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COLUMBIANA -- Although it is no longer December the sights and sounds of Christmas may be lingering in the city, and that is because Columbiana has been chosen as a location for a new movie.
Josh Menning, owner of Menning Films, said he has been in contact with actress/producer Karen Abercrombie for the new film.
Abercrombie is known for her role as "Miss Clara" on the popular 2015 drama War Room.
Menning said the new Christmas movie is currently in the pre-production stage, and that plans call for filming to be completed in Columbiana April 12-24.
The city has officially been chosen as the location for the new film, but the next step is finding investors, Menning said.
"We would like to do filming of the downtown during an evening in April for a big event that brings the town together in the film," he said.
He added that the plot centers around a town that hasn't celebrated Christmas for nearly two decades.
In the end, however, the town pulls together and starts to decorate and make a big announcement about Christmas, and coming together, he said.
"One of the closing shots is of the town square covered in snow," he added.
He went on to say that there is the possibility of local residents or business owners being given the chance to be in the film as extras.
"We want to try to pull the whole town together. Of course we are going to be practicing different protocols for COVID and social distancing. We have ways to fill in the gaps and make it look like people are closer together," Menning said.
City Manager Lance Willard said that the city will do what it can to help out with filming.
"We also want to let other communities know we haven't lost our mind when we start decorating for Christmas in April," he joked.