Watch these Winnipeg made films this holiday season

While we always proudly state that Winnipeg is a hallmark location for Hallmark (and other wholesome) films –– read our guide here (opens in new window) –– it’s also just a great city to shoot all manner of films.

In part two of our 2025 series, we look at some recently released made-for-TV films and a few upcoming features (that are in no way wholesome) that should feature on your tv set this holiday season.

To do so, we’ve interviewed filmmaker and producer Tyson Caron, who many Winnipeggers will recognize for his 2016 film Lovesick, which in many ways is a love-letter to Winnipeg as it was not only shot here, but also took place here. (You can stream it on Prime).

“I’ve been given opportunities here to grow as a director, writer and producer, and so it means a lot to make films in Winnipeg with my cast and crew who are primarily all Winnipeggers,” said Caron.

Plus, on top of working with locals, Caron says part of what makes Winnipeg films look so good is the authenticity of our locations.

“Shooting on location here is a different situation, as everywhere looks practical because it’s real,” said Caron. “We’re generally not in a studio, so what you get are real walls, real windows, real locations, and when everything is real it just adds to the production value.”

“But to do that takes a lot of effort and working with the community,” continued Caron while citing how partners like Kenny Boyce and Shelley Anthis at the City of Winnipeg, and Lynne Skromeda and Andrew Gallinger at Manitoba Film and Music are instrumental in ensuring productions can be shot here.

As well, we’ve also consulted with Meghan Duffy, whose boutique film and television production company, Black Watch Entertainment (opens in new window), has been making films in the city since 2010.

“Winnipeg’s a great place to make films because it’s my home,” said Duffy. “We create jobs. We help the local and national economy. We give back to the community by donating wardrobe, sets, props, when we’re done. And we give people something exciting to watch and look forward to on TV.”

Before we start, while it didn’t feature in last month’s guide (opens in new window), Black Watch’s 2017 film Snowmance (also available for streaming on Prime) should be added to your wholesome for the holidays watch list.

“It’s an all-Winnipeg cast, all shot in Winnipeg (opens in new window), and it’s a family-friendly, Hallmark-style movie,” said Duffy. “We shot it on Ruskin Row, in Kings Park, on Waterfront [Drive] and in Kitchen Synch in the Exchange District. [Local actors] Lauren Cochrane and Adam Hurtig were amazing.”

Made-for-TV movies

Match, Meet, Murder – Black Watch Entertainment, directed by streaming on Lifetime (opens in new window) and Prime

Starring Winnipeg’s own Stephanie Sy (who is in just about every recent Hallmark film) along with many Winnipeg performers (opens in new window), and directed by Black Watch’s Nicholas Treeshin, Match, Meet, Murder’s plot centres around Sy’s lingerie designer, who meets a guy on a dating app who formerly was on a dating show called, Marry My Millionaire.

“The production showcased the historic architecture of the Exchange District, transforming its iconic brick facades into atmospheric backdrops,” said Duffy. “We used Anne Mulaire Boutique as the lead character’s design studio, highlighting Winnipeg’s vibrant design community, and there were also a few serene stretches along the Red River used to bring natural beauty and grounding emotion to key scenes.”

It premiered in January 2025, and was shot all over the city in 2024, including The Commonwealth at 456 Main Street and Fireside (opens in new window)’s slick office at 329 Cumberland Avenue. Fun fact: Fireside also designed Rosé Wine and Coffee, which was used to great effect in The Woman with Red Lipstick, as you’ll read below.

“Winnipeg’s talent was also front and centre in this one, with standout performances not only from Stephanie Sy, but also Jacob Blair, Erik Athavale, and Amanda Austin,” said Duffy.

“In a moment that perfectly illustrates the city’s booming film industry, cameras rolled for Match, Meet, Murder at the corner of Bannatyne Avenue and King Street at the very same time as major Hollywood productions, Lionsgate’s The Long Walk and Universal Pictures’ Nobody 2, were shooting just steps away.”

