Santa Hunters

Santa Hunters
Promotional poster
Written byJamie Nash
Directed bySavage Steve Holland
StarringBenjamin Flores Jr.
Breanna Yde
Mace Coronel
Laya DeLeon Hayes
Music byZack Ryan
Country of originCanada
United States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersScott McAboy
Amy Sydorick
CinematographyTom Harting
EditorDamon Fecht
Running time65 minutes
Production companiesPacific Bay Entertainment
Indaba Media Capital[1]
Original release
NetworkNickelodeon
ReleaseNovember 28, 2014 (2014-11-28)

Santa Hunters is a 2014 made-for-television film created for Nickelodeon. It was directed by Savage Steve Holland, based on a script written by Jamie Nash and produced by Amy Sydorick. The film stars Benjamin Flores Jr., Breanna Yde, Laya DeLeon Hayes, and Mace Coronel as a group of children trying to find evidence to prove the existence of Santa Claus.[2][3]

Plot

All Alex wants to do is prove to the world that Santa exists. He has managed to convince his sister Elizabeth and their cousins Zoey and Richard to setting up cameras throughout their house to capture footage of Santa. Their attempt is successful, but to their horror, they discover that Santa loses a bit of his magic every time he's seen. As Christmas starts to vanish before their eyes, it's up to the children to find and destroy the evidence of Santa. However, they must first contend with their Uncle Charlie's girlfriend Natasha, who is determined to sell the footage of Santa for her own selfish gains.

Cast

Production

The principal photography of the movie started on February 18 and ended on March 5, 2014, It was filmed in various cities of Tennessee.

Reception

Common Sense Media gave the film two stars, as they felt that it was "a fairly mundane addition to a holiday movie repertoire packed with classics and traditional favorites."[4] Media Life Magazine panned Santa Hunters, criticizing it for its focus on commercialism, stating that "The show’s writer, Jamie Nash, and director, Savage Steve Holland, must never have read or seen “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” because then they would know that Christmas isn’t just about getting presents and that it means a little bit more."[5]

In contrast, the New York Times gave a more favorable opinion of the movie.[6]

Awards

  • Leo Award for Best Youth or Children's Program or Series (2015, won)[7]

References

  1. ^ "Indaba Media Capital | Robin Cowie, Chris Dotson Jr and Reed Frerichs". robincowie.com.
  2. ^ "Breanna Yde Talks Nickelodeon's Original TV Movie 'Santa Hunters'". M Magazine. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  3. ^ "Lil P-Nut Stars in New Christmas Film". Jet Magazine. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  4. ^ "Santa Hunters - TV Review". Commonsensemedia. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  5. ^ "'Santa Hunters,' hunt for something else". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  6. ^ Hale, Mike (2014-11-21). "'Christmas Under Wraps' Among Top 5 Holiday TV Movies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  7. ^ "Leo Awards, Winners by Program". www.leoawards.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-21. Retrieved 2015-12-14.