Locally filmed ‘Festival of Trees’ holiday comedy benefits Children’s Healthcare

Miner shares the screen with child actress Jojo Regina (“Where the Crawdads Sing”), Alpha Trivette (“The Waltons: Homecoming”), Joseph C. Phillips (“13 Reasons Why,” “The Cosby Show”), Josie Davis (“Beverly Hills 90210″) and Atlanta-born newcomer Sara Hayter, who Waters said was “an absolute joy” to watch.

“I saw her (Hayter) and I go, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s perfect. She has that perfect dry sense of humor and wittiness,” he said.

Credit: Argentum Entertainment

“Festival of Trees” was shot entirely in Cobb County with help from Georgia businesses. The coffee shop scenes were filmed at the Lazy Labrador Coffee House in Kennesaw. The coffee shop created a custom drink which appears in the film called the Snowcoccino. The beverage is now available on the Lazy Labrador menu. The Christmas tree area was shot at the Governors Gun Club in Kennesaw. Scott Family Farm, a sustainable Christmas tree farm in Waynesboro, helped set up the tree lot.

The extravagantly decorated trees seen in the Festival of Trees competition scenes were provided by last year’s Georgia Festival of Trees, an annual holiday event that auctions off themed trees crafted by local designers to support nonprofits that stand against human trafficking. The 47 decorated trees featured in the movie were borrowed to film before being delivered to auction winners.

Proceeds from the film will benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

“Every dollar earned for the film, be it digital purchases, rentals, physical purchases or ticket sales from events, donates 3% of earnings to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,” said Waters. Donations will increase to 10% of all ticket sales during the Dec. 12-14 screenings.

Credit: Argentum Entertainment

Started in 1915, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta helps treat children with complex childhood illnesses and provides access to 2,300 pediatric physicians and health care practitioners across more than 60 pediatric programs. The organization also conducts research and clinical trials.

“This partnership came about because initially our script was set in a generic U.S. city with a generic children’s hospital. Once it was decided that we specifically wanted to call out and celebrate Atlanta as the location for our story, we were very eager to partner with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as part of our love letter to the city,” Waters said.

The film’s streaming partners at UPtv and UP Faith & Family will soon make the film available in hospital rooms at Children’s for free.

“Festival of Trees” was directed by Waters and written and produced by his wife, Erin Bethea. The couple moved to Georgia in 2018 after spending more than a decade in the film industry in Los Angeles. Fans may recognize Waters from his time playing coach Wade Aikman as a series regular on the NBC TV series “Friday Night Lights.” Bethea has been a writer, producer and actress in mainly faith-based films, including “Facing the Giants,” “Fireproof” and “New Life,” which Waters directed.

The couple, who now live in Town Lake near Woodstock, started their production company, Argentum Entertainment, to create films with redemptive, wholesome storytelling. The company has helped produce 26 films and fully developed four others.

Faith-based films have seen a rise in market viability. Movieguide, which among other things conducts analysis of data from film markets, found that the number of movies with Christian or redemptive content rose from only 10% in 1991, to 59% in 2022. The top 25 domestic earners in 2023 with a “strong or very strong Christian or redemptive worldview” averaged $244.95 million when combined, compared to $207.13 million for R-rated movies.

Argentum, Waters said, takes its name from the Latin word for silver.

“It’s the purest form of silver,” he said. “We just wanted to get back to telling good stories on the silver screen … our company is based on taking out gratuitous, objectionable content … we wanted to tell good, quality stories that people could go and watch with their families and feel comfortable doing it.”

“Festival of Trees” premiered on UPtv on Nov. 24. The film is also available for digital purchase or rental starting Dec. 3 on major platforms, including Apple, Google Play, YouTube and Amazon.

If you go

“Festival of Trees,” benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, will screen at three Studio Movie Grill locations on Dec. 12, 13 and 14. All screenings will be attended by members of the film’s cast and crew. A red carpet, step-and-repeat will open at 6:15 p.m., followed by the screening at 7 p.m. The Dec. 12 screening will take place at the Duluth location (3850 Venture Dr., Duluth, 30096); the Dec. 13 at the Alpharetta location (7730 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta, 30022); the Dec. 14 at the Marietta location (40 Powers Ferry Road, Marietta, 30067). Tickets can be purchased online at studiomoviegrill.com/ticketing/start/festival-of-trees.

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