MAGNOLIA, Ohio — Christmas may be over, but the holiday spirit is still alive and well in the form of a Christmas movie being filmed in Stark and Carroll counties, in the towns of Magnolia, Minerva, and Carrollton.
Heartland on Heritage, a wedding venue in Magnolia, has been transformed into a movie set. On Friday, A Minerva School bus was brought in and used for a scene.
Among the actors, 10-year-old Maddox Reitz from Sylvania, Ohio, is making her debut.
"It's kind of cool because I've been reaching for this goal for so long and I finally reached it," Maddox said.
The romantic comedy titled "A Christmas Drawn Together" centers around an attorney who grew up in the shadow of her dad's cartoon character, named "Coley the Penguin" and a legal battle that turns into a fight to save Christmas— part of which plays out in the bus scene.
The movie's screenwriter and co-producer, Duane Abel, grew up in Carrollton.
"They are rallying, the entire community is now beginning to rally around our fictional character, and they want to try to save everything as quickly as they can before Christmas Eve," Able said.
Over the past few weeks, filming has taken place in multiple locations in Stark and Carroll counties, including the Clever Cookie and Creamery in Minerva.
Abel believes the area captures the perfect small-town Christmas feel.
"Hopefully, it means a lot of pride. Hopefully, it will be something they can look back on many years from now and just be filled with pride that this is where they live," Abel said.
Director Josh Menning says the crew has felt welcome throughout the area, including at Heartland and Heritage. Inside the event venue, an area was turned into a gift shop and an office for the moive.
"This place has been wonderful. We've also been shooting in Downtown Minerva, which is a very charming town," said Menning. "They've also left their Christmas lights up. Some stores have also left up their displays."
The movie-making has created a lot of buzz around town, and a lot of excitement for more than 100 extras—and, of course, for Maddox.
"It's really cool, but also sometimes it's very nerve-wracking because you want to get everything great," Maddox said.
Abel said the independent Christmas movie will be pitched to multiple streaming and T.V. platforms. He's hoping people in Northeast Ohio and beyond will love it.
"It just looks so incredibly beautiful, especially right now with all the snow on the ground. I couldn't have wished for a better scene," Able said.
Filming will continue through this weekend, and the goal is to have "A Christmas Drawn Together" ready for release to the widest audience possible by next Christmas.
