make projects in their countries.
“It was always going to be a reconnaissance exercise, and I was really there to support my friend Eleanor. She runs the Bridge of Peace film festival out of Paris, and it’s centred on a completely anti-war theme.”
Wil dining on “some of the best food I’ve ever had” while trying to keep his cool in front of the elite of global filmmaking. Photo: Wil Allen.
During his time there, Wil also attended the French Riviera Film Festival, where the band’s submission was screened live as a finalist for Best Music Video.
Unfortunately, they did not win, but Wil said the rest of the band couldn’t be more proud or jealous of him for escaping the sub-zero climate back home.
The Dalmatians can be found on Facebook, Instagram, their website and YouTube. You can follow Wil’s return to Cannes through his self-made YouTube series.
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