Naman Shrestha
Directed by Danny J. Boyle, Lifetime’s ‘Sweet Holiday Romance’ is a Christmas romantic comedy movie that follows a famous and talented pastry chef named Amanda, who fears that her baking career is gradually fading away into oblivion. In order to prove her worth as a baker, she decides to participate in the Chicago Christmas Market Christmas Cookie Competition and earn the title of the Queen of Christmas Cookies. Looking for inspiration to bake the best confections, Amanda heads to her hometown of Paisley, where she is paired up with a charming nephew of Jackie, the owner of The Little Shop of Fudge.
Although entrepreneur Simon is in charge of the operations of the fudge shop, he has no idea about making fudge. Now, Amanda and Simon must work together to prepare Jackie’s famous fudge without her recipe and win the competition. During the process, sparks fly between the two, making the holidays all the more sweet and romantic. Originally titled ‘Christmas, Love and Fudge,’ the tale of baking and romance unfolds primarily in the quaint fictional town of Paisley, which is adorned with Christmas decorations and snow.
Where Was Sweet Holiday Romance Filmed?
The shooting for ‘Sweet Holiday Romance’ primarily took place in British Columbia, specifically in Kelowna. From what we can tell, principal photography for the holiday film got underway in early July 2024 and went on for a few weeks before wrapping up by the end of the same month. The vast and versatile landscape of British Columbia makes it an ideal spot for shooting all kinds of projects.
Kelowna, British Columbia
All the pivotal sequences for ‘Sweet Holiday Romance’ were reportedly lensed in and around the city of Kelowna, situated on Okanagan Lake in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. In order to shoot key indoor scenes, the production team supposedly took over a few real-life establishments or residential properties. As for the exterior portions, they were taped in different streets and neighborhoods of Kelowna, which was redressed as the fictional town of Paisley for the production. For instance, the cast and crew members were spotted recording various key portions in and around the Bean Scene Coffee Works North at 1399 Ellis Street.
In the establishing shots, it is likely that certain landmarks and buildings feature, such as Knox Mountain Park, the William R. Bennett Bridge, Big White Ski Resort, the Apple Bowl, and more. Apart from ‘Sweet Holiday Romance,’ the city has served as a production location for many films. Some of the notable ones include ‘Our Holiday Story,’ ‘Puppy Love,’ ‘Single and Ready to Jingle,’ ‘A Perfect Christmas Carol,’ ‘The Wedding Contest,’ ‘Just Like a Christmas Movie,’ and ‘Checkin’ It Twice.’
Sweet Holiday Romance Cast Details
The cast of ‘Sweet Holiday Romance’ is led by the chemistry-filled performances of Erin Karpluk and Christopher Russell. Despite featuring on ‘The Irrationals,’ they didn’t get the chance to work together because both made appearances in different seasons. However, their real-life camaraderie shone through in their portrayal of their characters. Interestingly, Erin has also served as an executive producer for a miniseries titled ‘Riftworld Chronicles.’
Erin Karpluk as Amanda
In the Lifetime film, Erin Karpluk essays the character of Amanda, the world-renowned pastry chef. Through the portrayals of Erica Strange in ‘Being Erica,’ Anna Benoit in ‘A Million Little Things,’ and Katherine Hobbie in ‘Holly Hobbie,’ Erin has cemented her place in the TV industry. You might also recognize her from ‘Smoke,’ ‘Upload,’ ‘Rabbit Hole,’ and ‘Slasher.’ Her movie credits include the likes of ‘A Swingers Weekend,’ ‘Do Exactly As I Say,’ ‘Three Wiser Men and a Boy,’ ‘All My Husband’s Wives,’ and ‘Deadly Deed: A Fixer Upper Mystery.’
Christopher Russell as Simon
Christopher Russell steps into the role of Simon, an entrepreneur and Amanda’s love interest, in ‘Sweet Holiday Romance.’ Widely recognized for his roles as Barrett in ‘Land of the Dead,’ Milton Richter in ‘Star Trek: Discovery,’ Cliff Whitlow in ‘Supernatural,’ and Trey Bowman in ‘Day of the Dead.’ The Toronto, Ontario, native also makes an appearance in many other movies and shows, like ‘Seduced by His Lies,’ ‘A Costa Rican Wedding,’ ‘A Dash of Christmas,’ ‘When Hope Calls,’ ‘Tracker,’ and ‘UnREAL.’
Moreover, Janet Anderson portrays Jackie, Simon’s aunt, who runs The Little Shop of Fudge in Paisley. Other talented actors who play supporting yet important roles include Ashley Alexander as Diana, Dalias Blake as Levin, Brian McCune as Jake, Toby Marks as Tanya, Edward Lafferty as Barrie, Jacqueline Marie as KT Cinnamon, Wayne Corbeil as a Customer, and Laurie Robb as a Baking contestant.
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