.
.
We’re still processing video from this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival, but I wanted to get this one posted quickly. The lovely Jennifer Blanc-Biehn was able to put me in touch with actor Wilmer Calderon, who stars in a film called HAPPY NEW YEAR. This movie had the distinct honor of being one of only eight films accepted into competition at SXSW this year. The project actually began as an off-Broadway play, was then made into a short film where it gained international attention, and finally resulted in an impressive full-length production. I was happy to have the opportunity to interview Wilmer, who has an extensive list of credits already, and seemed rather enthusiastic about this one in particular. It’s these kinds of personal stories done with real world influence that make SXSW a festival worth attending. Please look check out the interview below, and the official synopsis of the movie underneath it, followed by the official trailer.
You can find more information on HAPPY NEW YEAR at their official website.
HAPPY NEW YEAR is the story of “Sgt. Cole Lewis” who, mentally and physically scarred by his time served in Iraq and Afghanistan, finds humanity, compassion and friendship in a group of similarly injured veterans in the psychiatric ward at a remote Veterans Hospital. The group, ranging from guys left behind from WWII and Vietnam, to those recently injured in the Middle East, slowly become Lewis’ new family. Along with them, he will attempt to redefine his sense of self, and find a new place in the world. Through humor and pathos, Lewis becomes a ray of hope in the ward, as the men find a way to combat their post-war grief. However, just as their luck starts to change, Lewis soon faces his fiercest battle yet.
Award-winning writer/director K. LORREL MANNING (Happy New Year short film, Columbia University, MFA in Directing) expertly directs an accomplished, multi-ethnic cast, led by emerging star MICHAEL CUOMO (Happy New Year short film, Bandslam), who delivers a haunting performance as “Lewis.” Hollywood veteran IAIN SMITH (A-Team; Wanted; Children of Men) serves as the film’s Executive Producer, overseeing all aspects of sales and distribution. Academy Award-winning SOOPUM SOHN (Island to Island) is the Cinematograher, creating a “fly-on-the-wall” experience that is painfully intimate. The film also features breakout performances from JD WILLIAMS (“The Wire,” “Oz”) as “Jerome” and MONIQUE GABRIELA CURNEN (The Dark Knight, Half Nelson) as “Lisa”. The supporting cast shines with stellar performances from JOSE YENQUE (Traffic, Beginners), WILMER CALDERON (Annapolis, Good Time Max), (WILL ROGERS (“Gossip Girl,” “Law & Order”), DAVID FONTENO (“The Good Wife”), (NOAH MILLS (Sex & the City 2), JOHN LEIGHTON (Nobody’s Fool), FRANK HARTS (“Law & Order”) and SETH BARRISH (Margot at the Wedding), with TINA SLOAN (Black Swan, “Guiding Light”) and ALAN DALE (“Lost,” “The O.C.”).
Happy New Year is a hard-hitting portrait of the human cost of war, the “living dead,” who are not counted among the casualties on the battlefield. It is a universal story focusing on a group of men struggling with life after trauma.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
