Sweet Autumn

Maggie Murphy is a high-powered investment broker in Minneapolis who specializes in expanding small businesses into national franchises. After a deal with a local pumpkin patch owner falls through due to the owner's fear of losing her family legacy, Maggie returns to her hometown in Vermont for the reading of her Aunt Dee’s will. Per Dee's eccentric 'no tears' policy, the will is read six months after her funeral via a pre-recorded video. Maggie and her sister Jody inherit Dee's home, but the town's staple candy shop is left 50/50 to Maggie and a man named Dex Walters, a local maple farmer who became like a son to Dee in her final years. Maggie immediately clashes with Dex; she wants to use her professional expertise to franchise 'Aunt Dee's,' while Dex is a 'closed book' who believes the shop should remain a local treasure. Throughout the week-long Sweet Autumn Fest, Maggie opens a series of envelopes left by Dee, each containing advice and tasks designed to force her and Dex to work together. While working in the shop, Maggie discovers Dex’s secret passion: high-quality, artisanal maple syrup that he refuses to market. As they spend time together—fishing at Dee's favorite spot and sharing s'mores by a campfire—the ice between them thaws. Maggie helps Dex launch an online store for his syrup, and they share a romantic kiss. However, the peace is shattered when Maggie's business partner and ex-boyfriend, Jonathan, arrives in town with a massive investment proposal to take the candy shop global and buy Dex out. Dex, feeling betrayed and believing Maggie was plotting behind his back the whole time, decides to accept the buyout and walk away from the shop and Maggie. Heartbroken, Maggie realizes that her Aunt Dee’s true intention wasn't for her to expand the business, but to find her way back home. She finds a hidden key to a music box that contains a final message from Dee about the importance of partnership. Maggie tracks Dex down at their fishing spot, apologizes for the misunderstanding, and reveals she has turned down the big city deal. The film concludes at the festival's 'Fall Fling,' where Maggie announces she is moving back home permanently. She and Dex become full partners in life and business, launching a new line of locally sourced candies that honor Dee's legacy while embracing a sustainable, community-focused future.