Spotlight | Stephen Payton, Nomad Pictures

Arts & Culture

19 Dec

As well as owning Banter Coffee Kicthen, Stephen Payton brings independent and international cinema to local screens through his other business, Nomad Pictures.

Published on 19 December 2019
Photography by Morgan Smith

Local film buffs have long been grateful for Stephen Payton’s taste in cinema. Since he first started screening independent and international films for friends, Stephen has been satiating a local demand for hard-to-access cinema. Now a fully-fledged non-profit, Nomad Pictures hosts a monthly film screening at the beautiful Strand Cinemas, often to completely sold out audiences.

We sat down with the local cinephile to hear about how Nomad came to be, how he spends his weekends, and what’s up next for him.

—

First thing first: why Toowoomba?

It's strange when I think about it, and I think about it nearly all the time. Something that Bob Dylan said some years ago has always resonated with me: "I was born very far from where I'm supposed to be, and so I'm on my way home." ‘Tba’, ‘the woomb,’ ‘up the hill,’ whatever folks here may call it has a warm and nurturing spirit that I feel strongest every time I see the rise at the top of the range, the neatly arranged flowers, the "Welcome to Toowoomba" sign and if you're lucky an early morning mist that could inspire a fantasy novelist. I have grown to love Toowoomba, albeit I cursed it often in my early twenties and most of the time during a topical debate in world-affairs but I do believe it appeals to big-city and country folk in equal measure.

—

How did Nomad Pictures come to be?

In late 2013 above Metro Café & Events (now Ortem) I began showing independent and international films with the lowest of lo-fi equipment on the last Thursday night of each month hoping that some friends and like-minded individuals with an interest in film, the art-form, and storytelling may show up. After several failures, short-term trial locations, some small success and technological headaches (of which I'm still moderately hopeless) I dove into the deep-end and moved to The Strand (Australia's oldest purpose-built cinema) and never looked back.

We have built on our flagship venue at The Strand with hopes to take the program on-the-road in 2020. The decision to re-brand from 'Toowoomba Film Society' to 'Nomad Pictures' came from a place of yearning to show independent and world cinema in regional east-coast Australia without the limitations of location specificity. Nomad Pictures is a not-for-profit passion project and relies solely on the support from regional communities. In 2019, I looked to sponsorship and on-going partners to assist the costs associated with a year's program. Some of those have included: Neilson Eyecare, Hannas, Kajoku Japanese & Korean Cuisine, Common Grounds, and Stone & Wood.

Carefully curating a program that reflects industry trends, audience demands, cultural significance, and above all else indiscriminate of genre is what keeps Nomad Pictures appealing to a wide demographic. That said, I not-so-secretly select films that I just really want to see and people trust me to do that… most of the time. Nearly all film societies and underground clubs require membership fees and exclusivity that frankly, I just don't dig. Nomad Pictures is basically pay-per-view although not in the sense of one's lounge room with a microwavable dinner.

When I program titles into the year I must first do my research, contact distributors for availability, liaise with cinema management and then mark it on the calendar. I try my best to engage audiences on social media with content that doesn't spoil the experience of first time viewing. Our monthly e-newsletter has made event reminders and ticket accessibility so much easier. I shake my head at the excel spreadsheets and ticket-cutting I did for way too long.

—

But you also have a new project…

I also run Banter Coffee Kitchen, a new café concept in Toowoomba inspired by travels in Australia and abroad. We produce the finest coffee offerings with our partners Dukes Coffee Roasters, offer a rotating seasonal menu of light meals inspired by the multicultural background of our staff and community, whilst showcasing the culinary talents and colourful stories from our team and community partners. The business was established in response to a gap I identified in the community to offer meaningful employment opportunities to our local migrant and refugee community. We launched Phase One in September 2019: coffee. Next on the horizon in early 2020 is Phase 2: kitchen. We are excited to offer fresh and easy grab and go meals at reasonable prices in the heart of Toowoomba CBD. Once we have established the kitchen and coffee, we plan to offer comprehensive hospitality training through employment, educational programs and workshops. Community interconnectivity is at the heart of what we hope to provide.

We acknowledge the diverse and complex history of our community, and seek to help foster community connections – we are already partnered with Full Circle Farm to divert our coffee waste from landfill and promote sustainable farming – The Mulberry Project & Peace Toowoomba connecting talented candidates new to the region seeking employment opportunities. We believe that every dollar we spend is a vote for the type of world we want to live in. We will always strive to provide total transparency through open dialogue so that you know every meal, cup of coffee and tasty treat enjoyed at Banter Coffee Kitchen is an investment in your local community.

—

What have you learned about running a business in Toowoomba?

One must find one's clique. Toowoomba is a tight community and you learn that fast in business here. You cannot appeal to everyone, therefore I believe you should not let that dictate the way you operate your business. If love and support are shown for the work you are doing, have the patience and trust the process that the reason you are patroned is that you are already doing the right thing – "Build it and they will come," so to speak. My good friend Henrietta would often say: "Slow is fast and fast is slow." Focus on the fundamentals, don't rush the process, and make damn sure to support those that support you.

What does an average day look like for you?

I begin every day at 5 am with the minimum amount of floor exercise and guy-yoga to wake me up, followed by a glass of fresh lemon juice and filter coffee. I typically open and close the coffee shop 6-7 days a week utilising hours in the space so that I don't bring work home with me. Although I've often been referred to as the "movie guy" I actually don't own a TV (you read that correctly) because if I'm interested in a subject I'll see it on the big screen either locally, by travel, at a film festival or conveniently programmed on Nomad Pictures. I've spent nearly all of my twenties studying at University and those night-time reading habits even now are a labour of love. Music is omnipresent with everything I do. Each day is unique to me, I embrace change constantly, and it's something that I've learned about myself especially as I have grown older. Maybe whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not, that's not mine – cheers Arctic Monkeys.

—