Lone Star Live By
Director, writer and actor Julia Barnett attends the Mammoth Film Festival on Feb. 6, 2022, in Mammoth, California. A film co-written and directed by Barnett, "A Christmas in New Hope," will be screening at a theater in Austin, Texas, for one week starting Friday, Dec. 15, 2023.Getty Images for Mammoth Film Festival
When you star in a hit TV series like “Fear the Walking Dead,” it can be hard to bust out of the show’s shadow to create a name for yourself. Take actor, writer and director Julia Barnett, for instance. Though she played the role of Kim Larson in AMC’s “Fear the Walking Dead” in 2021, Barnett has been making strides in the wonderful world of cinematic writing and directing. And her full-length directorial debut is about to hit the big screen at an Austin area movie theater for a limited time.
The movie is called, “A Christmas in New Hope,” and it takes place in the fictional Texas town of New Hope. Barnett is the co-writer and director of the film, and it’s the second script she has worked on with its other co-writer, Kathleen Estes.
“We love writing things that are uplifting, but also kind of focus on communities that aren’t usually represented in film,” Barnett, who lives in Austin, Texas, told LoneStarLive.com in a phone interview.
The film follows the story of Victoria, an Instagram influencer and single mother of Charlie, a child living with Down syndrome, as she fights to save her bungalow from foreclosure by entering a home-improvement contest in New Hope. Things get messy when Victoria’s dead-beat ex returns home after touring across Europe only to find Victoria has fallen for her next-door neighbor Gavin (played by Ryan Cooper), a Texas musician who has heavily bonded with Victoria’s daughter while helping her fix the house.
The National Down Syndrome Society already has praised the film for its depiction of Charlie. Programs associate Charlotte Woodward said, “l liked how the character of Charlie — played by Mia Analise Armstrong — was treated matter-of-factly as one of the main characters who just happens to have Down syndrome.”
According to Barnett, there are two prominent themes in the film, with one being parents who live with children who have disabilities. Victoria is one of the main characters in “A Christmas in New Hope” and is played by Katrina Bowden, while her daughter, Charlie Stevens, holds another lead role in the film.
The second theme in the film deals with social media and how it has changed the way people do life and how they celebrate Christmas. Barnett shared that one of the things they hope from the movie is to inspire people to fight the urge to post the perfect Instagram photo and instead focus on being present with those in their real lives.
“A Christmas in New Hope” also has Texas ties, as the movie was filmed in Waco, though Bastrop — which is located roughly 30 miles southeast of Austin — was a close contender.
In terms of casting the movie, Barnett said she felt the first role to cast was Charlie, as she’s the “heart of the movie.” To ensure they found the perfect person to play the part, the director said she worked with an agent who represents children with disabilities.
When Barnett first saw Armstrong’s tape, she said she burst into tears, adding that it felt like they wrote the script specifically for the young actor. Some of the other roles in “A Christmas in New Hope” were filled by Austin actors, actors Barnett and her producing partners previously worked with, or with the help of casting professionals.
Barnett’s first short film, “Chasing Grace,” premiered at SXSW in 2017. When asked how the film scene in Austin has been treating her, Barnett said, “I don’t know if I would have the same career if I was in a different city.”
Barnett said before moving to Austin in 2008, she lived in New York for a decade.
“I feel like the community here is just so supportive of one another, and it’s an incredible crew. There’s amazing actors here in Austin. You’d be surprised,” Barnett said. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else doing this.”
“A Christmas in New Hope” will be screening at EVO Cinemas Belterra + IMAX, located at 166 Hargraves Drive in Southwest Austin, from Friday, Dec. 15, through Thursday, Dec. 21, with screenings taking place at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. However, there’s a little meet-and-greet treat in store for those who attend screenings on Saturday, Dec. 16, and Sunday, Dec. 17.
This weekend, Armstrong, the young actor who plays the role of Charlie Stevens in “A Christmas in New Hope,” will be at EVO Cinemas Belterra between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. to meet viewers and fans.
As for what Barnett hopes people get out of this movie, the actor-turned-director said, “I just hope they go and have an amazing time, (that) they leave feeling hopeful and maybe even more connected with their family than they were before just having that experience together.
“And maybe they got to learn something about a community that they didn’t know about.”
To get your tickets for the Austin screening of “A Christmas in New Hope,” head here. After the theater run, those involved hope the film gets picked up by other theaters or by a streaming service.
Comments