The Last New Year
GARFIELD LINDSAY MILLER, DIRECTOR/CO-WRITER
Garfield Lindsay Miller is an award winning filmmaker who has worked as a fiction and non-fiction producer, director and writer for almost a decade. In 2005, Garfield co-wrote and produced the documentary, The Fires That Burn, which was nominated for a Gemini and received both the Silver Chris and the Wilber Awards. The following year Garfield co-wrote A Stone’s Throw, a dramatic feature film distributed by Mongrel Media which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and received the award for the Best Atlantic Feature at the AIFF. Recently, Garfield was selected as one of the top 10 promising Canadian film talents by the “SpringBoard” jury of filmmakers, reporters, and other industry personnel. His feature film directorial debut, The Last New Year, was selected as the Canadian Gala film for the Victoria Film Festival, January 2009, and will be airing nationally on Super Channel in the spring.
ALYSON RICHARDS, PRODUCER
Alyson Richards is a Toronto-based producer with recent credits including Associate Producer on The Line, a one hour dramatic series for The Movie Network and Movie Central from the writing team of George F. Walker and Dani Romain, Line Producer on the feature documentary Fierce Light: Where Spirit Meets Action, from executive producer Mark Achbar (The Corporation) and director Velcrow Ripper (Scared Sacred) and Production Mentor for the globally televised MTV International 48 Fest in which she mentored one of eight teams of youth delegates from around the world during the XVIth International AIDS Conference. Alyson has also produced numerous award-winning short films including Skinheads (Special Merit Award, Euroshorts International Festival of Short Film) and Dogasaur (Best Children’s Film, Mexico International Film Festival) and Babysitting Andy (Audience Award, Inside Out Film Festival) She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film Theory and is an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre and The National Screen Institute.
DEBBIE NIGHTINGALE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Debbie is the Nightingale behind the Nightingale Company. Well versed in the film and television industry, Debbie has been actively involved in production and other aspects of the industry since 1979. She has produced feature films, television series, documentaries and kids series as well as been involved in numerous events in the industry over the last number of years.
Producing credits include: The Line, a series for The Movie Network and Movie Central from the writing team of George F. Walker and Dani Romain; Do You Believe Me, a blend of online video series and alternate reality game; Get Outta Town, a fast paced teen global adventures series; ZIXX: Level One, Two & Three, a sci-fi tween series for YTV, co-produced with Savi Media & Thunderbird Films; Chicks with Sticks, a made-for-pay feature produced with Earth to Sky Pictures for TMN, Movie Central, A-Channel and Super Ecran; Lipstick & Dynamite, a feature documentary about female wrestlers in the 40s and 50s which premiered at HOT DOCS! and the Tribeca Film Festival; Mob Princess, a MOW for the W Network in partnership with Brightlight Pictures; and Bailey’s Billions, a family feature co-produced with Devine Entertainment.
DEV SINGH, PICTURE EDITOR
Dev Singh is a Toronto based Picture Editor who has cut several shorts for Bravo! Television, music videos and the Multi media opera The Passion of Winnie. Prior to editing, Dev worked in Visual Effects on films Ice Harvest (starring Billy Bob Thorton and John Cusack), Four Brothers (Mark Wahlberg), Assault on Precinct 13 (Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne) and Resident Evil – Apocalypse. He holds a BFA – Film Studies from Ryerson as well as a BSC Biochemistry from Queen’s University. While not holed up in an edit suite Dev travels to faraway places like India and Southeast Asia. The Last New Year is his feature film debut as picture editor.
PASHA PATRIKI, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Mr. Patriki’s expansive body of work includes three dramatic feature films and six feature documentaries. He’s also framed up more than 40 shorts and numerous music videos and commercial spec spots. Films composed in Pasha’s lens have screened internationally and won awards in the United States and Canada. He is a former winner of the NY Independent Short Film Festival award for Best Photography. After moving to Toronto in 1996, Pasha studied at York University in the Film & Video Department. Mr. Patriki was born and raised in Moscow, where he studied dramatic acting at the Modern Arts Institute.
