Christmas magic arrives in Minerva, Magnolia, and Carrollton

A Christmas Drawn Together: A Small-Town Charm

A director hollered out instructions on the set of "A Christmas Drawn Together," a movie being filmed in Stark and Carroll counties.

"Two minutes," she said as a female lead sat patiently while her tresses of blond hair were curled.

Alex Hyde-White, a lead actor in the romantic holiday movie, reviewed his part before rolling up the script and shoving it in his back pocket.

The impending scene was being filmed at the Heartland on Heritage wedding venue in the Magnolia area. Other filming locations are in Carrollton and Minerva.

Embracing the Small-Town Vibe

"It’s just rewarding," she said. "We love doing movies in small towns like this because we pour as much as we can of our support into local businesses with our cast and crew while we’re here."

Filming continues through Jan. 18, including in Minerva, where locations include the Roxy Theatre, Sandy Springs Brewing Co., Dunlap Photography, The Clever Cookie & Creamery, Lions Den Sports Shop and Walker’s Cafe. Carrollton filming locations include the Carroll County Courthouse and Carroll County Coffee Co.

"The downtown feel (Minerva) has there is very charming," Director Josh Menning said. "… And it’s been very cooperative to be shooting there as well as in Carrollton and Magnolia. So, it has all the boxes that are checked for the small town feel for a Christmas movie."

A Local Touch in the Script

Movie has strong Carrollton and Minerva connections

Duane Abel, a Carroll County native and a cartoonist, wrote the script.

"He wanted to pour some love on the community he loves so much," Ice said.

The plot — which follows popular Christmas movie themes — centers on attorney Molly Hanover who grew up in the shadow of her father Fred Hanover’s cartoon "Coley, The Penguin That Saved Christmas." But a legal dispute threatens to tarnish her father’s legacy and romance ensues as she attempts to save Christmas.

"A Christmas Drawn Together" is co-produced by Abel and his wife Coral and executive produced by Carrollton native Katie Atwood-Batson with Timeless Realm Productions.

"Making this movie come to life has literally been a year-and-a-half of my life," Atwood-Batson said. "Putting the parts and pieces and puzzle all together to make Duane’s vision a reality. This is a dream come true."

Cast and Crew Bring Their Expertise

Lead actor’s credits include ‘Battlestar Galactica’ and ‘Quincy M.E.’

Menning’s film credits include "An Angelic Christmas," "Song of the Tree Frogs" and "Best of Our Fathers." Menning, 40, graduated from East Palestine High School in 2004 and Kent State University in 2008.

"It’s one of many films for the crew," Ice said. "But as far as the executive producer, this is her first one, and she’s pretty excited about it. She graduated from Carrollton (High School) and lives in Oklahoma City."

Joining Hyde-White, 66, in lead roles are Angela Cole, 31, and Sam Myerson, 33. Cole’s films include "A Roommate to Die For" in 2023 and "Love in the Limelight" in 2022. Myerson’s roles include "NCIS: Origins" and "A Carpenter Christmas Romance," both in 2024.

“It’s lovely," Hyde-White said of the movie. "It talks about the value of art and the value of kindness, and it has traditional sort of holiday greetings associated with it.”

Hyde-White has been acting or producing since the 1970s. Credits include "Battlestar Galactica," "Pursuit of Happiness," "Landman," "General Hospital," "Gods and Generals," "The Christmas Pageant," "Newhart," "Dexter" and "Quincy M.E."

"As a character actor that I have been since I’ve been in my 40s, it’s great," he said. "I’m on some wonderful sets. I’m supporting. I have a couple of scenes here and there, but this was a character that was critical to the nucleus and to the chemistry of the film, and I really wanted to lend whatever experience I had."

"It’s supposed to get easier as you get older, and it’s supposed to be better in a way as you get older," Hyde-White said of artists and actors. "I think when we’re all young, we’re insecure and we’re driven and we think we really need to focus on things, and sometimes you just have to let life happen, and that’s a lot of what this project (and) this story is about is when the busy city girl daughter comes back, she rediscovers in traditional sort of Hallmark fashion that the life worth living (in a small town) is the one that ultimately makes a difference."

A Community Effort

Christmas movie gets lots of extras

More than 300 people responded to a callout for extras, Ice said. About 150 extras are being used in filming.

Menning, the director, said extras are essential to making the movie possible.

"They give it more of a hometown feel," said Menning, who also serves as the film’s director of photography. "It helps to enhance the hometown celebration."

Some scenes will feature Minerva officials.

"We have (Minerva Mayor Mason Boldizar) and a bunch of people from City Hall and City Council who are going to be some of the background actors," Ice said. "It’s actually going to be a pretty fun scene to film."

Local Businesses Step Into the Spotlight

Jennifer Jackson, who co-owns The Clever Cookie & Creamery with her husband, Marvin, said she’s excited to be part of the movie. Duane and Coral Abel are regular customers.

"We thought it would be so much fun," said Jackson, 44.

The Clever Cookie’s outdoor space was transformed into a Christmas tree farm in the film. An upstairs Airbnb also is a filming location.

"They wanted a comfortable place where (one of the characters) lives," Jackson said. "With a cozy Christmas vibe."

A Taste of the Film

Jackson looks forward to watching the finished film.

"I’ve watched Hallmark movies a lot with my parents," she said. "They love them. We kind of tease a little bit that we know what will happen — (the main characters) are in the country and they fall in love but that’s OK.

"They’re usually fun," Jackson added. "They make you feel good. You can forget everything for an hour and a half and can enjoy something fun no matter if you know how it’s going to end or not."

Snowy Scenes Add to the Magic

Fresh snow was ‘very picturesque’

Snowfall around New Year’s Eve was perfect for the Christmas movie, Ice said.

"They’ve got these beautiful rolling hills here … and the snow looked very picturesque," Ice said. "The snow was an extra — it was great."

"We got lucky because the writer, Duane Able, envisioned snow on the ground and a cute, picturesque small town," she added. "So it worked out really well … because we were able to get some really, really great exterior shots."

Attention to Detail Brings the Story to Life

Props and scenes include books, T-shirts, greeting cards and plush toys created for the fictional cartoon character "Coley the Penguin."

"I wanted people to believe that Coley actually existed," said Abel, who is also a supporting actor in the film. "The attention to detail has been absolutely amazing. Everything just fell into place. Everyone believed in this project the moment they read it. That’s how we were able to get the caliber of cast and crew that we got."

A Nod to Classic Holiday Films

Film pays homage to classic Christmas movies

The movie will be pitched to Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and other streaming and television platforms, as well as the Hallmark Channel. Filmmakers plan for the movie to be released during the 2026 holiday season.

"We’ll take it to a couple of festivals and get the marketing going on it," Ice said. "It’s an adorable story. We have an incredible cast."

Duane Abel is also hopeful the movie can be screened or premiered at Roxy Theatre in downtown Minerva.

A Celebration of Tradition and Hope

Abel said "A Christmas Drawn Together" pays homage to classic Christmas movies, including "Miracle on 34th Street," "It’s a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story."

"I love what I do," said Abel, who created the cartoon strip ZED, which appears in several weekly newspapers. "I want this story to be told. I want people, when they view this movie, to be inspired and have hope.

"It knows what it is," Abel said of the film. "We know we’re making a Christmas movie. We’re not shying away from that. We want to embrace that wholeheartedly."