Sartaj Singh
Directed by Tara Johns, ‘Our Christmas Mural’ is a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie that follows single mother Olivia, who revisits her hometown and enters a mural contest. Olivia is fired from her job at an art gallery in the city because of an artistic and emotional block she has been dealing with since her husband passed away two years ago. When she visits New Hampshire, her mother enters her into a mural painting competition. Reluctant at first, Olivia finds her creative spark when challenged by rival contestant Will Campbell, a handsome teacher beloved in the community.
Winning the competition, Olivia teams up with Will to create a Christmas masterpiece, rushing to complete the mural before Christmas Eve. With the pair giving it their all and their imminent departure from the quaint neighborhood nearing, a colorful romance sparks up between them. Looking at the cozy small-town setting, you may be wondering where this movie is filmed and who the actors behind it are.
Our Christmas Mural Shooting Locations
‘Our Christmas Mural’ is filmed in and around the city of Montreal, in the province of Quebec, and not in New Hampshire as the narrative dictates. Filming began on August 28, 2023, and was wrapped up in September of the same year. Let us take a closer look at the location the filmmakers chose for this project.
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal, also known as the mural city, stands as a vibrant and culturally rich metropolis situated in the French-speaking province of Quebec in the Great White North. It is renowned for its unique blend of European charm and modern urbanity. The city is steeped in history, exuding an old-world allure evident in its cobblestone streets of Old Montreal. Its diverse scenery and captivating urban landscape draw filmmakers to lens their productions in Montreal.
Street art has become an identifier for the French-speaking city and murals can be found by walking around in just about any locality. The Under Pressure annual graffiti festival has been held here since 1994, drawing artists and giving them an opportunity to legally express themselves on a large scale. Its focus is to guide youth in the right direction, empowering them with the added benefit of community development and beautification. Montreal is thus an appropriate setting for ‘Our Christmas Mural,’ and the film crew could easily acquire local artists to create the murals we see in the movie.
Beyond its aesthetic appeal, Montreal offers a supportive infrastructure for the film industry. The city provides competitive tax incentives and a skilled workforce in filmmaking and production. Additionally, world-class studios and production facilities, along with experienced local crews and talent, contribute to the city’s attractiveness as a filming destination. As a result, many prominent films have been lensed here; these include ‘Arrival,’ ‘Scream VI,’ ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,’ ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’ and ‘The Notebook.’
Our Christmas Mural Cast
The movie uses a small but talented cast of actors to tell its story. It is led by Dan Jeannotte and Alex Paxton-Beesley as Will and Oliver. They are joined by Tristan D. Lalla as Cody and Sarah Booth as Ivy. Interestingly, Dan, Alex, and Sarah have previously worked together on the TV series ‘The Bold Type.’
Alex Paxton-Beesley is an experienced actress, you may have seen her work in ‘Cardinal’ as Red, ‘Copper’ as Ellen Corcoran, ‘Pure’ as Anna Funk, and ‘Murdoch Mysteries’ as Winifred ‘Freddie’ Pink. Dan Jeannotte is an actor, writer, and voice artist, known for his roles in ‘Reign’ as James Stuart, ‘Good Witch’ as Brandon Russell, ‘The Bold Type’ as Ryan Decker, and ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ as Lieutenant George Samuel.
Read More: A Christmas for the Ages: Filming and Cast Details Explored
