AYA: Awakenings is a feature documentary exploring the the world and visions of ayahuasca shamanism.

Produced and Directed by Timothy Parish and Rak Razam,

ABOVE: A music video teaser for AYA:AWAKENINGS, the new feature documentary produced by Undergrowth in association with Verb Studios and Icaro Press.

Music: “Ever Decreasing Circles” by Tipper.

FILM SYNOPSIS:

Adapted from the cult book ‘Aya: a Shamanic Odyssey’ by Rak Razam, the film blends video, photography and animation to document the booming business of Amazonian shamanism in the 21st century, where Razam quickly finds himself caught up in a culture clash between the old world and the new. Braving a gringo trail of the soul, he uncovers a movement of ‘spiritual tourists’ coming from the West for a direct experience of the multi-dimensional reality shamanism connects one to. Central to this is ayahuasca – the “vine of souls” – a legal South American entheogenic plant medicine that has been used by Amazonian people for millennia to heal physical ailments and to cleanse and purify the spirit, connecting it to the web of life.

In researching the mystery of ayahuasca, Razam undergoes his own shamanic initiation, undergoing numerous tests and trials in the jungle and the psychic landscapes the vine reveals. On the way he encounters a motley crew of characters, from rogue scientists that conduct DMT-brain scans on jungle psychonauts to indigenous and Western shamans that slowly unravel his cultured mind and reveal the magical landscape of the spirit world. The more he drinks this potent jungle medicine the deeper it leads him: from the wet jungle where the ayahuasca vine grows and on into the raging heart of consciousness itself. His journey culminates in the Sacred Valley of the Andes, where secrets of the ancient Incas are revealed to him and the true nature of the global resurgence in shamanism is brought to light.

Through mixing narration directly from the book with video footage, interviews with practicing curanderos, samples of traditional icaros or magic songs, photographs and cutting edge special effects, AYA: Awakenings reproduces the inner landscape of the visionary state in unprecedented detail, invoking the interior journey that ayahuasca creates within those who drink this sacred medicine.

Featuring the artwork of Pablo Amaringo, Andy Debrenardi and more; written by Rak Razam and directed by Tim Parish, video editing by Verb Studios, soundscapes by Lulu Madill and music by Shpongle, Tipper, Darpan, Lula Cruz, and curanderos Norma Panduro, Guillermo Aravelo, Percy Garcia Lozano, Ron Wheelock and Kevin Furnas, this documentary charts the Global Shamanic Resurgence born in the jungles of Peru and reaching out to embrace the world.

http://www.aya-awakenings.com

A visionary rap journey live on the Moon Stage at Eclipse 2012 Festival
(pre-recorded audio added for higher sound quality)

Video by Tim Parish – Verb Studios

musicfromspeakers.com

SPACESHIPS
Music by JSHWA & MATTRIKS
Produced and Directed by Tim Parish, Verb Studios
Assistant Direction by Rachel by the Stream
Editing and Animation by Tim Parish
Mandelbulb animation by Brummbaer

OCEANIA

Melbourne 2007

Oil on canvas with collage

To The Other Side

Music: Yolngu Street Boys

Two young Aboriginal men are chased by their shadows from the beginning of time to the end of history. In between they learn the art of the city, how to move and play with its space.

Winner: Best Music Video – Fist Full of Films 2012

Director and Director of Photography;
Tim Parish (www.verbstudios.com.au)

Assistant Director and Second Camera;
Leigh Bramal

Editor:
Luke Frace Mercado

Video Clip and Music Producer;
Morganics (www.morganics.info)

BBoys;
Andy ‘Static’ Lay and Aaron ‘Projekt’ Lim.

Parkour;
Jayme McManus and Michael Anderson

A note from the producer, Morganics;

I recorded this track in the old Yothu Yindi Studio in Gunyangarra in Arnhem Land, Northern Australia with Derrick Bukulatjpi and Mikey Gurruwiwi. They stomped out a rhythm on the floor and Mikey played yidaki (didgeridoo). As the beat formed I added some serious bass sounds to complement the yidaki, then the fellas kicked a freestyle rhyme in Yolngu Matta talking about Yolngu Culture, hunting and fishing. After I left they flew to Darwin Luke and James from Marngarr to work with Tim Parish and Leigh Bramal to shoot the clip in two days in and around Darwin with some local Bboys and free runners. Shout out to Mulgagidgee (http://www.mulgagidgee.com.au) for taking me up there, Marngarr Resource Centre Aboriginal Corporation (http://marngarr.com.au) for supporting the project. Enjoy, and please pass it onto your friends and family, peace!!

