Black Cinema Connection

Release Date:  11/30/13; Lifetime
Genre:  Holiday/romance
Rating:  PG
Director:  Peter Sullivan
Studio(s):  Hybrid, HFD Productions, Starz Home Entertainment
Running Time:  88 mins.

Cast: 
Tatyana Ali – Jennifer
Jordin Sparks – Abby
Ernie Hudson – Pastor Avery
Lamorne Morris – Jack
Bill Cobbs – Ted
Della Reese – Linda
Jay Ellis – Dr. Brad
Denise Boutte – Gayle
Elimu Nelson – Chris
Levi Fiehler – Kelvin

Story:  Beverly Hills banker/workaholic Jennifer (Tatyana Ali) comes home to her small Northern California town just before Christmas when her dad, Ted (Bill Cobbs), takes a bad fall while putting up decorations. While home, Jennifer begins getting romantic Christmas cards from an unknown admirer, who turns out to be her old neighbor and the unrealized true love of her life, Jack (Lamorne Morris), who died in a car accident three years ago.  Source(s): Wikipedia; Aceshowbiz.com.

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Release Date:  10/24/20; Hallmark
Genre:  Holiday/Romance
Rating:   TV-G
Director:  Allan Harmon
Studio(s):  Hallmark Channel, Johnson Production Group
Running Time:  84 mins.

Cast:  Ronnie Rowe (Matt), Julie Gonzalo (Jessica Perez), BJ Harrison (Mary), Keenan Mentzos (Landon).

Story:  Wedding planner Jessica Perez travels to a remote town in Alaska to find a rare flower for a celebrity client and is charmed by the small-town during Christmas, as well as the handsome local helping her.  Source:  Hallmark; IMDB.

Trailer:

Release Date:  12/13/00; VH1
Genre:  Holiday/Comedy
Rating:  PG
Director:  Richard Schenkman
Studio(s):  Viacom Entertainment Group, Viacom Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, VH1 Television.
Running Time:  120 mins.

Cast:  Vanessa Williams (Ebony Scrooge), Rozonda ‘Chilli’ Thomas (Marli Jacob), John Taylor (Ghost of Christmas Present), Brian McNamara (Bob Cratchett), Kathy Griffin (Ghost of Christmas Past), Stephanie Biddle (Terry Freeman), Richard Jutras (Ernie Hoskins).

Story:  To superstar singer Ebony Scrooge, Christmas is just another day of the year – another day to exploit her entourage, insult her family and steal from the less fortunate, before a fateful Christmas Eve changes her tune forever. Enter the ghost of Marli Jacob, Ebony’s former singing partner, who informs the impossible Diva that she will be visited by three spirits: the sharp-tongued Ghost of Christmas Past, the hard-drinking Ghost of Christmas Present and eventually, the Ghost of Christmas Future, who materializes in an episode of VH1’s Behind the Music. Once Ebony realizes the errors of her miserly ways, she heads out to set the record straight, as only a true Diva can.  Source(s):  IMDB.

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Release Date:  11/1/20; Lifetime
Genre:  Holiday/Romance
Rating:  NR
Director:  Tibor Takács
Studio(s):  Nanny Films, Lifetime
Running Time:   86 mins.

Cast:  Keshia Knight Pulliam (Rebecca), Jarod Joseph (Drew), Nyla Alleyne (Maggie), Gabriel Jacob-Cross (Dan).

Story:  When Rebecca Miller (Keshia Knight Pulliam) returns home to Tennessee two weeks before Christmas to take care of her niece and nephew while their parents are away, the last thing she expected is to reconnect with her childhood best friend, Drew (Jarod Joseph). As she attempts to revive the kids’ Christmas spirit and redeem their faith in Santa, she rediscovers her favorite childhood activity: 12 Days of Christmas — something she always did with Drew. As the kids’ faith in the holiday grows, Rebecca and Drew’s friendship returns, and she starts looking at Drew in a whole new light.  Source(s):  IMDB; mylifetime.com.

Trailer:

Release Date:  11/20/20; Netflix

Genre:  Holiday/Comedy

Rating:  NR

Director:  Monica Floyd

Studio(s):   BreakOut Music, True Vision Media Group, Netflix.

Running Time:  63 mins.

Cast:  Jackie Long, Ray J, JayQ, Diane Howard, J. Anthony Brown, Miguel A. Núñez, Jr., Anthony McKinley and Julia May Wong

Story:   A tech entrepreneur’s Christmas shopping app is a smashing success, but he starts to believe his invention might be ruining the holiday spirit.  Source(s):  Rogersmovienation.com; rottentomatoes.com; IMDB.

Trailer:

Release Date:  10/24/20; Lifetime
Genre:  Holiday/Romance
Rating: TV-G
Director:  Bosede Williams
Studio(s):  Lifetime Television, Neshama Entertainment, MarVista Entertainment
Running Time:  87 mins.

Cast:  Amber Stevens West (Charity Jones), Marco Grazzini (Erik Gallagher), Cherion Drakes (Tisha Davis), Anthony Sherwood (Martin Jones), Cheryl Ladd (Janet Cohen), Morgan Kelly (Aaron Coleman).

Story:  From executive producer Tiffany Haddish, Christmas Unwrapped follows cynical reporter Charity (Amber Stevens West) who gets the opportunity of a lifetime when her boss, Janet (Cheryl Ladd) assigns her to profile Erik Gallagher (Marco Grazzini), a handsome bachelor who organizes millions of dollars to help the less fortunate every Christmas. Erik claims his charity is all funded by Santa Claus, so Charity’s assignment is to discover where the money really comes from – -something other reporters have failed to find out. Knowing this assignment could make or break her career, Charity is initially frustrated that Erik and his associates reveal hardly any information about his mysterious source of funding. But as Charity spends more time with Erik, she begins to appreciate his unwavering conviction that anything is possible if you just believe. With her article’s deadline approaching, Charity discovers the real source of Erik’s funding and must decide whether or not exposing the truth is worth ruining her newfound belief in the magic of Christmas and love for Erik.  Source(s):  IMDB; mylifetime.com.

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