There’s a good reason Hendersonians will see the Christmas garlands stretched above downtown streets at least up to February: a holiday movie is scheduled to be filmed here the last week in January.
Henderson Tourist Commission Executive Director Abby Dixon said she received word in late December that a production company has chosen Henderson to film a holiday movie titled “Holly Jolly.”
Dixon said the local production is a direct result of the Henderson community—with equal funding from local governments and the tourist commission—joining the West Kentucky Film Commission last spring.
In fact, the company that represents Henderson and other counties in the film commission, Louisville-based Goldenrod Film and Television, will produce “Holly Jolly.”
Dixon said that people in the business comment on Henderson’s holiday charm.
“Over and over we’ve heard this is a perfect setting for a Christmas movie,” she said.
To make that happen, Dixon had to make some calls to city government officials and downtown merchants, asking that they be OK with Christmas decorations staying up longer than usual this year to accommodate the filming. She said everyone quickly agreed—even though that might change normal business operations through the winter.
Exterior scenes and possibly some interior scenes will be filmed in Henderson, Dixon said. There will also be interior scenes shot in Owensboro, she said.
Dixon said she didn’t have a whole lot of information about the film’s plot, except that it’s a Christmas movie involving a psychologist and there’s a little bit of a love story in the mix. She said she’ll learn more later in the week when a script is sent to her.
The tourist commission executive director was excited about the economic benefits that will come from the movie being set in Henderson. First, cast and crew will be in town for the last week of January, and that will be a boon to local hotels and local restaurants that will either feed them in their dining areas or send food to the set, she said.
There could also be the need for costume help from local boutiques. And later on when people see the movie, it could lead to viewers wanting to visit the town where the movie was shot, Dixon said.
Beyond that, though, Dixon hopes that this film is a chance for the Henderson community to get its foot in the door for more future film productions, Dixon said, adding hopefully the company’s cast and crew will be impressed with local hospitality and “when they have a new film on the horizon, they’ll think about us.”
Another benefit locally is the possibility for residents to take part in the filming. Dixon said she’ll release more information about the need for extras soon. It could also be a chance for students in Henderson County High School’s School of Fine Arts to participate, she said.
Dixon hopes that this local film is just the beginning for Henderson. She said Goldenrod represented the community and others in the West Kentucky Film Commission in November at the American Film Market in Los Angeles. There, she said, Goldenrod had scores of appointments with producers.
Dixon said the local production also is a result of a recent push to get more films made in Kentucky. The Kentucky Film Office became operational on July 1.
It offers incentives of offers 30-35% tax credits to productions filming in Kentucky, and projects may be eligible for up to $10 million in tax credits, with a maximum of $75 million available for all approved projects per calendar year. There could also be up to a $7 return investment for every $1 spent on incentives in a community, Dixon said.