Hallmark Christmas film will shoot in Lake Placid

Lohr McKinstry, The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
·2 min read

Nov. 24—LAKE PLACID — Anyone who wants to be an extra in a Hallmark Christmas film in Lake Placid might get a chance in December.

"A Jar Full of Christmas" will start shooting Monday, Dec. 4 in Lake Placid village and wrap around Thursday, Dec. 21, Producer Candice Cain said.

Cain's Gemelli Films of Brookhaven, Long Island is behind the heartwarming film slated for the Hallmark Channel.

The cast hasn't been signed yet, Cain said, but all will be in place by the start of filming.

"I'm currently in pre-production and casting," she told the Press-Republican. "No cast is set right now."

Cain is a producer-writer-director whose previous films have included "Christmas for Three" and "Holiday in the Hamptons."

In the script, Rose, the principal character, inherits her mother's home in Lake Placid and is reunited with her childhood friend, Summer. They use Rose's late mom's jam recipe to save the town church, "blending nostalgia, love and community," according to the Internet Movie Database pre-production listing.

Cain said the perfect holiday film to her is a combination of humor and sappiness. Gemelli Films is run by women and creates projects with strong female characters, according to its website.

For this TV movie, Cain said she needs locations that include a house to stay and film in, a diner, a restaurant, a lodge/cozy restaurant, a school, an office, a skating rink, a sledding hill with night sledding, a church, a large meeting space, like a hotel ballroom or school gymnasium, and a parking lot.

A crew of 10 is coming from the studio, but also needed are a makeup artist, hair stylist, first assistant director, key grip, grip, set designer, production assistants, catering, and background actors (extras).

"I am looking for help," Cain said. "I may also be interested in renting an office for the month so that we have our own space. I definitely need two homes where we can sleep, as I have five men and five women coming up from Long Island."

The email address for location assistance is: Production@Gemellifilm.com.

"Any and all help is appreciated," Cain said. "But please don't email asking for an audition or sending headshots. Everyone can submit on Actors Access, and if you fit, we'll call you in."

Auditions for speaking roles can be found at the ActorsAccess site: actorsaccess.com.

Once filming completes, the footage goes back to the studio for editing and scoring, so a Christmas season 2024 release is planned, publicist Serina Marshall said.