06 June 2022
6 FESTIVALS WORLD PREMIERE TAKES STAGE AT THIS YEAR'S SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL
Bonsai Films, Invisible Republic, Hype Republic, HELIUM, Perception Pictures and Superlative Pictures are proud to announce Macario De Souza's new film 6 Festivals, will have its world premiere at the Sydney Film Festival on Friday 10 June at 8:30pm, Event Cinemas George Street.
Shot at leading Australian music festivals and locations in Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT through 2020 and 2021, 6 Festivals follows Maxie, Summer and James who share a deep bond and love for music. James (Rory Potter) is the entrepreneur of the trio, his sights set on a career as a promoter. Summer (Yasmin Honeychurch) has an incredible singing voice. Maxie (Rasmus King, Bosch & Rockit, SFF 2021) is the maestro of mischief. When James receives a devastating diagnosis, the friends — each with burdens to bear — throw themselves into a whirlwind of festivals in an attempt to escape reality. Featuring top Australian acts Dune Rats, G Flip, Bliss n Eso, B Wise, Peking Duk, Ruby Fields, Jerome Farah, Kobie Dee and more — and fantastic footage shot at actual festivals.
6 Festivals will be released in selected cinemas on 11 August 2022 and coming soon to Paramount+.
Director Macario De Souza comments, “I'm honoured and proud to premiere 6 Festivals at the prestigious Sydney Film Festival especially now that we're back to hugging, singing, dancing and collectively feeling something together again in the flesh. This film represents young and diverse Australian voices and celebrates Australian music and I can't wait to unveil it to the world! The journey here has been extremely challenging, but with a committed team behind me, and support from passionate funding partners who shared our vision, we were able to achieve what most thought was impossible.”
6 Festivals is distributed by Bonsai Films, written and directed by Macario De Souza, produced by Michael Wrenn, Shannon Wilson-Mcclinton and Jade Van Der Lei and executive produced by Mark Fennessy.
Producer Michael Wrenn says: “At a time when shooting a film at live events and across state lines and borders might have seemed an impossibility, the support of our state and federal funders, music and release partners made 6 Festivals a reality. This would not have been possible without Screen Australia, Screen Canberra, Screen Queensland, Screen NSW and Gold Coast City Council not to mention Sony Music Australia, Bonsai Films and Paramount+.”
Executive Producer Mark Fennessy adds: “A celebratory and aspirational story about coming of age whilst facing life's greatest adversity, 6 Festivals is the confluence of great music, quality drama and compelling story. It goes to the heart of why I established HELIUM — to help create innovative and authentic content for the big screen and the small.”
Grainne Brunsdon, Head of Content at Screen Australia said, “With Macario De Souza's proven expertise in documentaries, he has been well-positioned to capture this charming story among the high energy settings of real Australian festivals. Bringing to life 6 Festivals in the face of the pandemic is a tremendous feat, and the result is an exciting offering for teens and adults alike with music at its core. I look forward to seeing it engage audiences on the big screen.”
Sophie Harper, Senior Fund Manager of Screen Canberra, said, “6 Festivals shows a very different side of Canberra. The tenacity, energy and creativity poured into making this film come through in every frame and are a testament to the cast and crew, many of them Canberrans, not least, Producer Shannon Wilson-McClinton. Screen Canberra, with the ACT Government, is delighted to have supported 6 Festivals, which really showcases local industry, locations and culture”.
Kylie Munnich, CEO of Screen Queensland said: "Screen Queensland was proud to support 6 Festivals through its production, having filmed at iconic local festivals including Big Pineapple on the Sunshine Coast and Lunar Electric on the Gold Coast. We're excited to see this project come to fruition, showcasing our state's vibrant music scene and how it comes to life onscreen.
David Gordon, Acting Head of Screen NSW said, “Screen NSW is thrilled that 6 Festivals will be premiering at this year's Sydney Film Festival — and that regional NSW audiences will also have the opportunity to experience this uniquely Australian story as part of the Travelling Film Festival program. We're proud to support 6 Festivals through our Production Finance program and excited to see this compelling story come to life on the big screen.”
Grant Donges, VP Marketing, Publicity, Promotions at Sony Music Australia said, “The Australian live music industry has been hit hard during the pandemic so it's wonderful to see live music celebrated on the screen in 6 Festivals. It's been incredible for our company to work with Australian talent across creative industries to bring to life authentic storytelling sound tracked by diverse musical voices from Peking Duk to Jerome Farah, Stace Cadet and B Wise — this coming-of-age story will resonate with the Australian audiences.”
Daniel Monaghan, SVP Content & Programming at Paramount+ said: “We are incredibly excited that Paramount+ can continue to showcase and champion such authentic and quintessential Australian stories. This relatable story set amongst our own vibrant live music scene will no doubt resonate with audiences for years to come''.
6 Festivals received major production funding from Screen Australia in association with Screen Canberra, Screen Queensland, Screen NSW and the Gold Coast City Council with support from Sony Music Australia and Paramount+.
6 FESTIVALS RELEASES IN CINEMAS 11 AUGUST. COMING SOON TO PARAMOUNT+