ACCEPTING THE LESS TRAVELLED ROUTE
After 10 years working globally as a freelance photojournalist, Travis Beard first visited Afghanistan in November 2001, where he contracted the so called Afghan Bug. Addicted to Afghan country and culture, he subsequently moved to Kabul permanently in 2006 where he taught at the country’s first media school – AINA.
He went onto co-found a skateboard school – SKATEISTAN, which won an Oscar for best short documentary in 2019. Under Travis’ company Argus he also co-founded a street art school – WALLORDS and the country’s first contemporary music & arts festival – SOUND CENTRAL FESTIVAL 2011 to 2013.
Sound Central was resurrected in 2021, when there was a change in government in Kabul. Now Sound Central works to support, relocate and promote Afghan musicians still in Afghanistan and others who seek asylum.
Travis’ debut feature documentary, ROCKABUL focused on the music scene in Afghanistan told through the perspective of the Afghan band, District Unknown and had its World Premiere at the prestigious Rotterdam International Film Festival 2018. It has since screened at 51 festivals around the world and won multiple awards.
Travis was a camera operator in production of KABUL AT WORK (2013), FRAME BY FRAME (2015) and AFGHAN CYCLES (2017). Travis also contributed with footage used on MOTELY'S LAW (2015), JIRGA (2018), SOFT SKIN (2021).
Travis is currently completing his second feature film THE WATCH OR THE TIME and he has 2 other films in post production focused around subject maters from North Korea and metal bands in the conservative society of South Korea: K-POP KILLERS.
Travis’ Cerebral-Dub-TripHop music project NOTB412 released the debut album ASYMMETRICAL POWER PLAY in 2021 and is available to play on all major platforms.
His instrumental band PPP based in Europe released their album THE LEVANTINE LOST TAPES also in 2021. Travis was a member of WHITE CITY KABUL who released LANDLOCKED in 2014.
Lastly, Travis is currently writing his first book about his motorcycle touring in Afghanistan entitled: THE BULLET IS FASTER THAN THE BIKE.