PUZZLES GET SOLVED. MYSTERIES GET DEEPER.

STORY The down-on-their-luck residents of Buckingham Place think it's a little strange when pretty, young Roxanne  moves into their lowly building a few days before Christmas. Even stranger when their beleaguered landlord, Leo, goes missing a day later. Luckily, Roxanne is an amateur detective. And all the tenants are suspects in Leo's disappearance, especially the deadbeats behind on their rent. Roxanne makes it her mission to find Leo by Christmas day.  But she'll need help. And she gets it - kicking and screaming - in the form of Nicholas, the washed-up mystery novelist across the hall, who is obsessed with solving a 25-year-long riddle of his own.

Nicholas and Roxanne are a fun new twist on movie detectives. This is their first case.

Ever wonder what a Christmas movie in blue-collar Pittsburgh would look like? We did. We’re writer/director/producer Eric Chapman and co-producer/production manager Nicholas Prainito.

Why do we wrap Christmas gifts? Because we like mysteries. We like to be surprised! So, we asked, why are there so few mystery movies set at Christmastime?

A Suspicious Christmas  is a holiday mystery in a funky Pittsburgh neighborhood with a mismatched pair of amateur detectives investigating their first case. Spoilers! There’s a twist ending.

We’ll shoot exteriors on the streets of Ambridge, PA to capture the energy and atmosphere of a specific moment in time in the Steel City in winter 2025. We're excited to shoot key scenes on the same streets where movies like A League of Their Own and A Man Called Otto filmed. Our principal actors will be thrown into the middle of real-life with "real" people and whatever happens, we'll roll with it.  A Suspicious Christmas  will be a movie with entertainment and historical value.

INSPIRATIONS

Of course. But instead of Manhattan, we thought it would be fun to have a mystery take place in a scruffier setting with characters struggling to make ends meet. Underprivileged people celebrate the holidays too. And it doesn't have to be a downer! They can have charm and humor and quirks and secrets, hopes and dreams. 

YOUR CONTRIBUTION

There are over 30 speaking roles in A Suspicious Christmas. We'd like quality camera and sound equipment to film this story well. The shooting schedule will be 18 to 20 days. Most of our cast and crew will be taking time off from their regular jobs, and we would like to compensate them fairly for their talent and effort. There's also music rights. This will have a jazz/pop/R&B fusion soundtrack. We have a couple retro songs in mind we'd love to get permission to use. We also hope to make a competitive offer to a certain well known character actor for the role of Leo the Landlord. Here's a hint:

TIMELINE

February 2025: Pre-production 

March 2025: Principal Photography 

Fall 2025: Post-production completion

December 2025: Pittsburgh Theatrical Premiere at refurbished Hollywood Theater in Eric's hometown of Dormont, PA

THE CAST

Douglas Tjelmeland as "Nicholas"

As a model, Douglas' major worldwide campaigns have included Perry Ellis, Corneliani, Lacoste, Henry Cotton, Valentino, exclusive Ralph Lauren Polo, American and British GQ. He has rounded his career by studying Meisner technique in New York and keeping that craft alive doing many TV commercials and some film represented then by J Michael Bloom, William Morris and CED. Current acting agent is FLICK East - West Talents, Los Angeles. 

Nicholas: All Nicholas wants is to be left alone this Christmas so he can finish his most important book on time and reconnect with his now grown daughter Abby on Christmas day. Nicholas doesn't believe in modern tech, and has no cellphone, television or car. He writes on a manual typewriter and walks long distances, wrestling with memories that won't let him go.

Kakra Nunoo Brown as "Roxanne"

Kakra is a New York-based actress and recent graduate of the prestigious Terry Knickerbocker School of Acting. She has starred in the action movie Bang Bang Betty and the romantic drama A Good Thing: Treasures of Life. 

Roxanne: On the surface, Roxanne is warm, bubbly and vivacious with a flair for fashion. But underneath, there is a wound that hasn't healed, the death of her mother, with whom she had a tempestuous relationship. She has just broken up with a controlling boyfriend, moved to a brand new city and, like a modern-day Mary Tyler Moore, is ready to take on the world. 

Benjamin Sheeler as "Old Man Dan"

Benjamin was a background player in the movie Promised Land when Matt Damon urged him to say something on camera, which automatically qualified him as a SAG actor. The rest is history. Benjamin has gone on to appear in movies like Before the Border, Marshall and landed a recurring role in the Natalie Portman mini-series Lady in the Lake.

Old Man Dan:  Cranky, crotchety Old Man Dan has lived in the basement apartment of Buckingham Place for over two decades. But there's more to him than meets the eye. Once a session player of some renown, he toured the country with several high-profile musicians, making a lot of friends, and some enemies too. He and Leo the Landlord were spotted arguing on the day of his disappearance and both Roxanne and Nicholas tab him as their number one suspect. 

Kate Surinskaya as "Nina"

Kate Surinskaya is an L.A.-based actress who starred in our 2022 short film, When Will I See You Again? We liked her so much, we're thrilled to be able to cast her again. Kate's short film Parallels was a big hit on the film festival circuit. She can be also seen in the upcoming films Ghost Light and The Salem Chronicles.

Nina:  Nina and her husband Charlie are discovered by Nicholas and Roxanne "squatting" in a one-bedroom apartment thought to be unoccupied. Parents of a newborn, they need a place to stay warm and get off the streets for the holidays. Might they have something to do with Leo's disappearance? 

THE CREATIVE TEAM

Eric Chapman

Writer | Director

That's Eric on the set of the 2022 short film When Will I See You Again? discussing a scene with script supervisor, Nicole. This was a bit of a trial run for the Christmas movie, where he got back on a film set after a seven-year absence, worked with a great team and gained experience filming in cold weather! You may also have seen Eric's comedy feature film Craig Quits His Day Job, available on Amazon and Tubi.

Nicholas Prainito

Co-Producer | Production Manager

Nicholas and Eric partnered up on the 2022 supernatural thriller short When Will I See You Again? with Nicholas handling directing chores. Fairly new to Pittsburgh from Long Island, Nicholas has done just about everything on a film set and post-production, specializing in Christmas fare such as Deck the Heart, A Holiday Homecoming and An Angelic Christmas.

FILM SAMPLES

Our 2022 short film When Will I See You Again?