The latest Jen Lilley Christmastime romance, Holiday Hearts, is set to begin production in Southern New Mexico in May. Joining Lilley in the cast are Oscar and Golden Globe nominee Kathleen Quinlan (Apollo 13) and Michelle Hurd (Star Trek: Picard).

The film is directed by award winning filmmaker Ross Kagan Marks (Santa’s Cousin, Walking With Herb, The Twilight Of The Golds, Homage) and written by Bill True (The Runaway). It’s described as “an elevated holiday romance” based on Dana Volney’s novella, A Heart for the Holidays, part of the author’s anthology of heartfelt romance Christmas romance stories.

“This powerful and layered script is one of the most moving stories I’ve ever come across,” says Lilley. “To see it coming together with such an extraordinarily accomplished cast, whose talent and accolades will elevate this project to the level it deserves, is truly exciting.”

The story follows Silver Morgenstern (Lilley), a sharp but emotionally wounded heart surgeon who returns to her hometown to take over the local hospital. She meets a selfless man with a terminal illness who teaches her the true meaning of love, healing, and the holidays.

Quinlan plays Silver’s mother, Barbara, and Hurd plays Dr. Jocelynn Isaacs, a veteran surgeon with whom Silver butts heads.

Shooting is scheduled to begin May 19 in Las Cruces, recently named one of our Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker.

“Directing Holiday Hearts in my hometown of Las Cruces, New Mexico is incredibly special for me,” says Marks. “Being able to work alongside Jen Lilley, Michelle Hurd, and Kathleen Quinlan to bring Bill True’s heartfelt script to life in a place that is so important to me and my family makes the experience even more meaningful.”

The independent feature is represented by Artist View Entertainment for all sales. In addition to taking advantage of rebates for productions made in New Mexico, part of the production’s financing was raised through Raise the Reel, a social media-fueled contest created by Lilley that allows participants to vie for special perks, including featured background roles.

“Raise the Reel has brought incredible awareness and excitement to the movie,” Lilley says. “By connecting fans directly with the filmmaking process, we’ve been able to create a community of supporters who are as invested in this story and project as we are.” 

The feature is produced in association with Emmy-winning and New Mexico-based Inspirado, which also produced the recently released holiday rom-com Santa’s Cousin, also directed by Marks, and starring Alexandra Harris, Jonathan Stoddard, and Eric Roberts. Holiday Hearts is produced by Jen Lilley, Ross Marks, Bill True, Keagan Karnes (Little Brother), and Jessica Yingling (Love Under the Olive Tree).