The family-friendly Christmas romance movie "Saving Christmas Spirit" will premiere on AMC+ Friday, December 23, 2022, as one of the streamer’s exclusive titles for the month. The film will be released on additional platforms in 2023. Nicely’s EVP of Distribution and Co-Productions, Scott Kirkpatrick, negotiated the deal with AMC+ and also secured the film with Canada’s Bell Media. Nicely Entertainment also manages the worldwide distribution of Persephone Hawkins’ previous film, "Adeline."
Nicely Entertainment is handling worldwide distribution and arranged the premiere on AMC+. “We’re thrilled to be in continued business with producer Persephone Hawkins. Saving Christmas Spirit is a gorgeous holiday romance, and we’re excited to see its success on a global scale with more business to come next year,” Nicely Entertainment’s Founder & CEO Vanessa Shapiro, who served as Executive Producer on the film, said.
"Saving Christmas Spirit" was directed by Wendy Faraone (That Girl Lay Lay and Ravens Home) and written by Joelle Sellner (Ben 10, Reluctant Nanny and Love on the Vines). Other supporting cast includes UK talents Tibu Fortes (EastEnders) and Nicholas Karimi (You Don’t Know Me). The film was shot on location at Kinlochmoidart House, a 19th-century sporting estate in the heart of the West Highlands. In addition to this stunning estate location, the neighboring highlands offered the crew majestic mountains and natural locations, which add to the film’s stunning production value. “Filming in these remote and awe-inspiring regions of Scotland perfectly captured the style and tone we wanted on screen. Saving Christmas Spirit offers an elevated experience for lovers of traditional Christmas movies, providing a more grandiose and cinematic experience that speaks to audiences around the world while staying true to Scottish history and culture. Along with a touching romance and gorgeous scenery, we also weave in a little holiday magic for an added pop of fun,” Producer Persephone Hawkins (owner of the film’s production company Pandora Persephone Films) said.
A private screening of the film is set to take place at the Director’s Guild of American theatre in Hollywood on Saturday, December 10th. Set within the beautiful Highlands of Scotland, "Saving Christmas Spirit" tells the story of an American archaeologist working across the pond who discovers the importance of letting a little festive wonder back into her life, finding love along the way. When brilliant and sharp-witted archaeologist Lucy Stewart (Ashley Newbrough, Privileged, Christmas is for Keeps) decides to spend her Christmas break in the Scottish Highlands, she goes on a quest to find the ruins of a shrine to ancient goddess Beira, the Queen of Winter. She checks into the local manor house, where she meets a charming distillery owner (James Robinson, Braveheart, Outlander) who offers to guide her through the Scottish countryside. Together, Lucy and Duncan explore the beauty of the Highlands while searching for her elusive shrine. But when their fortunes take a turn for the worst, they are both left with tough choices. Meanwhile, Duncan’s young American cousin Finn (Jake Satow, The Dropout, Gaslit) must navigate his own challenges as he trains for an important rugby match while also supporting the efforts of a young Caitrin (Layla Burns, Outlander), who wants to start a girls’ rugby team. Finn and Coach Ferguson (Louis Emerick, Coronation Street) will face tough choices of their own. Trying to hold everyone together is the boisterous Edina McAvoy (Joanne Randle, The Show Must Go Online), mother to Duncan and aunt to Finn, who runs the manor house and believes it’s inhabited by the Christmas-loving ghost of her husband.