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]
| Santa Hunters | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Written by | Jamie Nash |
| Directed by | Savage Steve Holland |
| Starring | Benjamin Flores Jr. Breanna Yde Mace Coronel Laya DeLeon Hayes |
| Music by | Zack Ryan |
| Country of origin | Canada United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Scott McAboy Amy Sydorick |
| Cinematography | Tom Harting |
| Editor | Damon Fecht |
| Running time | 65 minutes |
| Production companies | Pacific Bay Entertainment Indaba Media Capital[1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nickelodeon |
| Release | November 28, 2014 |
Plot
editAll 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
edit- Benjamin Flores Jr. as Alex
- Breanna Yde as Zoey
- Mace Coronel as Richard
- Laya DeLeon Hayes as Elizabeth
- Donavon Stinson as Santa
- April Telek as Natasha
- Kelly Perine as Uncle Charlie
- Brenda Crichlow (credited as Brenda M. Chrichlow) as Mom
- Viv Leacock as Dad
- BJ Harrison as Grandma
- Alvin Sanders as Grandpa
- Serge Houde as Principal Welch
- Sewit Haile as Leader Girl
- Eric Fell as Cop
- Rachel Prosch as Tweener Girl
- Bill Kurtis as Santa Hunters V.O. Narrator (voice)
Production
editThe principal photography of the movie started on February 18 and ended on March 5, 2014, It was filmed in various cities of Tennessee.
Reception
editCommon 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
edit- Leo Award for Best Youth or Children's Program or Series (2015, won)[7]
References
edit- ^ "Indaba Media Capital | Robin Cowie, Chris Dotson Jr and Reed Frerichs". robincowie.com.
- ^ "Breanna Yde Talks Nickelodeon's Original TV Movie 'Santa Hunters'". M Magazine. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- ^ "Lil P-Nut Stars in New Christmas Film". Jet Magazine. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- ^ "Santa Hunters - TV Review". Commonsensemedia. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- ^ "'Santa Hunters,' hunt for something else". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Leo Awards, Winners by Program". www.leoawards.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-21. Retrieved 2015-12-14.