The Santa Summit

The film begins on the last day of school before Christmas break, introducing three friends: Jordin (an art teacher), Ava (a math teacher), and Stella (an English teacher who recently lost her music program). Jordin convinces her friends to attend the 'Santa Summit,' a city-wide event where thousands of people dress as Santa Claus. At the first stop, Jordin loses her handmade wallet, which is found by Liam, a builder new to town. They share a vulnerable conversation about their dreams and fears while wearing their Santa beards, but they are separated by the crowd before they can see each other's faces or exchange names. Liam spends the rest of the night with his brother Mac, a contractor trying to network for business, searching for the 'girl with the needlepoint wallet.' Parallel to this, Ava is desperately trying to find Ben, a history teacher she has loved for five years. She keeps narrowly missing him at various venues like Harbor Sushi and Nashville’s country bar. Ava’s character is uniquely defined by her love for mathematics and LARPing (Live Action Role Playing), which she eventually uses as a basis for her confession. Meanwhile, Stella, who is grumpy and disillusioned after being forced to teach English instead of music, meets Freddie. Freddie challenges her cynicism and eventually hustles her into a sledding race, the penalty for which is singing at a piano bar. Stella eventually takes the stage and rediscovers her joy for performing through a jazzy rendition of 'Jingle Bells.' As the night progresses, the groups move through a series of festive events including a silent disco and a sledding hill. At the silent disco, Jordin has a moment of clarity after talking to a man in a reindeer suit, realizing she needs to be her own 'sweatpants' (her metaphor for comfort and happiness) rather than relying on a man to provide it. However, she soon finds a gingerbread house Liam built that matches the dream house on her wallet, with a note telling her to meet him at the park. The climax occurs at the town's tree lighting ceremony. Ava finally finds Ben and confesses her love using a quote from 'Lord of the Rings,' discovering he feels the same way. Jordin and Liam finally reunite and see each other without beards, confirming their 'spark' was real. The film concludes with the 'North Pole Rejects' rock band performing, featuring Stella on stage singing with Freddie, as all three friends find the 'thing' they were looking for.