by FilmInk Staff
It was supposed to take a year. It took three.
Created over three years through COVID lockdowns, with little funding and a remarkable group of students, parents and teachers, PLAN BEA is now streaming worldwide.
Made through COVID lockdowns, changing restrictions and the smell of an oily rag, PLAN BEA is the remarkable Australian school musical that has gone from a Sydney school hall to international film festivals – and now to audiences worldwide on Amazon Prime Video. And despite its humble beginnings, the finished film is winning awards around the world.
Written, composed and directed by multi award-winning Australian composer Sean Peter, PLAN BEA is a polished, feature musical created with more than 100 students from St Ives High School, who worked as actors, musicians and crew.
At a time when singing was banned in schools and young people were dealing with the isolation and disruption of repeated lockdowns, Peter gave an extraordinary amount of his own time to create something that could bring students together and give them a creative purpose.
“We had very little money, a lot of obstacles and no idea how long it would take,” said Sean Peter. “But we had a group of young people who really wanted to make something. So, we kept going.”
The production became a genuine family and community effort. Some parents brought professional expertise from the film, television and creative industries, generously donating their time and skills. Others spent almost every weekend organising costumes, sets and catering, opening their homes for filming, transporting equipment and working behind the scenes as crew.
The school”s principal, key teaching staff, and P&C Committee also generously supported the project, helping make the ambitious production possible at a time when resources were extremely limited.
PLAN BEA follows Bea, a teenager determined to find her voice and secretly bring her classmates together to create an underground show choir when singing has been banned due to the 2020 pandemic. Part musical comedy, part rebellion and part love letter to music, the film has been described as “High School Musical meets the plague.”
Despite its unlikely beginnings, PLAN BEA has collected international festival honours, including Best Picture and Best Musical, and became the first musical nominated for Best Score at the APRA Screen Music Awards. Its soundtrack was also a finalist for Album of the Year at the Australian Kids Music Awards, with one of its songs performed at Schools Spectacular.
PLAN BEA is available to rent or buy around the world. For Peter, however, the biggest achievement isn\’t the awards or the international release. “The amazing thing is that the students kept showing up,” he said. “They found a way to keep creating when the world around them had stopped. That’s what I\’m most proud of.”
PLAN BEA is available now to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video worldwide, with additional platforms rolling out.
Rated PG | Running time: 104 minutes
Rent or buy:
https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0MXEDEDV0VLIYW506KTD44WIR4