CASEY AUSTIN, CO-WRITER/(PENNY)
Casey is a performer and writer based in Victoria, Canada. After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Victoria, Casey traveled to Los Angeles where she landed roles in a number of film projects including, The Tailor (Alveraz Ricardez / Lucent Films). Casey then enrolled at the Atlantic Acting School in New York to study theatre. Returning to Canada, Casey began writing and in addition to The Last New Year, has written a short film entitled Get Off Dog. Casey continues to act both on stage; Much Ado About Nothing (Victoria Shakespeare Society), The First Last Time (Theatre Bombus), and screen; Tumbling After (Bryan Skinner / Versus Media), Yumi In Love (Terrry Miles / CinemaNovel).
NICK BLASKO
Based on Vancouver Island, Nick divides his time between recording artist management (Tegan and Sara, Buck 65, Vince Vaccaro, Flash Lightnin’) and concert promotion (Atomique Productions Ltd.) Nick and his team also produce the annual Rifflandia Music Festival in Victoria BC.
PHILIP GRAEME (WILLIAM)
Philip Graeme is an actor originally from England. He attended McGill University in Montreal before pursuing his MFA in acting at the American Repertory / Moscow Art Theatre Institute at Harvard University.
His recent performance as Hamlet in Why Not Theatre’s production, The Prince Hamlet, was named one of the top performances of 2007 by The National Post. Recent film and television performances include The Last New Year, White Knuckles, Murdoch Mysteries and Wild Card. He recently played Macduff in the Brampton Flower Festival’s production of Macbeth as well as reprising his role of Peter in Humans Anonymous (2006 Best of the Fringe) Off-Broadway with The Bridge Company. Humans will be re-mounted as part of the Next Stage Festival in January 2009 in Toronto. He recently completed a development deal with the CBC for the relationship drama, Brunswick Ave, for which he is co-creator/writer.
CASEY AUSTIN (PENELOPE)
Casey is a performer and writer based in Victoria, Canada. After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Victoria, Casey traveled to Los Angeles where she landed roles in a number of film projects including, The Tailor (Alveraz Ricardez / Lucent Films). Casey then enrolled at the Atlantic Acting School in New York to study theatre. Returning to Canada, Casey began writing and in addition to The Last New Year, has written a short film entitled Get Off Dog. Casey continues to act both on stage; Much Ado About Nothing (Victoria Shakespeare Society), The First Last Time (Theatre Bombus), and screen; Tumbling After (Bryan Skinner / Versus Media), Yumi In Love (Terrry Miles / CinemaNovel).
JAMES MURRAY (DAVID)
James Murray is a graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse in NYC. His other film credits include The Ache (Wondrous Light Prods.), Synapse (The Unseen Movement/Official Selection of the LA Shorts Fest 2007) & Surfacing (Sheraton College/Official Selection of the Inside Out Gay & Lesbian Film Festival 2005). He’s also worked on the docu-drama series, Mayday (Discovery Canada). James is an associate artist of ‘Praxis Theatre’, an independent company which will be presenting a staged adaptation of the Albert Camus novel, The Stranger in January 09.
ANDREW HATCHEY (ADAM)
Andrew Hachey is a performer and director from Toronto whose work has appeared on stage and screen across Canada and beyond. Film credits include Runaway (The CW), Silver Road (Broken Frame Films), and Warriors of Terra (Peace Arch Films). Selected theatre credits include Michael Ondaatje’s The Collected Works of Billy the Kid (Quantum Theatre, Pittsburgh, Festival de Otono, Madrid, Spain), Benjamin in The Graduate (The Grand Theatre), Last Days of Graceland (Theatre Passe Muraille), The Golden Thug (Buddies in Bad Times), and Ted Hughes’ Tales From Ovid (Centaur Theatre, Montreal). He is a founding member of the performance/theatre collective 404 Strand based in Pittsburgh, PA where he will be returning to create their new show The Museum of Desire, based on the short story by John Berger. He is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal.
