Gold Coast films: Tyson Johnston reveals how he got former Olympian Ian Thorpe on board for debut film Streamline

A Gold Coaster who passed up Olympic swimming dreams more than a decade ago has partnered with former Olympian Ian Thorpe to tell his story.

IN 2006, Tyson Johnston passed up his dream of swimming at the Olympics because he was “burnt out”.

Today, he says he has discovered a new passion – for filmmaking – and is making his debut feature film Streamline.

Streamline is about a 15-year-old swimmer Benjamin “Boy” Lane, played by young actor Levi Miller, whose Australian Olympic team dream is derailed when his father returns home from prison.

Tyson Johnston. Photo: Tim Marsden

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Mr Johnston, 28, admits it is about his own life and struggles in the swimming world.

“I grew up as a competitive swimmer. My flame was out by the time I was 15 and I quit,” he said. “I moved to America and have been there until now.

“I started thinking about swimming again because it’s something that I pushed down and didn’t want to revisit. It was this embarrassing thing I left behind.”

Mr Johnston wrote the script and pitched it to his agents who set him up with Australian producers.

“There hasn’t been a great swimming film yet and I don’t think the sport has been represented in film or TV as well as it can.

Australian actor Levi Miller. Picture: Tim Hunter.

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“That’s the ambition I carry into this. We want to make it a really strong, visceral, primal swimming movie. About the gruelling physiological demands swimming has on teenage athletes.”

Olympic gold medallist Ian Thorpe caught wind of the project and jumped on board.

“(Thorpe) was my idol growing up. He’s the person I wanted to be. I just admired him,” Mr Johnston said.

“There are scenes of Levi Miller’s character staying up late and watching Ian Thorpe race. That’s what I did growing up. To have him on-board is mental.

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Former Olympian Ian Thorpe. Picture: Richard Dobson

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“He’s going to help guide Levi in the right direction and get him in the mindset.”

Streamline is one of three films and an online project backed by Screen Australia as part of a $1.4 million funding boost.

Mr Johnston’s film is also supported by the Screen Queensland and the Gold Coast City Council.

“It feels like I’m in fantasy land,” he said. “I always thought my first film would be me shooting the film myself and with no money or resources. Every swimming club out here is putting forward swimmers.”

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Tyson Johnston is the writer and director of the feature film Streamline. Photo Pic Tim Marsden

Streamline is two weeks into pre-production. Filming will start in November.

“It should line up to release August or October 2020. Which is serendipitously concurrent with the 2020 Olympic Games – right when the sport of swimming is the most popular sport in the world for a couple of months.”