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Film crew equipment was set up in the marketplatz in downtown Helen on Thursday, Dec. 12. (Photo/Stephanie Hill)
Movie crews returned to White County this month to film another Christmas movie.
Sunshine Films, the same company that filmed Christmas Love Letter in Helen earlier this year, came to the area for a second time. White County Chamber of Commerce President Beth Truelove said she found at the end of October that the film company was coming back to White County.
“They had a great experience here, which is always important for attracting future projects, having a good relationship with a production company and a director always builds credibility for the future,” Truelove said.
During the Helen City Commission meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10, Jerry Brown, executive director of the Alpine Helen/White County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said that most of the filming was being done at Sylvan Valley Lodge. However, some was being done in Helen, including in the downtown marketplatz.
Brown said the movie, which is right now is called Christmas Romance Al Dente, is based on a chef that falls in love with somebody who wants to be a chef, and is expected to be released next Christmas.
Because of their experience filming a movie in Helen in the spring, the producers decided to come back to Helen.
“We’re here again because the first time was such an amazing experience,” said Jacobo Rispa, a producer of the film.
Damian Romay, producer and director, is working on this movie as well, and said it was great coming back to Helen for the second movie.
With the film crew returning to White County, Truelove said there would be an impact on the county.
“The economic impact of their last production was over a half a million dollars, between over night stays and consumptions of goods and services in the community, but as well, it becomes a [public relations] tool for our community,” she said. “It frames White County in a very wholesome, hometown way that we are and becomes a marketing tool for our community.”