Lucky Strikes – Directed by Darcey Waite, produced by Tyson Caron, streaming on Apple TV (opens in new window) and Crave (opens in new window)

This comedy takes place in a bowling alley (it was filmed in the Selkirk Bowling Centre) and is about two Indigenous bowlers who attempt to save the local lanes by staging a national competition.

It stars local performers Meegwun Fairbrother (opens in new window), who Caron knew from being a lead on Burden of Truth, a TV show (opens in new window) he also worked on (opens in new window) (Fairbrother also went to high school in Kenora like Caron – Go Broncos!) along with Carolina Campos (opens in new window).

“We also had a local guy named Gabe Daniels, who just was in Acting Good (opens in new window), who is also one of the leads in the movie,” said Caron. “And Victoria Gwendolyn. She was in a series called Don’t Even (opens in new window) as one of the leads, and she’s just terrific, too.”

The film premiered to a sold-out screening at the Whistler Film Festival in December 2024 where it was nominated for the Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature. It also won best comedy, best cast and best writer for Darcy Waite at AltFF 2025 (summer).

Woman with the Red Lipstick – Black Watch Entertainment, directed by Tyson Caron, plays regularly on Lifetime (stream it on StackTV, GlobalTV or using BellMTS)

In classic Winnipeg fashion, the city stands in for Chicago in this thriller, where Rebecca Liddiard’s main character, Lucy, is a journalist for the Chicago Tribune. The plot centres around her and her boyfriend Roy (played by Winnipegger Marshall Williams, who had his big break with the tv series Glee, and who starred in the Winnipeg-shot Stand! (opens in new window)), who look to spice things up via roleplay while meeting at a bar under fake names.

This one is a super fun watch for locals. It is chock-full of Winnipeg talent including Rebecca Gibson, Paul Essiembre, Marina Stephenson Kerr (who is in Nobody 2, Violent Night, and The Long Walk – all mentioned below), Danika Frederick and Justin Stadnyk, while some great Winnipeg restaurants and locations play supporting role. You’ll even note a scene where Stephenson Kerr’s character opens a fridge that is stocked with so many local products, like Prism Kombucha (opens in new window) and brite water (opens in new window) by Little Brown Jug.

Carson cites how Patent 5 Distillery played the main whisky bar where the couple start their roleplay (13 minutes into the film), which is very fitting as Patent 5’s bar room is composed of reclaimed oak (opens in new window) from the St. Regis Hotel, and that wood was rumoured to have been shipped here from the Windy City back in the early 1900s.

A second exclusive private member’s cocktail lounge in the film (the scene opens with people waiting in line and a doorman) was shot at Rosé Coffee & Wine Bar. Starting around the 50 min mark, the scene features Lucy meeting a cryptocurrency bro gamely played by Winnipeg’s other, admittedly funnier Mike Green (opens in new window), with the camera moving around the table so you can take in Rosé’s glamours (opens in new window), dramatic interior with its red drapes and dark marble bar.

“It’s a fantastic space” said Caron, “and we didn’t have to do a whole lot with it, just adding extras and background performers and the scene looks great for this really pivotal moment in the film.”

Locals and food enthusiasts across Canada will also note an opening restaurant scene in deer + almond, chef Mandel Hitzer’s celebrated tasting menu (opens in new window) joint. “Mandel and his team have done a lot of wonderful things for our community here in Winnipeg, with all the different things they’re running, from Raw: almond (opens in new window) to other events and showcasing the talents of their team and their people, and they were really kind to us,” said Caron.

“One of my favourite moments in the film is this scene with the couple outside of deer + almond under their pink light,” said Caron. “We didn’t even use our lights. We just used what was available there, and our DP, Gab Levesque (opens in new window), who’s got a terrific, wonderful eye was able to capture that moment, and it’s all in this pink kind of Hue, and it just looks really slick.”

Not so wholesome for the holidays

Silent Night, Deadly Night – In theatres December 12

“A child witnesses his parents’ murder by a man in a Santa suit. Years later, as an adult, he dons a Santa costume himself and embarks on a violent quest for retribution against those responsible for the traumatic event from his childhood.”

Wait a second –– there’s nothing wholesome about that! And it’s by the studio that made Terrifier 2 & 3!

