My Christmas Wish
A spirited and determined young girl, full of hope and heart, proves to us all that it is far better to give than receive.
Interview with Director James Tumminia
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I have been a part of Seraph Films since 2011, producing short films and web series. We have worked with many talented and giving filmmakers, including actors, and when it seemed we had one more short in us to end the calendar year, a Christmas short came to me with the cast you see in the film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you’re looking for a reminder of why you should always be hopeful and know that we are all connected to each other and the importance of giving to those we love, this is the film that will inspire you. And the ensemble cast does some of the best acting I’ve ever seen.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
One of the strongest beliefs I personally apply in my life is hope. It gets me through the good and the bad. In the film, we hear the importance of hope through the voice of a young girl who seems to be wiser than her years. She also emphasizes that it is far better to give than receive, not only at Christmas, and that the best gift we can give is our hearts.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
Once I had the general idea, very much inspired by the format utilized in one of my favorite films, “Love Actually,” and started fleshing out the concept in my mind (how a young girl writes a letter to Santa asking for him to help those she loves in need) and who these people are, all of the actors in this film and with whom I had previously worked “actually” informed me on how to create the characters on a subconscious level. I called up writer Troy Romeo (who wrote Seraph’s first Christmas short in 2011) and he and I began to fill in it. Amazingly, each actor tapped into these characters and brought their character’s authenticity beyond what I imagined when we filmed it over 8 days.
Children's Choir of Cappella Santa Cecilia of Lucca, Italy with Choir Conductor Sara Matteucci and film composer Saverio Rapezzi.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Everyone who has seen it and likes this genre has been very moved by the film’s message. It has evoked feelings in them that they miss or it has reignited a Christmas spirit that feels familiar and grounding. The cast has received high praise, winning Best Ensemble Award at the Monaco International Film Festival, including 3 individual acting awards for Andreas Beckett, Ian Roberts and Makayl Walsh, and acting nominations at other film festivals. One of Hollywood’s most celebrated veteran actors attended a screening in LA and commented about the exquisite talent of the entire cast. What a compliment! The beautiful music, production design and cinematography have also received glowing attention, and the fact we had it snow “somewhere” in Los Angeles makes people feel the Christmas deeper!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I’m not surprised about the feedback, good or otherwise. Filmmaking is very subjective and I respect people’s opinions. As long as the criticism is constructive, I’m open to discuss and if it’s positive, I’m grateful for that too. The most important thing to me is that we tell the story in the best way we can and be very authentic about it.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We hope to widen the film’s audience and entertain more people looking for this kind of film or story, and even reach a few people who weren’t looking, but got something out of watching it – a positive life-affirming message.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I am grateful for anyone who grabs on to the message and spreads it. We’ve had great responses at the 12 festivals we’ve screened at, including strong pushes from festival directors. The film’s awards and nominations have given the film visibility so we can talk more about the message and the team’s enormous talents. The market for short films is very tight. We dream of turning the story into a feature-length film, opening up the storylines, and giving it all more air in order to unfold. We welcome the chance to do that in collaboration with a co-producer who wants to get behind this kind of story or a distribution company that wants to collaborate because they know how to reach an audience.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I want everyone who sees it to connect to the message of hope and the importance of giving to each other. If they’ve need a reminder in their lives, that’s even better. It would be a bigger gift if another entity got behind to make the story bigger – as in a feature-length film – and get it to a global audience because really the theme is universal. It’s how we should be living our lives: hopeful and giving to others.
"My Christmas Wish" Cast (from left to right; back row Ian Roberts, John C. Epperson, Louis Dezseran, James Tumminia, Andreas Beckett and Nick Steele; second rom Heather Harper, Tara Emerson, Ashley Lynne Switzer and Anne Leighton
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
That’s a great question! For me it could start at “What happens when a child sees too much pain or sorrow, and wants to do something about that as only a child can? How would that impact, inspire and teach those of us who’ve been on this planet longer? Those are 2 questions!
Would you like to add anything else?
I hope that filmmakers who want to make stories like this are not discouraged because they’ve been told that the genre is not marketable. Just because movies with guys and girls in capes or with lots of visual effects make lots of money and dominate the box office, there is an audience out there who crave stories that make them feel…deeply. And that is very satisfying.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Nick has a fully functional soundstage in Burbank that is always busy and he is acting. Troy continues to write and Tanya just finished a successful run starring in a stage production of “Hamlet.” Gene and I are working together on his first feature-length narrative film.
As for me, I am producing a feature-length documentary on Gilda Radner, producing and have a supporting role in the Bulgaria/US co-production “All She Wrote” (director Niki Iliev) now in post-production, and in pre-production on a feature that will shoot in the US, Mexico and Canada. “Three Days in August” (director Johnathan Brownlee), an indie film on which I was one of the producers and casting director, was released in the US on December 2. In 2017, I’m also producing a short in Italy with director Alessandro Spallino and casting a horror/thriller directed by my Seraph colleague, Gene Blalock.
Interview: December 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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My Christmas Wish
A spirited and determined young girl, full of hope and heart, proves to us all that it is far better to give than receive.
Length: Approximately 26 minutes
Director: James Tumminia
Producer: Tanya Gorlow, Nick Somers and James Tumminia
Executive Producer: Gene Blalock
Writer: Troy Romeo and James Tumminia (story by James Tumminia)
About the writer, director and producer:
James Tumminia has produced for TV and several indie films including Strike One and he is also an actor (Resident Evil, Melissa & Joey).
Troy Romeo has written and directed numerous films (2095 and Pay Back - available on spike.com) and has several feature-length screenplays in development.
Award-winning director, Gene Blalock, is known for his touching, heart-warming films as much as his eccentric, short horror vignettes and projects with a decidedly human perspective.
Tanya Gorlow is a producer and actor (Good With Children, Among the Shadows) living in Los Angeles and helping corporations with their online marketing.
Nick Somers is an actor and a director whose projects revolve around social change and awareness. He is the founder of Burbank-based Nvisionate Studios.
Key cast: Andreas Beckett, Louis Dezseran, Tara Emerson, John C. Epperson, Heather Harper, Greg Jackson, Anne Leighton, Ian Roberts, Nick Steele, Ashley Lynne Switzer and Makayl Walsh.
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Short film distribution, producers to develop into a feature, festivals that schedule Christmas-themed/inspirational/positive-message films, journalists to write about the genre and movies that inspire.
Funders: Independently financed through the generosity of fans, friends and family.
Made in association with: n/a
Release date: World premiere at Big Apple Film Festival on November 9, 2014
Where will it screen in the next month? It will be available on Seraph’s Youtube channel and website.