Middle Kids frontwoman Hannah Joy is set to make her starring debut in an upcoming feature film, entitled Christmess.
- READ MORE: Middle Kids on their new album ‘Today We’re The Greatest’: “We know who we are, and this is it”
The film was written and directed by Heath Davis (Book Week, Broke, Locusts) and sees Steve Le Marquand (Last Train to Freo) and Darren Gilshenan (No Activity) star alongside Joy.
Per a press release, Le Marquand plays Chris Flint – a once-famous actor who leaves rehab and takes a job as a local mall Santa Claus. There, he unexpectedly comes across his estranged daughter (played by Nicole Pastor). Supported by his sponsor Nick (Gilshenan), and a gay musician named Joy in recovery herself (Joy), Chris goes about earning his daughter’s forgiveness in time for Christmas.
“I love Christmas movies,” Davis commented in a press statement, “but I’ve never really seen a Christmas movie that depicts the reality of what the holiday season is for many of us – crippling stress, anxiety, malaise and economic struggle, all too often underpinned by alcohol abuse.
“At its core, Christmess is a celebration of the human spirit, the kindness of strangers and the healing power of forgiveness.”
As well as staring in the film, Joy is also set to contribute original music as well as Christmas covers to its soundtrack. While a release date for Christmess isn’t yet available, shooting is currently under way in the Western Sydney city of Campbelltown.
Middle Kids recently completed two national tours – one in support of Crowded House, and a second as part of the 2022 Groovin The Moo line-up. The band are set to headline this year’s edition of Be Social festival this August, and will also appear at Gang Of Youths‘ mini-festival A More Perfect Union that same month.
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The indie-rock outfit’s last studio album was last year’s ‘Today We’re The Greatest’. Speaking to NME‘s Ali Shutler, Joy discussed how the band with their latest album, continued to “embrace vulnerability” and learned that “music exists without the touring”.
“We don’t really know where this record fits or what genre it is, but you have to take that risk,” said Joy. “If you want to express yourself freely, you have to risk it being rejected or creating something not good.”