Casting Announced For New Kiwi Film 'Holy Days'

Principal photography for the New Zealand - Canadian co-production Holy Days, based on beloved author Dame Joy Cowley’s novel of the same name, will commence in mid-November. The heartwarming comedic adventure will star Judy Davis, Miriam Margolyes and Jacki Weaver.

Holy Days will be the feature directorial debut of renowned Canadian-South African actress Nat Boltt (Riverdale, District 9), who also wrote the screenplay and stars in the film.

The film stars Academy Award nominee and Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA Winner Judy Davis (Husbands and Wives), BAFTA winner Miriam Margolyes (Harry Potter franchise), and two-time Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook, Animal Kingdom). A young rising star, Elijah Tamati (Deep Water), plays a leading role along with Nat Boltt. Additional casting is still underway.

Director, writer and star Nat Boltt says: “I’m so proud of Holy Days and the incredible people and partnerships that have made this wildly delightful film possible. Like Little Miss Sunshine, this story brings together an unlikely group of friends and sets them on an unexpected journey of discovery, where they may not get what they want but they sure get what they need!”

After the success of Bookworm, Uproar and numerous other titles, the New Zealand-based Firefly Films producing team, Emma Slade, Victoria Dabbs, Roxi Bull (Waitaha, Ngāti Mamoe, Ngāi Tahu) and Associate Producers Micah Winata (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Porou) and Eva Trebilco, alongside Māori Producer, Tainui Stephens (Te Rarawa) and Canadian Producers, Lily Pictures, Michelle Morris and Sushant Desai, will produce the film.

In Holy Days, three quirky older nuns hit the road looking for miracles but end up learning to drive like demons instead! When the last of the sisters of St. Suzanne faces forced retirement, they take matters into their own hands. A last-minute dash to New Zealand’s stunning South Island leads them to an ex-nun-turned-lawyer who can defend their rights. A young Māori boy jumps onboard to help, but has a secret mission of his own: to reach the peak of Mt. Cook, where he believes he’ll find his recently deceased mother before she steps off into the spirit world. Things go terribly wrong when an unexpected snowstorm throws everyone off course, and this oddball group of friends face their greatest challenge yet—mortality.

Holy Days is a classic tale of adventure that reminds us that our similarities are far greater than our differences, and that, in the end, what matters most is love, forgiveness, and the power of fruitcake.

The film will be distributed in New Zealand and Australia by Kismet Entertainment and in Canada by Photon Films. Blue Fox Entertainment have acquired worldwide rights excluding New Zealand and Canada. Holy Days is made with financial support from the Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission, New Zealand Screen Production Rebate, Angel Investors Marlborough, Percasky Family, University of Canterbury/Kōawa Creative Technologies Precinct, Telefilm Canada, Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia, CBC Films and Elemental Post.

ABOUT FIREFLY FILMS AND LILY PICTURES:
Firefly Films produces world-class screen content alongside passionate and dedicated creative and financial partners, telling authentic, fresh and captivating stories for global audiences. Anchored in New Zealand but with a keen eye on the international marketplace, the company’s broad slate includes local projects as well as international co-productions. Highlights include audience favorite Bookworm opening Fantasia Film Festival 2024, Uproar (starring Minnie Driver, Julian Dennison and Rhys Darby) selected for TIFF 2023, Mister Organ (David Farrier) which was New Zealand’s highest grossing feature documentary in 2022, distributed with Netflix and a New York Times Top Critic’s Pick. Come to Daddy premiered at Tribeca 2019 and won Best Director (Ant Timpson) and Best Actor (Elijah Wood) at the Toronto After Dark Festival 2019.

Based in Vancouver with a global reach, Lily Pictures is a production company dedicated to collaboratively crafting fresh, compelling stories with authentic voices that resonate universally. With extensive experience across all stages of filmmaking, Lily Pictures expertly balances international treaty co-productions, service production, and domestic motion pictures within its slate. The company believes in the power of story over genre, delivering delightful, thrilling, and thought-provoking content that speaks to the human experience—stories that not only entertain, but also move, challenge, and inspire.

ABOUT BLUE FOX ENTERTAINMENT:
Blue Fox Entertainment is an international film sales and domestic distribution company specializing in connecting filmmakers to audiences and buyers around the world. The company has a deep history in film production, marketing, finance, sales and distribution.

Blue Fox Entertainment’s upcoming US release slate includes the award-winning animated feature Kensuke’s Kingdom starring Cillian Murphy, Sally Hawkins, Ken Watanabe and Aaron MacGregor; the inspirational true story Lost on a Mountain in Maine produced by Sylvester Stallone; and the family-friendly adventure Autumn and the Black Jaguar from The Wolf and the Lion director Gilles de Maistre. Recent theatrical releases include Hard Miles starring Matthew Modine and Sean Astin, Fitting In starring Maddie Ziegler, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, based on the bestselling novel and produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda; the acclaimed stop-motion animation The Inventor featuring the voices of Stephen Fry, Daisy Ridley and Marion Cotillard.

The company recently launched their Canadian arm Blue Fox Entertainment Canada, as well as Blue Fox Financing, the first transactional digital platform to streamline and expedite film financing opportunities for the entertainment industry, connecting borrowers with the largest database of film and television lenders and equity financiers.

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