This article was published on December 21st, 2020
Holidays suck sometimes. Besides travelling hassles, you also have to put up with family and friends. Truth be told, you’ve never seen eye-to-eye with some of them. However, there are always those moments that make everything worthwhile, like watching holiday movies together with family.
You’re in luck. This week’s film, I Hate New Year’s, captures all those dark feelings we have about the holidays and more. The film was released on Dec. 4 and is available on-demand everywhere, including on the Tello Network.
Tello Films produces, distributes and showcases innovative, high-quality films, series and shorts. It was the first network dedicated to telling stories featuring and about lesbian/queer women.
The films twists and turns
In the film, rising music star Layne Price (Dia Frampton) is experiencing severe writer’s block. Her Los Angeles manager suggests taking a break and visiting a mysterious fortune teller to cure her writing dry spell. She disregards the fortune teller’s advice and heads home to Nashville, where things take a twist for the unexpected.
See, Layne hates New Year’s. She loathes. Who can blame her? The holiday seems like a reminder of our dwindling time and all the mistakes and regrets we have for the ending year.
Meanwhile, Layne hits the town with BFF Cassie Holmes (Ashley Argota), who also happens to have a major crush on her. While Cassie plans on finally confessing her love for Layne, the latter is too busy fixated on her elusive ex-lover to notice.
However, sometimes it takes a little bit of mystical intervention to find inspiration and love where you least expect it.
Behind the scenes
I Hate New Year’s is a film by Tello Films and Dash Productions. Filmed in Nashville, the film stars actress/singers Dia Frampton (runner up in the inaugural season of The Voice and lead singer of the band Meg & Dia) and Ashley Argota (The Fosters, Lab Rats, Broadway’s The Lion King), as well as groundbreaking actress Candis Cayne (The Magicians, Grey’s Anatomy, I Am Cait, Elementary, Dirty Sexy Money) in a magical, dual role.
It was directed and produced by Christian Baker and others and features a soulful, high-energy original track from award-winning composer Emer Kinsella.
Among the movie’s top tracks include five songs penned by Billy Steinberg and Josh Alexander. Steinberg is among the most successful songwriters of the past 35 years, co-writing five #1 singles on Billboard’s “Hot 100” chart, including Madonna’s “Like A Virgin,” Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors,” Whitney Houston’s “So Emotional,” The Bangles’ “Eternal Flame” and Heart’s “Alone.”
The film also features electric music performances by Frampton (“Flatline,” “Better in the Dark,” “North Star”), Argota (“Hours of the Night”), Frampton and Argota in a duet (“Our One Heart”) and bluesy, Nashville artist and 2015 American Idol competitor Gina Venier (“Radio Silence,” “If I Was Your Girl”).
Watch it this holiday season
I Hate New Year’s has a fantastic soundtrack and a great cast. There’s excellent chemistry between the two leads and unforgettable side characters that make the film magical. Ultimately, it’s the romantic twists that make the film the perfect choice for the holidays.
