PEDESTRIAN.TV has partnered with Paramount+ to spice up the release of 6 festivals.
Highly anticipated Australian flick 6 festivals was recently released on Paramount+, and between us it’s gory Sick.
If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for first? But I’m not the one to judge either, so to update you, The film follows three teenage besties, Maxie, Summerand James (played by Rasmus King, Yasmin honey church and Rory Potter ) trying to attend six music festivals in as many months after a cancer diagnosis turned their world upside down.
It’s a heartwarming affair, expertly written and directed by the director and producer Macario de Souza – who you may know by his stage name, kid Mac.
Plus, it’s packed with real festival footage from top-notch acts like dune rats, G flip, B way, Beijing Duk, ruby fields, Jerome Farah and Kobie Dee. A wonderful celebration of Aussie talent – j’adore, honestly.
We caught up with the film’s stars Rory, Yasmin and Rasmus for all the sweet gossip about what it’s like to film with such a star cast of Aussie musical talent, and all the other juicy behind-the-scenes stuff. Enjoy!
PTV: Congratulations on the release of 6 festivals — What do you look forward to most when the public sees it?
Jasmine: Thank you very much! I look forward to everyone getting to experience the very real feel of live Australian music festivals and how electric the atmosphere feels.
Rory: I’m most looking forward to seeing their reactions to the way we shot at the festivals. Mac really wanted to create an authentic festival experience for Summer, Maxie and James, so I hope the public really resonates with the trio’s mischievous and fun navigations through the unique world of Australian music festivals.
The film touches on a rather heavy subject – how did you manage your sanity during filming and post-production?
Jasmine: I think the film addresses some heavy themes beautifully, but I’m proud to say we don’t glorify any of it. I kept my sanity in check simply by communicating with my co-stars Mac and my friends and family. Journaling really helps me get things down on paper and channel my thoughts and energy into something physical. It was also important that I got a lot of sleep.
Rory: Immediately the entire production became this close-knit family, which was great when these heavier themes came up in the film. Mac was always there to discuss things, as were the other cast members, and everyone still keeps in touch on a regular basis.
Rasmus: I did a lot of research into what Maxie went through and of course I felt for him, but that’s also what I love about acting, being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and experience their life.
at At the same time, it also hits the dizzying heights that come from music festivals – looks like you’re all really enjoying yourself. What was it like playing against the backdrop of a real music festival and all the unpredictable challenges that come with it?
Jasmine: We really had a great time. I mean, I was totally insane and loved standing next to the stage and watching the artists transform. It was a super dope experience and definitely unpredictable. Once the security guard thought we were all actually sneaking into the festival and we had to explain that we were shooting a movie.
Rory: It was pretty crazy at times. People would run to the camera mid-scene or interact with us while we were shooting, unaware that we were actors or that a camera was trained on us. While it was difficult at times to focus on so much, it also helped a lot to empathize with the character. We also got kicked out at Yours and Owls almost five minutes into it. An organizer approached us and noticed that we didn’t have wristbands and felt that our “making a movie” excuse needed to be revised!
Rasmus: Funny things happened here and there when people didn’t see the cameras. Once I had a fight scene with my brother Kyuss — who played my on-screen brother, Kane — and people jumped in thinking we were having a real fight. Once to protect me and another time to support Kyuss. It was pretty hard!
Another funny moment during filming was a scene where I ran behind a bar to steal a six-pack of beers. I then had to count to three before running back to the camera. But while I was outside, an actual security guard grabbed me and held me tight. I tried to explain that I was doing a movie and he said, “Yeah right… like I’ve never heard that before”.
I hear Mac has booked a house in Byron for you all for a few weeks so you can make real life friendships that will translate to screen – how was that?
Rory: The Byron journey was great as it took away any of those awkwardnesses by the time we got to filming because we’d become really good friends. We hung out together, watched movies, went swimming and surfing, and cemented our friendships during those first few days. This meant that by the time we were filming we were already super comfortable and the chemistry really helped in those stressful or time-sensitive moments.
The soundtrack to the film is wild – what was your favorite performance out of all the festivals you’ve been to?
Rasmus: Yes, the soundtrack is awesome! It’s definitely Dune Rats for me as I’m mostly into Metal and Indy Rock so I foamed when I saw them. I also really like Kobie Dee, he’s a champion and I love the way he raps. ruby fields, Bliss n EsoG Flip are all legends and I had such an epic time seeing them live.
Jasmine: ‘Wow’ from KAME – makes me hype every time.
Rory: I feel so lucky with the amount of live music we got to see while filming. There was a moment at Big Pineapple where the team were shooting a scene I wasn’t in and Bliss n Eso performed. I ran over and basically had to be up front and they absolutely killed it.
Rory, you also jumped on stage with Dune Rats at the Big Pineapple to perform Scott Green – how did that feel? were you nervous
It was definitely an experience I will never forget. I was so nervous even though I practiced every day for two weeks. It was also the absolute last scene we shot at Big Pineapple, so the whole festival built around that moment. I remember getting on stage and being amazed at the sheer volume of people I would be performing in front of. We only had one shot to make the scene work, so I decided to have just as much fun with it and rock out.
Jasmine, You sing quite a bit in the film and you’ve sung in films before – what was it like for you personally to work with some of the best talent in the Australian music scene?
Jasmine: There is a scene where my character gets too shy to perform and runs off the stage. That was based on the nerves I actually had performing in front of all of them. I’m a fan of all acts and it was an experience that really wakes you up and then humiliates you. I’ve learned how much I still have to learn on a more personal level.
Rasmus, as you mentioned, your real brother Kyuss plays your on-screen brother in the film – what’s it like working with a sibling on such a big project?
Rasmus: Working with Kyuss was the best. Kyuss plays “Kane,” a character far removed from who Kyuss really is. In the film, Kane is a psycho, drug dealer and controlling older brother – he is also Maxie’s sole guardian.
We had so much fun working on our scenes together. Developing Kane and his traits and helping Kyuss do it was so epic. Kyuss invented this evil high-pitched laugh to enhance Kane’s unpredictable character, and it made Kane even more disturbing.
We had some pretty intense scenes to do – but after every take we wanted to do it all over again! We just had so much fun working together and Kyuss blew my mind with his performance. I hope we do more together.
What is the most important lesson you learned while working on the film?
Jasmine: Expect the unexpected and be very flexible.
Rasmus: We had so many setbacks and challenges during filming too 6 festivals due to floods, fires and the pandemic… and it often felt like it would never be finished. Live festivals kept getting canceled, but Mac kept pushing through. 6 festivals definitely taught me a lot about determination and never giving up on your dreams.
Rory: I think you should never judge a book by its cover. This movie really reminded me of all the crazy things that can go on in the lives of friends and strangers around you that you might never realize. It kind of reminded me to be a little more understanding and make sure my friends knew I was there for them no matter what.
Check out 6 festivals on Paramount+ now.
Image: Getty Images / [Photographer name]
