St. Louis has a lot of talent and it shows in this Christmas movie it has a lot of good music and a great story.
A New Holiday’ the directorial debut from Brian Owens and first major film project from his Life Creative Group grew out of an idea to celebrate to the milestone birthday of Thelma Steward in a major way despite the restrictions of the pandemic.
What started out as a way to celebrate the 70th birthday of philanthropist and community gem Thelma Steward evolved into what director and co-writer Brian Owens feels is a divinely timed holiday musical film experience.
David Steward, Founder and Chairman of World Wide Technology, had seen Owens’ Soul of Ferguson Revue which aired on PBS this summer. He reached out in the hopes of attaining something similar in format to that musical experience and – as per usual – pull out all the stops for his wife’s birthday, which is five days before Christmas.
“Because of COVID, they couldn’t do what they would normally do,’” Owens said. “I don’t know what happened, but two-and-a-half weeks later this turned into, ‘we are doing a movie with dialogue with characters.’”
“A New Holiday” debuted on the Nine Network Monday, December 21st and will air again on December 23. The film will also be available via Owens’ YouTube Channel.
“It’s a special, special project that I think only could have happened in this time,” Owens said. “I’m excited for people to see the excellence that can happen when a project has a purpose and is tied to something bigger than itself.”
“A New Holiday” tells the story of a little girl named Thelma. She must face her first Christmas without the family matriarch – her beloved grandma Dorothy. Inspired by real-life events, this will be the Stewards first Christmas without Dorothy Steward. She passed away in July. It will also be the first Christmas Owens will experience without his mother Roberta Owens, who passed away in March.
“Knowing that so many people are also dealing with loss and change this year, not even just with COVID, but with life,” Owens said. “My kids are dealing with that this year – their first Christmas without their grandmother.”
Nine-time Grammy Award winner Wynton Marsalis serves as narrator for “A New Holiday” and the film features performances by Grammy Award winners David Sanborn, Karen Clark-Sheard and BeBe Winans. Owens also cowrote the original music with Grammy Award nominee Jarrett Johnson, Charles Ransom and Stephanie Holly. Montez Coleman, Peter Martin and Jahmal Nichols also lend their musical talents to the film Owens says he was able to pull off with the help of so many others – particularly David Steward’s executive assistant Mary Unnerstall.
“There is also the excitement in knowing that all of those who were involved will be able to say that they were a part of something that is going to serve as a true blessing for people during this season. To show that no matter what we are going through and dealing with right now, that the true meaning of Christmas is love shining from a baby in a manger – a baby that will grow up and become Savior.”
