STARRING
Drew McAnany, Bo Youngblood, John Ierardi, Shanley Caswell, Brooke Lewis, Jeff Dye, Rome Flynn, Matt Schulte, Rebecca Vinagro, Ashley Platz DIRECTED BY
Tom Morash SCREENPLAY
Drew McAnany, Georgia Menides MPAA RATING
NR RUNNING TIME
74 Mins. DISTRIBUTED BY
Comedy Dynamics (VOD) OFFICIAL FACEBOOK
"1/2 New Year" Arrives on VOD with Comedy Dynamics
"Friends are the family you get to choose..."
At its comedic heart, the new Comedy Dynamics release 1/2 New Year is a celebration of friendship that tugs at the heart just about as much as it tugs at the funny bone during its surprisingly quick 74-minute running time.
Co-written by Drew McAnany and Georgia Menides and directed by Tom Morash, 1/2 New Year is centered around a group of friends who gather every last Saturday in June for a day of celebration, accountability, new resolutions, and the ole' annual breakdown. Facing major life changes that may make this year's celebration the last, this tightknit group of friends find new secrets revealed and bonds tested in this dramedy that entertains with just the right touch of sentimentality tossed in for good measure.
Winner of the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, 1/2 New Year is a familiar yet entertaining film featuring an ensemble cast that feels genuinely connected and dialogue that comes off as natural and honest.
It's also quite funny.
1/2 New Year truly gets by on the strength of the characters created by McAnany and Menides and Morash's ability to help bring them to life by giving his ensemble cast room to breathe life into the characters.
We learn early in the film that the previous year's gathering hadn't quite been filled with the usual sentimentality courtesy of a serious falling out between Reed (Drew McAnany) and Josh (Matt Schulte), a falling out with baggage that is carrying over into this year's potentially final gathering. The surrounding relationships are also believable and 1/2 New Year uses its time wisely and wraps up before we grow weary of these characters and this simple yet engaging story.
1/2 New Year was picked up by indie comedy distributor Comedy Dynamics for a wide VOD release and is currently available via iTunes and other streaming outlets. It's a warm, entertaining film with a winning ensemble cast and a funny, empathetic script from McAnany and Menides that easily makes it worth your time. For more information on the film, visit its Facebook page linked to in the credits.
