Peace Wilderness Man, 35min., Australia
Directed by Tim Millard
An Australian war veterans journey from trauma to inner peace in Norways remote Arctic Circle.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

About four or five years ago my wife and I went on a Wim Hof–style expedition in the Snowy Mountains in Australia — a few days in the wilderness doing breathwork and cold exposure. One of the guides was an ex-soldier. He was calm, engaging, but we could maybe tell he was carrying something beneath the surface. We connected with him and really valued his leadership, but we left feeling there was more to his story.
Six months to a year later I saw him posting on social media from the Arctic Circle. That landscape — vast, stripped back, almost empty — felt like the perfect place to explore who he really was. It felt like a blank canvas. I reached out to him about filming something together, and he was open to it. From there, we started planning.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I first reached out to Lex, the subject, in August 2023. Northern Norway was about to head into deep winter and filming in that environment on a small budget without a crew just wasn't realistic. So we waited.
We locked in April 2024, when there was enough daylight to actually work. I spent eight days in Alta filming in temperatures between -4°C and -14°C. It was challenging, but that was part of it. The Arctic landscape I'd imagined — quiet, remote, almost overwhelming in its scale — became the backdrop to his story exactly as I'd hoped.

Post-production wrapped around September/October 2024, so from first contact to final cut, just over a year.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Intimate. Unfiltered.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Honestly, this stage now.
Making the film was the first goal — to create something that held together and genuinely worked. When it started receiving recognition from festivals, that was really validating, and satisfying.

But once it's finished, you're faced with a different challenge: what next? Distribution, strategy, getting it in front of the right audiences — that's a completely different skillset. I'm working completely independently so navigating that side of things has probably been the most challenging part. It's pushed me into unfamiliar territory.

5. There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Development. Pre-Production. Production. Post-Production. Distribution.

What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process?

Production. Every time.

I like being out on location, being active, having to make decisions in the moment. You can plan all you want, but once you're there, you're responding to reality — the weather, the light, the mood, the unexpected. Collaborating under that kind of pressure to get the best possible outcome, that's the part of the whole process I most look forward to.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

Since I was a kid. Star Wars, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark — watching them over and over on VHS. I loved the miniatures, the practical effects, the fact that whole worlds were being built. That's where it started.

7. What film have you seen the most times in your life?

It would be those 80's movies again, Indiana Jones, Jaws, the Star Wars trilogy. I watched those over and over growing up. Beverly Hills Cop, Trading Places, America Werewolf in London..
As you get older it's harder to watch anything that many times, but Goodfellas has had a good crack.

8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film?

I like to collaborate with people who are down to earth, enthusiastic, and generous with their ideas and time.
To work with people who have real experience and reach — who've built something substantial in this industry — would be incredible too and I'd welcome that opportunity.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Really positive. Discovering FilmFreeway actually removed the final hurdle for me in committing to the production. Knowing that festivals around the world were accessible through one platform made the whole process of submitting far less daunting.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Big fan of Indian food. A good curry, plenty of spice, naan on the side — I'm happy.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

This film needs to run its course first, but I'm already working on the next project. The goal is to develop the next one with a clear pathway to distribution or broadcast from the outset, and to collaborate with experienced partners who can help bring it to the widest possible audience.