Hallmark "Friends and Family Christmas"
The Hallmark Channel’s newest Countdown to Christmas movie, “Friends & Family Christmas,” premieres on Sunday, December 17, at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. The movie stars Humberly Gonzalez and Ali Liebert. Read on to learn all about where the movie was filmed and the cast involved.
‘Friends & Family Christmas’ Was Filmed in Vancouver, Canada
Hallmark“Friends and Family Christmas”
“Friends & Family Christmas” was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and directed by Vancouver’s own Anne Wheeler. The movie was written by Gary Goldstein and Tracy Andreen, and Ali Liebert was one of the executive producers.
UBCP/ACTRA reported that the movie (then called “A Friends & Family Christmas”) was filmed from September 11 through September 29 in the Vancouver region.
Goldstein shared on X about the movie, writing: “Another step forward for the network–and for #Christmasfilms. Honored to have been a part of it. Enjoy!”
Excited to announce the premiere of “Friends & Family Christmas,” a new holiday romcom I co-wrote, airing Sun. Dec. 17th at 8pm on @hallmarkchannel. Check it out! #christmasmovies #HolidaysAreComing #CountdownToChristmas #tvmovies
Gonzalez was so excited about the movie and LGBTQIA+ representation that she took to Instagram to praise the film.
“Leading an LGBTQ+ Hallmark Christmas Movie was not in my bingo cards ya’ll‼️👩🏼❤️💋👩🏽🎄🏳️🌈 This feels like a full circle moment and the representation I always wanted to see,” she wrote. “A celebration of love. Queer love! Not just that but sharing the screen with a fellow queer actor who I adored from day one, my charming co-star @aliliebert 💫 We had LGBTQ+ folk infront and behind the camera and it was one of the most glorious sets with the best vibes to step foot on…”
In an interview with NewsisOut, both actresses were asked what it felt like to be the first lesbian romantic leads on the Hallmark Channel.
Liebert responded: “I’ve been wanting – and I’ve been stating it on Twitter for at least five years – waiting for the moment when there was a holiday movie for the lesbians… For me, it was really meaningful and I felt really lucky that so many of the team were queer and that our leading lady, this wonderful woman right here, we were the perfect people to do it.”
Gonzalez said she hopes this is the first of many roles like this for her on Hallmark.
She added: “It’s also such a beautiful thing, because there is so much homophobia and transphobia back home. It’s something that I grew up around and was very fearful that, you know, I was going to be excommunicated from everything if I followed this path. And to be met with so much love has been shocking.”
Meet the Cast
Hallmark“Friends and Family Christmas”
Hallmark’s synopsis reads: “Daniella has recently moved to New York to pursue an art career and decides to stay in town to share the holidays with her circle of artist friends, instead of going home to see her sweet, if overbearing parents. Amelia is a talented entertainment lawyer trying to stay focused on her work after a broken engagement. When Daniella and Amelia are set up by their parents, they agree to pretend that they are dating, to appease them for the holidays. However, as they spend time in each other’s worlds, they soon build a connection that is deeper than either of them could have hoped for.”
Dani is played by Humberly Gonzalez. According to her bio, some of her major roles including starring alongside Jason Momoa in the Netflix feature “Slumberland” and appearing in the indie film “A Hundred Lies.” Additionally, she is currently portraying the lead character in the popular Hulu mini-series “Utopia Falls” and has made recurring appearances on the NBC series “Nurses.” In the past year, Gonzalez earned acclaim for her role on the CW’s “In The Dark.” Her credits also include “Orphan Black,” “Saving Hope,” “Workin’ Moms,” and “The Detail.”
Ali Liebert plays Amelia. According to her bio, Liebert’s a recipient of the Canadian Screen Award for “Best Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series” and a Leo Award for her role as Betty McRae in “Bomb Girls.” In 2022, Liebert clinched another Leo Award for her portrayal of Nina in “Van Helsing.” She divides her time between Vancouver, Toronto, and Los Angeles.
Liebert’s well known among Hallmark fans, with romcom credits that include “Three Wise Men and a Baby,” “Every Time a Bell Rings,” “Cooking with Love,” and more.
Also starring in the movie, according to Hallmark’s press statement, are:
- Gabriela Reynoso (Raquel McCallan)
- Christopher Shyer (Luke McCallan)
- Samantha Cole (Kylie Cooke)
- Barclay Hope (John Kasmerec)
- Jeremy Hoffman (Tanner Amini)
- Kyle Toy (Javier Bastano)
- Belinda Metz (Liza Cole)
- Sunita Prasad (Quinn)
- Patti Allan (Mrs. Visser)
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