Christmas Festival of Ice

Name: Christmas Festival of Ice
Genre: Christmas, Small Town, Mistaken Identity, Miracle, Complete Strangers
Released: 2017-01-01
Duration: 1 h 24 min
Rating: 5.8
Cast: Taylor Cole, Damon Runyan, Wendy Crewson, Jonathan Whittaker, Teagan Vincze

5.8/10 · 1,516 ratings20171h 24mChristmasWeirdness 4/10Bingo card

Search Amazon.com

See all viewing options

Where to watch

Viewing options in

Search Amazon.com

Amazon

Search Amazon.com for this title. Availability varies by country.

Search Amazon.com

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The premise

Emma is determined to keep her hometown's Christmas ice-sculpting contest going. She enlists sponsors and artists, but Nick, the town's ace artisan, isn't interested in competing until he sees what Emma has accomplished.

Themes:Following your dreams Family expectations vs. personal happiness Preserving community traditions Healing from past heartbreak

How unusual is it?

Middle of the road, with a twist — mistaken identity and an actual miracle keep it from being totally by-the-book.

Who’s in it

Our Girl

Wendy Crewson

as Carol Parkers

Our Guy

Damon Runyan

as Nick Claiborne

Alongside them

Show all 10 cast

Behind the camera

Show

Directed by

Bradley Walsh

Written by

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

Nick's 'reflex' to invent a fictitious antisocial brother to explain away his artistic talent.
The high-stakes drama of raising $15,000 for ice blocks in a tiny window of time.
The concept of 'total carving time' regulations (36 hours per person) being treated with the gravity of a professional sporting event.

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 30 to find more movies that do the same thing.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)

The film opens with Emma Parkers returning to Westford after finishing law school and taking the bar exam. While getting coffee with her friend Sarah, she notices the town is not preparing for the annual Christmas Festival of Ice. She learns from Councilman Harvey Norris that the ice sculpting competition was cancelled to save 'Santa's Workshop' in the budget. Emma, whose family has a long history with the competition, strikes a deal with Harvey: if she can raise $15,000 in two weeks, the competition is back on. Meanwhile, Emma meets Nick Claiborne at his family's tree lot. She admires a beautiful ice sculpture there, but Nick lies and says it was made by his 'antisocial brother' to avoid attention. Emma starts a JumpFunder campaign and struggles to balance her fundraising with her duties at her mother Carol's law firm. She eventually discovers that Nick is the true artist and that he stopped competing after his former partner and girlfriend, Tara, broke his heart and moved to Los Angeles. Emma convinces Nick to be her partner after her father, Dan, steps aside to let her 'make the tradition her own.' The fundraising stalls until an anonymous donor contributes $10,000, meeting the goal. Emma assumes it was a local businessman, Frank Duvall, but he later denies it. As the competition begins, Emma receives her bar exam results—she passed. However, the joy is overshadowed by her realization that she doesn't actually want to be a lawyer. In a climactic conversation, Emma confesses her feelings to her parents. Her mother, Carol, reveals that she was the anonymous $10,000 donor because she wanted Emma to have the choice to follow her heart. Emma and Nick spend the final 72 hours carving a massive sculpture titled 'Memories of Westford.' They win the competition, and Emma decides to pursue a career that aligns with her passion for community and art rather than joining her mother's firm immediately. The film ends with Nick and Emma sharing a romantic moment and a kiss, celebrating their victory and new future together.

Beat by beat

Opening
Emma returns home and discovers the town's historic ice sculpting competition has been cancelled due to a $20,000 budget shortfall.
Inciting Incident
Emma makes a deal with Councilman Harvey to raise $15,000 in two weeks to reinstate the competition.
Midpoint
Emma discovers Nick is a secret master sculptor who uses a fake brother as a cover story to avoid the pain of his past heartbreak.
Rising Action
An anonymous donor provides $10,000 to the JumpFunder, officially saving the competition.
Climax
Emma passes the bar exam but realizes she doesn't want to be a lawyer; her mother reveals she was the secret donor to give Emma the freedom to choose her own path.
Resolution
Emma and Nick win the competition with their 'Memories of Westford' sculpture and start a romantic relationship.

30 tropes in one movie

We counted 30 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Among the lower-rated Hallmark movies — the median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Christmas Festival of Ice belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

BINGOA cosy interior full of warm lightingSomeone invents a fake sibling excuseA charming local cafe or dinerA workaholic learns to slow downA genuine Christmas miracleA Christmas tree farmA nervous voicemail goes unsentAn online crowdfunding campaign launchesA big public romantic gestureA musical number or live performanceSomeone decorates a Christmas treeA heartfelt love confession★Someone’s guard finally comes downA change of heart by the final actA fundraising goal with a tight deadlineA tree farmer hides a carving talentA big event everyone is preparing forA local business is savedSomeone gets flustered during small talkPlans get derailed by the weatherThe love interest is a christmas tree farmerA dance or a ballA second chance worth takingAn anonymous donor fills the gap

Hallmark Bingo

Your Christmas Festival of Ice card is dealt.

Twenty-four squares pulled from this movie’s own quirks — the cosy classics, a few only-in-this-one curveballs, and a couple of decoys. Mark them as you watch.

Open your card

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

“I'm sorry I told you about my fictitious brother. But it's a reflex.”
— Nick ClaiborneWhen Emma catches him sculpting and realizes he lied about who made the art.
“Look inside your heart, Emma. Find the thing that you really love. And that's how you know you found the right choice.”
— Nick ClaiborneEncouraging Emma to choose her passion over her law career.
“I just wanted you to have the choice... to do the thing you love the most.”
— Carol ParkersRevealing she was the secret donor who saved the competition.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

Emma Parkers
Lead
Aspiring Lawyer / Ice Sculptor
DeterminedArtisticCommunity-mindedOrganized
Nick Claiborne
Love interest
Christmas Tree Lot Owner / Sculptor
Partner in the competition and romantic interest
GuardedTalentedKindSecretive
Carol Parkers
Supporting
Lawyer
Mother
AmbitiousExpectantSecretly Supportive
Dan Parkers
Supporting
Architect
Father
EncouragingTraditionalWarm
Lonny Barnes
Supporting
Business Partner
Nick's best friend
JovialMatchmaker

Questions people ask about Christmas Festival of Ice

Where can I watch Christmas Festival of Ice?

Christmas Festival of Ice is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Christmas Festival of Ice?

Christmas Festival of Ice runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2017.

Is Christmas Festival of Ice a Christmas movie?

Yes. Christmas Festival of Ice is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.

Browse all movies

If you liked this one, you’ll probably like these. The chips show what they have in common.