Reopening Hollywood North
Christmas trees, Santa hats and fake snow but with masks, social distancing and quarantine zones.
Filming Christmas movies in July and August heat is a BC Film industry tradition, but this summer these productions needed Covid-19 safety plans to go forward.
Masked crew at Hallmark’s A Christmas Tree Grows in Brooklyn shoot in Hope, B.C. Images by Barry Chou/@BarryChou.
Regular Hallmark stars like Candace Cameron Bure, Julie Gonzalez (Supergirl’s Andrea Rojaz), Ronnie Rowe, Luke Macfarlane, Merritt Patterson, Eion Bailey, Alvina August, Mark Taylor, Rochelle Aytes, Nikki DeLoach, Benjamin Ayres and Erin Krakow are filming here.
Cast from outside Canada has to do the government-mandated 14-day self-quarantine before heading to set.
Not every Christmas movie is a Hallmark movie but with 40 new originals beginning to air October 23rd on its channels, most of them are.
Ten Christmas movies.
Christmas Forgiveness – (Wrapped).
When a widowed mother takes her daughters to spend Christmas with her estranged dad on his Texas ranch, she unexpectedly falls in love with a local Mexican restaurant owner, while learning to forgive her father for the past.
Cast: Stephanie Bennett, Marco Grazzini, Lina Renna.
Director: Lucie Guest from Vancouver.
Dates: June 22nd to July 10th.
First Covid-era Christmas movie to film in B.C.?
CF = Christmas Forgiveness.
Thanks @chefbk11. https://t.co/QiuF3pjH0D— Hollywood North Buzz – YVRShoots (@yvrshoots) June 22, 2020
Chateau Christmas – Hallmark (Wrapped).
Cast: Merritt Patterson and Luke Macfarlane.
Director: Michael Robison from Toronto.
July 6th to 25th.
Chateau Christmas at Chateau Whistler
Christmas in July.
Chateau Christmas starts filming at the Chateau Whistler today with Christmas decorations, warmly dressed backgrounders & social distancing. #COVID19
(https://t.co/O6AaitfCAA) pic.twitter.com/RjLYsBlbzm— Hollywood North Buzz – YVRShoots (@yvrshoots) July 6, 2020
A Christmas in Nashville — (Wrapped).
Director: Tibor Takacs from Toronto.
July 8th to 28th.
Deliver by Christmas — Hallmark.
Cast: Alvina August and Eion Bailey.
Director: Terry Ingram from Vancouver.
July 13th to August 1st.
Jingle Bell Bride – Hallmark.
Cast: Julie Gonzalo and Ronnie Rowe.
Director: Allan Harmon from Vancouver.
July 16th to August 3rd.
A Christmas Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Hallmark.
Cast: Rochelle Aytes and Mark Taylor.
Director: Jason Bourque from Vancouver.
Shooting in Hope.
July 20th to August 11th.
This year’s #CountdowntoChristmas just got brighter! @rochelleaytes and #MarkTaylor star in #AChristmasTreeGrowsinBrooklyn – coming this #CountdowntoChristmas. pic.twitter.com/O5LPN0iTgU
— Hallmark Channel (@hallmarkchannel) July 15, 2020
The Christmas Yule Blog
Director: David Winning from Vancouver.
Shooting in Kelowna.
July 22nd to August 8th.
Cranberry Christmas – Hallmark.
Cast: Nikki DeLoach and Benjamin Ayres.
Director: Linda-Lisa Hayter.
July 27th to August 17th.
If I Only Had Christmas – Hallmark.
Cast: Candace Cameron Bure.
Director: David Weaver.
August 6th to 27th.
Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding – Lifetime.
Cast: Kelly Rowland.
Director: Sharon Lewis.
August 10th to 31st.
Locations.
Vancouver. Kelowna, Whistler, Squamish.
Hope.
There’s a film crew in Hope, BC. Looks like they’re filming a Christmas movie! Great to see the BC Film Industry rolling again! 😊🇨🇦⛰🎥🎞 #BCFilm #BCFilmIndustry @yvrshoots @YVRFilming @WhatsFilming pic.twitter.com/aWi2270zG9
— Barry Chou (@BarryChou_) July 21, 2020
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in July! Filming continues in Hope, BC. 🎥🎞🇨🇦🎄🌨❄️#BCFilmIndustry #BCFilm @yvrshoots pic.twitter.com/iUfDjz26Dw
— Barry Chou (@BarryChou_) July 23, 2020
Filming for “A Christmas Tree Grows in Brooklyn” continues in Hope, BC! 😊🇨🇦🎞🎥❄️🌨#BCFilm #BCFilmIndustry @WhatsFilming @yvrshoots @TOFilming_EM pic.twitter.com/nslk3WnVsw
— Barry Chou (@BarryChou_) July 24, 2020
@yvrshoots @WhatsFilming #aChristmasTreeGrowsinBrooklyn
Or #hopebc
Either way it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas 🙂 pic.twitter.com/ilOr1kmIr1— Lori Fuller (@StayHomeFTW) July 27, 2020
Burnaby’s Heritage Village
Possible Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movie being filmed at Heritage Village right now! Lots of snow and Xmas lights and decorations. Anyone know which one it is? @yvrshoots @WhatsFilming pic.twitter.com/emcJ4nrTuL
— Alayna 🦄 (@forever604) July 28, 2020
Maple Ridge.
@WhatsFilming @yvrshoots a couple of days ago in Maple Ridge downtown on 224th Street it looked like Christmas. Didn’t see any set signs but this spot is fairly close to the circus at Hwy 7 & 222 St. Do you know if this is a production? pic.twitter.com/aGBiLdvHGL
— Steve (@twephen) July 28, 2020
Christmas movies are filmed all over Canada.
Christmas on Wheels in Ottawa.
Image via Hollywood Reporter.
Cast: Toronto-based Randy Thomas & American actress Tiya Sircar.
Director: American Marita Grabiak, who had to quarantine for 14-days.
It’s Christmas in July in Ottawa, too.
TV movie Christmas on Wheels expected to start filming there today.
One of Ontario’s first productions to get underway in #Covid19 era. pic.twitter.com/Y0bCnWPJUi
— Hollywood North Buzz – YVRShoots (@yvrshoots) July 6, 2020