Today, Paramount+ unveils its first Australian original film in the form of 6 Festivals.
6 Festivals tells the story of three best friends, James (Rory Potter), Summer (Yasmin Honeychurch), and Maxie (Rasmus King), who have a deep bond and love for music. So much so that the trio sneaks into the Central Coast’s Utopia Valley Concert to see their favourite artists, Lime Cordiale, Running Touch, and Peking Duk. Unfortunately, this is when James reveals that he has a brain tumour.
The trio set out on a bucket list quest to go on a whirlwind of festivals in order to see as many of their favourite bands as possible in an attempt to escape reality.
Each of the trio has their own burdens to bear. For James, it’s to be a promoter but maybe not getting the chance; for Summer, it’s to overcome her shyness and follow her dreams of becoming a singer-songwriter, all the while mentored by friend Marley (Guyala Bayles); and for Maxie, it’s dealing with being stuck under the guardianship of his drug-dealing brother Kane (Kyuss King).
The three main leads all shine. Rory brings a balanced performance in a role full of emotion as James struggles with the reality of his situation, Rasmus shines in the battle of Maxie’s conflicts, and Yasmin captivates as Summer.
Filmed at actual festivals, including Big Pineapple Music Festival (Sunshine Coast), Lunar Electric (Gold Coast), CityFest (Sydney), and Yours & Owls (Wollongong), and includes performances from a host of local artists like Peking Duk, Ruby Fields, Bliss n Eso, the Dune Rats, and GFlip just to name a few. Penned by Macario de Souza and Sean Nash, 6 Festivals feels like a love letter to the power of music.
Grab your mates, a pizza and enjoy a coming-of-age story that will make you remember the joy live music can have.
4.5 Stars
6 Festivals screens Thursday on Paramount+.
