NOCELLE | THE FILM:
In collaboration with New York based UK director Austin Charles Williams - I’m pleased to announce that the music video for Nocelle is now in production. Filmed primarily at the infamous Hotel Chelsea in New York City in 2025, it tells a story that goes deeper than how the song was conceived, threading together storied locations and pivotal artists across more than half a century.
Nocelle was a magical town discovered during my writing phase in 2022, with my favourite works stemming from that cliff-side terrace. In an unforeseen turn of events in 2025, I found myself at Hotel Chelsea (famous for resident artists including Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen, and Andy Warhol) in a 2am conversation with a current resident/friend, leading not only to the filming of the aforementioned performance, but to the discovery of a thread I’ve since been following.
“Look up at the ceiling” he said. The whole room, painted by Vali Myers (artist and social connector to Salvador Dalí, Django Reinhardt, and Patti Smith). Vali turned out to be from the same town as me in Australia, and her husband, Italian poet Gianni Menichetti was said to still be alive, living as a recluse in the cliffs behind Positano - the very cliffs I had been writing this music in. I felt called to meet him.
So immediately following the tour in June last year, I flew to Rome, gathered my information, took a train to Naples, then a Vespa along the winding Amalfi Coast cliff-side road to my old home in the cliffs. Upon arrival, I enquired with my friends in the town as to the existence of Gianni - they knew of him, but nobody knew how to find him.
Two hours of hiking, shirtless in the sun, through the valley of waterfalls, eels, butterflies and an unmistakable spiritual presence, I found the famed walled compound. Gianni appeared among the barking of his dogs, looked in my eyes through his tattooed eyelids, and said, “you’re meant to be here”.
I left that trip with Gianni’s words tattooed in Latin on my hands, and a sense that this is still only the beginning of the story. If you’re interested in seeing this unfold, first in film format followed up with a performance at Hotel Chelsea in this room on my next USA tour, please consider becoming a patron of this work. I'll include your name in the film credits and keep you updated as production continues.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:
Austin Charles Williams, born in Texas, USA and raised in Birmingham, UK, is a Writer/Director with a passion for storytelling through moving images. He studied Graphic Media Design at the London College of Communication, specialising in Moving Image, which laid the foundation for his cinematic journey.
Williams' short films have gained international recognition, having been curated and premiered on NOWNESS and screened at prestigious festivals including Vienna Shorts, Filmfest Dresden, and the Puerto Rico Film Festival. His artistic approach, combining visual intensity with deep personal narratives, has set him apart as a rising voice in independent cinema.
Williams’ is currently in development with two feature films Howling at the Moon and The Bullring both exploring characters from Birmingham, England.
In addition to his success in the independent film scene, Williams’ has built a strong portfolio in commercial work, collaborating with notable brands such as Carhartt WIP, Apotheke, Ergatta, and Ophelia.
$1000 of $2500 Currently Funded by Chad & Ashley Wiggs. Target final funding by 13 May 2026.