Indie film, "Best Day Ever," which boldly addresses gay mid-life crisis and stars Mel England will be released on Blu-Ray July 7, 2015. Directed by Jeff London (“A Warm Wind”), and Executive Produced by Paul Burchett, "Best Day Ever" is a semi-autobiographical gay romantic drama based on true events from London’s own life, and co-stars Tom Saporito and Peter Stickles. England portrays David, a gay independent filmmaker facing a mid-life crisis.
Coinciding with the “Best Day Ever” Blu-Ray release, England will be featured in the Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade on Sunday June 14, 2015, in the Plus magazine/Here Media float. Currently on the cover of Plus Magazine’s May/June Pride issue, England used the article to talk about both his role in in the film, and his journey as a 20+ year AIDS survivor and actor in Hollywood.
“It’s so perfect,” begins England. “The movie deals with a gay man who’s survived the AIDS generation and going through a midlife crisis – the Plus cover and story gave me a chance to reflect on my journey in that.” England came out with his survival story in his 2009 Off Broadway solo show “Swimming with the Polar Bears,” which toured internationally to the UN Summit on Climate Change (with posters signed by Al Gore), and to Los Angeles.
England reflects, “But to be in the LA Gay Pride Parade with Plus magazine… To have survived, and be in a film about a gay man who gets to move on and get married?! It’s actually pretty emotional. I can’t help but think of all my friends who dreamed of what we get to live now…”
Indeed, “Best Day Ever” is relevant for an entire generation of gay men — the "Gen X Gays" – who survived, and are now facing a new frontier: mid-life. For the better part of 50 years, the gay community was consumed with surviving the AIDS crisis, Stonewall and the struggle for LGBT rights. “Our mentors were so busy with the fight for equal rights, and just to stay alive, that there’s not really a map for us on how to do this part,” England observes, "We get to be equal, get married – and get old? We’re pioneers, in a way
England, known on both stage and screen, most recently starred in the title role in “Ron and Laura Take Back America” to be released in 2015 and which co-stars include Golden Globe Best Actress Nominee Irene Bedard (known for Spielberg's "Into the West", and as the voice and likeness of Pocahontas in the Walt Disney Pictures animated feature) and Jim J. Bullock ("Hollywood Squares" distributed by Orion Pictures, and more recently CBS' “The Bold and the Beautiful"). In 2013 “Little Big Top” (Morningstar Entertainment) in which England co-starred, became one of the more popular films streaming on Netflix, surviving the distributor’s well publicized title purge earlier in the year (The Hollywood Reporter). The film starred the legendary Sid Haig, of Rob Zombie projects including “The Devil’s Rejects” (Lions Gate). Later this year, England is set to co-star in “Love Anonymous” with Sally Kirkland, Academy Award Best Actress Nominee and Golden Globe winner for “Anna” (Lions Gate).
About MEL ENGLAND
Mel England has starred on Screen and Stage, Off Broadway, internationally and across the USA. His features include "Archeology of a Woman" (Winner, Cine Golden Eagle Award and Golden Remi Award, World Fest Houston), and a starring role in 2012's "Persona Au Gratin," winner of Best Comedy at IndieFest USA. England also starred in "Highlights," Best Drama Nominee, in the Moviefone Short Film Festival. On Stage, England has performed Off Broadway, regionally and internationally in Europe. England's solo show "Swimming with the Polar Bears" premiered Off Broadway, and as part of a benefit for The Climate Project, featuring posters of the show signed by former Vice President Al Gore, which then toured world-wide, in Los Angeles, the National Mall in Washington DC for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, and UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen. England's solo show "Navajo Memoirs" was dubbed "Ingenious" by Backstage. Other Off Broadway credits include "Hecuba", "Marriage" and "The Imaginary Invalid" with the Pearl Theatre. England also starred in the New York and Los Angeles premieres of Israel Horovitz's one-man play about September 11th, "3 Weeks After
Paradise," benefiting children of WTC victims. Notable productions include "Lucky Man" (Best Acting Ensemble Award, NY Fringe), "A Shayna Maidel" (Best Play of the Year, Denver), and he was a proud part of the original New York productions of Chris Sanderson's "Midsummer Night's Dream", "Sea Monkeys" by Tony Nominee Chad Beguelin, "The Honeysuckles" (developed for television by FOX), and "King of Connecticut" with Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
Website: www.melengland.com
Twitter: @melengland
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MelEnglandActor
More information on “BEST DAY EVER”/JEFF LONDON
Website: www.bestdayevermovie.us
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bestdayevermovie
