Christmas Lodge Focuses on the True Spirit of Christmas

When I spoke with producer Jack Nasser about Christmas Lodge, I realized this family film was driven by more than the outward appearances of Christmas. During our talk, Nasser told me, “Most Christmas movies are driven by Santa Claus and reindeer and things that are more commercial. Christmas Lodge was a movie where we focused on faith and the idea of Christmas as far as how it relates to religion, Christ, and family. That’s a lot different than what Hollywood normally sees.”

Nasser Entertainment Gets Back to Basics

I was curious to know the motivation behind the project. Nasser told me, “A couple of years back, my brother was going through a hard time. And, while he was going through this, I began thinking about things that mattered. My brother and I were in show business, making movies, and we decided we should make movies that mattered, movies that would be putting light on the Lord, the challenges of the human spirit, and right and wrong. You know, everything is not based on fast cars, girls, and violence.”

The Company Steps Forward Alone

Getting funding for the project was the first obstacle confronting the brothers. “In the end,” Nasser says, “We decided to dig into our own pockets and get this movie made.”

Good Actors Are Hard to Find

But finding someone to act in the project proved equally overwhelming. Nasser continues, “It was too religious for a lot of actors. I started reaching out to people I know and met a gentleman by the name of Jim Cressman, who’s a manager/agent. He had worked with Victoria [Banks]. And I told him I was having a hard time casting this movie. He suggested I contact Victoria.”

“Also, I had known Michael [Shanks] a little, and I know he has a strong faith. I asked him if he would read the script, and he agreed. He loved it and asked me if he could be involved, which was fantastic. It was great news.”

A Great Project Comes to Life

Christmas Lodge was shot in Vancouver over a period of about two months.

It was released to DVD on October 11, 2011. Nasser hopes GMC (Gospel Music Channel) or another network will pick it up for the Christmas season.

Nasser Moves on

In the meantime, Nasser’s company is continuing its work with family film and has completed a second project, A Mile in His Shoes, which will be released to DVD in January 2012. A third project, The Woodcarver, is in post-production. Nasser confirmed to me that, “All these films are family movies, showing right from wrong. They all bring us back to the things that matter most.”