ABOUT AN AGE / Australia / Louisiana Premiere

The final year of high school can be paradoxical. Having found some passions and close friends, you often begin to understand your own identity for the first time. And yet, still so young, you can’t deny that you’ve so much to learn about yourself and the world. On a Friday night, five friends gather at a house in rural Australia to celebrate the end of another school week and, as the night grows later, the friends reveal secrets, crushes and an unintentionally cruel streak and learn more about themselves in the process.

About an Age is an independent Australian feature film by Evan J Martin and Harley Hefford shot entirely on location in northern Victoria and inspired by the wistful nostalgia of Richard Linklater.

Cast: Daniel Cockburn, Rachel Lee, Eddie Orton, Keith Purcell, Ashley Stocco, Fredricka Arthur.

Director Statement:

We’ve both always loved the coming-of-age genre. It lends itself to beautiful realness, via the vulnerability and energy of its burgeoning characters. Younger viewers can relish in the mirror, while older audiences can insert their own first loves and teenage tears into the narrative and reflect on these times that helped shape who they are.

The premise of About an Age developed from a discussion of how kids can often be unaware of the repercussions of their actions. From the beginning, we knew that we wanted to make a film driven by character and theme, rather than plot or filmic effects. An honest work that took place over one evening, with an ensemble the audience would grow and go deeper with.

It is a nostalgic piece that provides an opportunity for each viewer to connect deeply with own their transition through adolescence. And not through an action-packed quest or heightened romance, but a simple night with your best mates.