WHOLE NEW THING
Directed by Amnon Buchbinder


Emerson Thorsen, 13, lives with his parents in their eco-home in the wilds of Nova Scotia. He’s just had his first wet dream and completed writing and illustrating his first book, all 1000 pages of it. Meanwhile, the home-schooled youth can barely add 2 + 2, so his mother enrolls him in the local junior high. There, Emerson’s 42-year-old English teacher, Don Grant, has settled into a life of perpetual adolescence, paying regular visits to a park restroom for anonymous sex. In the classroom, Emerson stirs things up. Surprisingly, Don sees a bit of himself reflected in Emerson. Emerson, initially scornful of his teacher, soon develops his first crush on Don. The precociously confident boy, raised in a household of casual nudity and sexual openness, throws himself into this awakening of his heart with dangerous abandon. This is going to be a Whole New Thing. For everyone.

Canada / 92 min.



WINNER - GRAND JURY AWARD
Outstanding International Narrative Feature
OUTFEST 2006

WINNER - BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
2006 Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival

WINNER - BEST FEATURE
2006 Out Takes Dallas Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

WINNER - TOP PRIZE - BEST FEATURE FILM
Paris Festival du Cinema Independant Americain

WINNER - Excellence in Editing
Atlantic Film Festival

WINNER - Outstanding Performance by an Actor
Atlantic Film Festival

WINNER - Outstanding Writer's Award
Atlantic Film Festival

WINNER - Best Film - HONORABLE MENTION
Atlantic Film Festival

WINNER - Best CANADIAN FEATURE
Victoria Independent Film & Video Festival

WINNER - SHOWTIME TOP TEN
Brisbane International Film Festival

WINNER - Jury Award for Best Feature Film
2006 Mezipatra Czech Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

WINNER - Audience Award for Best Film
2006 Mezipatra Czech Gay & Lesbian Film Festival




“Wonderful! Enormously compelling! Buchbinder’s direction creates a tremendous sense of location and adolescent awkwardness that blossoms beautifully during the picture.”
Brian Orndorf, eFILMCRITIC.COM

“The indie dramedy WHOLE NEW THING mixes characters (teen and adult, gay and straight, married and single) who seem both completely plausible and capable of anything.”
Kyle Smith, THE NEW YORK POST

“Original and memorable!”
EYE WEEKLY

“Genuine depth and wit...fully alive and contemporary... it gives one hope.”
METRO DAILY

“The sexual stakes rise to hardly bearable levels!”
CHRONICLE HERALD

“This smart film unfolds beautifully as an idealistic family deals with a reality that is anything but ideal!”
Matt Rauscher, INSTINCT MAGAZINE

“To its enormous credit, the movie remains on high ground. It recognizes that growing pains don’t inevitably lead to scandal and catastrophe. They are discomforts to be endured for as long as they last. If you’re lucky, they can also be valuable learning experiences.”
Stephen Holden, THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Director Amnon Buchbinder and co-writer Daniel MacIvor engage the audience with nuance and complexities of character. Well-written and well-acted!”
Kevin Thomas, LOS ANGELES TIMES

“The film features subtle, honest performances by Daniel MacIvor (who also cowrote the screenplay) as the perplexed prof and engaging newcomer Aaron Webber as the sensitive student. Puts a fresh spin on the theme of adolescent sexual awakening. Highly recommended!”
Albert Williams, CHICAGO READER

“Engaging, entertaining, and refreshing!”
Lawrence Ferber, IN LA Magazine

“One of the most compelling, warm and human films in recent memory!”
Filethirteen.com

“Smart and affecting, this is definitely a whole new thing for gay coming-of-age movies!”
Mark Peikert, HX

“Buchbinder handles its delicate scenes with a careful grace and a fidelity to naturalism. Webber does a fine job, turning in a surprising nuanced performance and truly inhabiting his character. He and the compelling MacIvor are the clear standouts.”
Christopher Wallenberg, NEW YORK BLADE

“Sharp and fresh!”
David Noh, FILM JOURNAL

“Quite well done! Enjoyable and engaging!”
Jean Oppenheimer, VILLAGE VOICE MEDIA

“A sweet film with a winning charm.”
Gary Kramer, SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMEs

“A pleasure! Worth every minute.”
Gregg Shapiro, OUTLOOK WEEKLY

“Daniel MacIvor, who co-wrote the script, does a wonderful job as Grant, the lonely teacher who struggles to stay professional.”
Rafer Guzman, NY NEWSDAY

“Touching. Perceptive.”
Bill Stamets, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

“Fresh and vibrant! Effective and engaging!”
Joe Horton, CAMPUS CIRCLE

"The real heart of the film is in the finely drawn adult characters: the father who's grown isolated in his idealism; the mother who can no longer reconcile his ideals with the reality of her life; and the teacher who decided long ago that he was meant to be alone but who, thanks to his new student, has begun to have second thoughts.”
Ken Fox, TV GUIDE

“(Aaron) Webber does a fine job, turning in a surprisingly nuanced performance and truly inhabiting his character.”
Christopher Wallenberg, THE NEW YORK BLADE

“WHOLE NEW THING develops its story slowly and carefully, nearly always opting for the plausible over the sensational. It isn't subtle, but it's appealingly assured and aware of its limits, like a precisely written short story.”
Noel Murray, THE ONION

“A good-natured take on the idiosyncrasies of that baffling period before growth becomes commensurate with maturity.”
Michael Koresky, INDIEWIRE.COM

“Not your average teen movie. The entire drama unfolds with the sense that these are real people living real lives, not facile movie fictions. The cast is uniformly excellent, but (Aaron) Webber in his first feature role is a stand out, delivering a subtle performance that offers a fully realized portrayal of a smart, sensitive, confused, and sometimes bratty and obnoxious youth.”
Pam Grady, REEL.COM

“For couples in need of some relationship first aid, and even as a date movie for liberal singles, ‘Whole New Thing’ might be just what the doctor ordered. It shows respect for open communications and differing life styles and lets the audience in on diverse feelings and ways of acting them out.”
Ron Wilkinson, MONSTERSANDCRITICS.COM

“Cleverly observed, with lots of terrific dialogue!”
Ken Eisner, THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT

“The film belongs to young (Aaron) Webber and his impressive performance. The actor projects an intelligence rarely seen amongst performers his age.”
Ron Henriques, LATINOREVIEW.COM

“With intelligence and dramatic weight, the movie delves deeply into rites of passage felt by all gay-inclined teens. A solid ninety-minute diversion!”
Randy Shulman, METRO WEEKLY

“This compelling Indie jammed with adolescent and adult emotions, struggling relationships and sexual escapades is a welcome escape from weekly blockbuster mayhem and well worth exploring.”
MOVIEJUNGLE.com

“Well worth watching!”
Jason Whitaker, GENERATION Q

“Deservedly a multiple award-winner!”
Ron Anders, SEATTLE GAY NEWS

“Amazing! An original, sometimes funny, well-written, believable coming-of-age movie. Whole New Thing is a whole new thing when it comes to cinema! !”
THE REVEWS PAGE .COM