KATE HEWLETT (KATHERINE)
Kate is an actor-writer currently residing in Toronto. Theatre acting credits include: Humans Anonymous (New York), Noble Parasites (Theatre Passe Muraille), Don’t Wake Me (UnSpun Theatre) and Unity 1918 (GCTC). Film and TV credits include: Stargate:Atlantis, A Dog’s Breakfast, Psych, 11 Cameras, Kevin Hill, Four Minutes and Dark Water. Kate is a graduate of the National Theatre School, the co-founder of 6AM Tango Productions and an Associate Artist of UnSpun Theatre. She was also a member of the 2007 Tarragon Playwrights’ Unit. Writing credits include: The Swearing Jar, Humans Anonymous, Malus Domestica, She Said Lenny and Use My Babies Well.
MIKE MCPHADEN (KEN)
Mike McPhaden is an award winning actor, playwright, and a grad of the CFC’s Prime Time Television Writers Program. On screen, he’s been seen on The Border, Air Farce, Blue Murder, Relic Hunter, and the features Tkaronto, Traitor, and Toronto Stories. Mike won two Dora Awards for his playwriting debut, Poochwater, a nomination for his sci-fi double-bill Noble Parasites, and is one of four writers of the hit play The Gladstone Variations. For television, Mike is a writer and story editor on marblemedia’s Taste Buds and an occasional guest blogger at www.jillgolick.com.
MAYKO NGUYEN (COURTNAY)
Although best known for her characters of Goth Girl in Rent a Goalie, and Mayko Tran in ReGenesis (for which she received a Gemini Award nomination) Mayko Nguyen’s credits also extend to television shows such as Tilt, and 11 Cameras. She can be seen in Canadian pilots such as The Listeners and the upcoming series, The Session, along with appearances on the hit series, Mysterious Ways and Zoe Busiek: Wild Card. Feature credits include the Emmy-nominated Why I Wore Lipstick to My Masectomy, ABC’s Princess and Relative Chaos. Most recently, Mayko portrayed Courtnay in the film The Last New Year scheduled for release early in 2009.
MARGARET EVANS (LEAH)
Margaret Evans is a Toronto based actor and Theatre producer. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Margaret graduated from the Actors Studio Drama School in New York with an M.F.A. in Acting. Her theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Cry Havoc) Jimmy the Cocksucker (Expanded Arts), Crossing Delancey (Encore) The Moon Bath Girl (Summerworks), Trying (Globus) and DYAD (Toronto Fringe).
Margaret has produced for the Summerworks festival, the Toronto International Fringe Festival, Nightwood Theatre and the Andrea Nann Dreamwalker Dance Company, among others. She is currently the General manager for Praxis Theatre and is producing their upcoming production of Stranger in January 2009. Screen credits include many short films as well as Spynet and This is Wonderland (CBC Television). The Last New Year (FokosFilms/Nightingale) is Margaret’s first feature film role.
KRIS HOLDEN-RIED (ERIC)
Aside from his role in The Last New Year, Kris Holden-Ried’s Feature Film credits selectively include Emotional Arithmetic, starring Susan Sarandon and Gabriel Byrne, Never Forget, a mystery thriller starring alongside Lou Diamond-Phillips; as well as many television productions most recently including the movie Girl’s Best Friend, with Janeane Garofalo, Gossip an MOW with Kelli Williams, and recurring roles in such TV series as M.V.P, The Tudors in which he played “Sir William Compton, and Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Holden-Ried trained as an actor with Uta Hagen’s Master Class Scene Study, as well as the Green Room Actor’s Workshop and the National Film Acting School, and has gone on to amass an impressive resumé of work on the big and small screens. After a series of supporting roles in such titles as The Defenders for Showtime, Forget Me Never for CBS and Going To Kansas City, a romantic thriller for the big screen, Holden-Ried gained significant prominence playing bassist “Noel Redding” in Hendrix, Showtime’s biopic on the life and music of Jimi Hendrix. His many credits since then include the features Gossip, with Kate Hudson, Public Domain, K-19: The Widow Maker, Alice Blue, A Touch of Pink, Niagara Motel and A Stone’s Throw. He appeared on television in Showtime’s gritty crime drama Street Time, and the movies Icebound, starring Susan Sarandon, Shaftesbury’s Hemingway vs Callaghan and A Killing Spring, The Many Trials Of One Jane Doe, and as “Wayne Gretzky” in the TV movie Waking Up Wally: The Walter Gretzky Story.