By Daniel Lahr
Executive Director of Central Coast Film Society
Yes, it is still October and there is a little election that’s still going to happen in a few weeks, so we might be a little preoccupied. However, there is something for us all to look forward to. The Lifetime Christmas movie, “A Very Charming Christmas Town,” is set to air at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8.
A still from “A Very Charming Christmas Town,” the Lifetime Christmas movie set in Solvang.
Photo by Nicely Entertainment
This film is about a city girl, Aubrey Lang, who is a travel and lifestyle blogger, and goes to the little town of Solvang for her next holiday vlog piece after it’s voted Most Christmassy Town in the USA. She soon meets Sawyer Larsen, a local community coordinator and chocolate shop owner assigned to show her around the small town. At first, the unlikely pairing is at odds but soon start to fall for each other amidst the twinkling lights of the romantic little Danish village.
The Central Coast Film Society Executive Director Daniel Lahr had the pleasure of acting as the film liaison for the production and with Solvang.
“Getting to help the production prominently showcase one of the most Christmasy towns in America was so much fun,” Lahr said. “I was involved early on in pre-production, before a script was even written, and helped give the writer and director, Jake Helgren, a sense of the spirit people experience in Solvang during Christmas time. I haven’t read the final script, and haven’t seen it yet, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Lahr was also asked by the production to help find extras to fill the background of the busy streets of Solvang.
“We put out a call on our Central Coast Film Society social media pages, and the response was huge,” he said. “So many people wanted to be a part of it. I know there’s a lot of locals from the Central Coast who will appear in the movie.”
Lahr also has a cameo appearance during the finale of the film.
“I do make a quick appearance at the end,” he said. “It was super quick, so it may have been cut. I guess we’ll find out on November 8.”
Lahr also commented that he hopes the movie will help support the tourism-dependent town regain some of its visitors after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lifetime Christmas movies will get at least 1 million views for each film.
Were you a part of the shoot? Did you see them filming during December 2019? Are you looking forward to it? Check out some behind the scene photos and trailer at www.centralcoastfilmsociety.org.