All jokes aside, horror fans will want to support this Winnipeg-shot feature that is a rebook of the 1984 film of the same name, which was first rebooted in Winnipeg in 2012 as Silent Night (read about it here (opens in new window), in this CBC article by Randall King). It was shot mainly in rural Manitoban towns, including Selkirk, Stonewall and St. Adolphe, with the trailer (no, I’m not going to embed it in this article), stating a theatrical release of December 12.

For locals, look out for David Lawrence Brown (opens in new window) (who is in both Nobody movies below) and Sharon Bajer (a Hallmark regular who also was in Nobody and The Long Walk, see below) while I must also single out Kenora’s own Richard Patrick Tolton II (opens in new window) who plays the hockey coach.

As you can read on Rotten Tomatoes, this update is sitting on 87 per cent on the Tomatometre (opens in new window) with the consensus being that it’s quite “fun.”

***

For a fun little guide on recent horror films shot in Winnipeg, check out this out:

View this post on Instagram (opens in new window)

A post shared by the FilmTripper (@thefilmtripper) (opens in new window)

Normal – coming soon to theatres

Locals better call Bob Odenkirk our new official American ambassador, as this guy keeps shooting films here while giving interviews (opens in new window) to people like Seth Meyers about this city’s many charms.

Over the past few years he’s shot Nobody and Nobody 2, along with his latest, the well-reviewed (opens in new window) Normal – all while doing things like throwing out the first pitch at a Goldeyes’ game, attending Jetties games, and even co-hosting an improv fundraiser for the Dream Factory, Harvest Manitoba and Art City with Kevin McDonald at Hargrave Street Market.

Anyway, Normal, which had its world-premiere at TIFF in September, and it co-stars Lena Headey and Henry Winkler. It has been described as a “weird-as-hell, gonzo Western (opens in new window)” and it will have a full theatrical release in April 2026 via Magnolia pictures.

Nobody 2 – Universal Pictures – filmed in August and September 2024

Nobody 1 and 2 is also available to rent right now on Apple TV, Prime Video and other streaming services. The Nobody 2 trailer begins in the lobby of the Fort Garry Hotel, where Bob Odenkirk’s character takes out four guys in one of its charming old elevators. You’ll also note Odenkirk beating up more fellas on a Winnipeg Waterways boat which is kinda crazy, as when we did the tour the tour in July (opens in new window) we were told never to stand on the boat, let along bludgeon someone with an anchor.

To continue flattering our Kenora readers: In Nobody 1, before Odenkirk’s character beats up a bunch of ruffians (opens in new window) on a Winnipeg transit bus, a body builder played by another former Beaver Brae Bronco, Rob Heinamaki, is told to leave the bus.

The Long Walk

This Winnipeg-filmed adaptation of the Stephen King dystopian novel was shot in and around the city from July to September 2024. Starring Mark Hamil, Ray Garraty, David Jonsson and Judy Greer –– whom you’ll note was in last year’s guide (opens in new window) with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever –– was released by Lionsgate films in September 2025 to some excellent reviews and impressive box office numbers. Thus far, it has made $54-million at the box office against a $20-million budget.

Given the plot involves youths marching non-stop or they will be killed, it’s probably a little bleak for Christmas morning (Boxing Day however…), but when you do watch you can spot locations like Birds Hill Provincial Park and Seven Sisters Generating Station.

You’ll also note many local actors from this guide and the Hallmark one, including Gab Daniels from Lucky Strikes and Match, Meet, Murder.

Slasher and dark comedy fans can also expect to see the Winnipeg-shot Violent Night 2 in December 2026. This sequel staring David Harbour, Kristen Bell and Jared Harris (talk about a stacked cast!), started filming here in September –– at locations including (opens in new window) CF Polo Park and Portage Place –– and wrapped up in mid-October.

It follows up the smash hit Violent Night, which took home more than $76-million at the box office against a $20-million budget, that too was shot in and around Winnipeg as you can read in our 2022 guide (opens in new window). After Violent Night 2 wrapped, the whole cast and crew ordered Christmas cookies (opens in new window) from Oma’s Bakeshop, so obviously this vigilante Santa is on the Nice List.