Heart Remains > Joelistics from Verb Studios on Vimeo.

The HEART REMAINS OPEN PROJECT invited people from across Australia to contribute video content in response to the track HEART REMAINS by the hip hop artists Joelistics (ELEFANT TRAKS). The final video is a tapestry of place, culture, people and landscape that paints a portrait of Australia in the 21st Century.

Words and music: Joel Ma (Joelistics)
Produced, Directed and Edited by Timothy Parish – Verb Studios

Footage Contributors:

Cris Broadhurst
Jasper Smith
Grant VK58GR
Gini Lee
Sundry Productions
San-A
Jenny Grinlington
Michael Fletcher
Kym Fielke
Aime Lou

ABC Open Wide Bay
Darcy Travers
Doecke
Barry Schrapel
Norm Ofstead
Injected Ideas
James Russell
Geoff Oliver
Dave Dwyer
Tracey Lundgren
Pierpaolo Baricchio
Sharon Greenaway
Nicky Forster
Stephanie Riddel
Ty Swanson
Bjorn Rust
Mike Riley
Pasramos
Paul Sellen
Alasdair Shurman
AP_OZ
Ashley Perry
Martin Whipp
Documentary Shop
Will Horne
Liam Monkhouse
Tim Parish

Many thanks to:
Will Tinapple
Sam Hussey
Miles Merrill
Anthea Varigos
Bill Wade
Hamish McDonald
Eric Fassbender
Richard Tamplenizza

Creative Commons

In collaboration with Word Travels, Elefant Traks, and YOU – hip hop artist Joelistics is working with Verb Studios is calling out to all fans, artists and filmmakers – or anyone with an HD camera or videophone to contribute their vision of Australia for a national video portrait by uploading their own footage over the months of April 2012.

The HEART REMAINS OPEN PROJECT is an open source video project which invites anyone in Australia to contribute their own vision of the country.‘HEART REMAINS’ is one of the standout tracks from his recently released album VOYAGER. It’s an insightful reflection of the Australian landscape, culture and psyche. Written while on the road, Joelistics has channeled his feelings about his homeland into this epic ode to what he calls “my version of ‘I Love A Sunburnt Country’”. From the ghost to the cities to the stars in the red center it paints a portrait of a thousand faces of Australia. The project will use the track HEART REMAINS from the album VOYAGER as the inspiration for an experiment in social media art collaboration to create a video self-portrait of Australia.

The deadline is the 1st of May -  after which all videos will be cut together by Joelistics and Verb Studios into a final edit that captures a thousand perspectives of Australia. The final video will be launched at a special SLAM TV screening at Wordstorm 2012 – The Festival of Autralasian Literature in Darwin on the 11th of May.

All contributions will be uploaded to a dedicated channel at vimeo.com/groups/heartremainsopen by the 1st of May.

Listen to the track on Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/elefanttraks/joelistics-heart-remains

For more information go to:
http://www.slamtv.org/heartremainsopen

This project is proudly supported by the Charles Darwin University MERGE FESTIVAL and SLAMTV.ORG

The Transitions Film Festival is a visionary film program directed by Timothy Parish (Verbs Studios) and dedicated to showcasing ground-breaking documentaries about our global culture in transition towards a sustainable future.

The festival was launched place as part of the Sustainable Living Festival with the support of the United Nations Association of Australia (Victoria), the City of Melbourne, Red Energy, Hepburn Wind, Prosper Australia and Undergrowth.org.

The program features an inspirational line-up of world-changing documentaries including national and international premiers and culminates with a free state-wide synchronised screening of Yann Arthus-Betrand’s spectacular film ‘Home’.

Screenings included live introductions by international filmmakers and NGO’s as well as an interactive short film forum hosted by the United Nations Association of Australia.

The film program will tour Australia throughout 2012. For more information on upcoming screenings go to:

http://transitionsfilmfestival.com/