Jimmy Cliff Working On New Film

It seems as if reggae legend Jimmy Cliff is looking to work harder than ever in 2013, with an interview this morning revealing that he has not only already started work on a new record but will also hope to have a new movie in production before the year is out.

Speaking to theMusic.com.au's Dan Condon this morning, for a soon to be published piece, Cliff admitted that acting was his first love but that he had neglected it for so long due to his musical endeavours.

“I have a few movie scripts on the table and hopefully one of them will be going into production next year; I'm involved in the writing as well as the acting,” he said about his plans for 2013.

“Acting was the thing I loved first, it was my first love. I have not really been able to pursue that area since I became a singer. So that is something that I have yet to accomplish to the vision that I have for myself. The vision is to win an Oscar!”

In 1972 Cliff starred in a Jamaican film by the name of The Harder They Come and, while it was met with mixed reviews, its soundtrack – on which Cliff performed six songs – is credited with igniting reggae's popularity in the United States.

In that film he played a reggae singer looking to make his record a hit, before falling into a life of drugs and crime. Cliff admits his latest film project shares a few similarities with The Harder They Come.

“The movie is along the lines of a would-be singer, he's not the same character as from The Harder They Come, but it is music-related, the main character in music-related.”

This year saw Cliff release Rebirth a critically acclaimed record that sees him go back to reggaes roots with some help from Rancid's Tim Armstrong in the production chair. Don't expect next year's record to be very similar, though.

“No, it's a different direction,” he says of his forthcoming album. “I've done Rebirth and the next step should be something different.”

Cliff plays the following dates in Australia next year.

Sunday 10 March - WOMADelaide, Adelaide
Wednesday 20 March - Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns
Sunday 24 March - West Coast Blues N Roots Festival, Perth
Wednesday 27 March - Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Thursday 28 March - Metro Theatre, Sydney
Friday 29 March - Bluesfest, Tyagarah
Sunday 31 March - Deni Blues Fest, Deliniquin