Four very different people are stuck together at a café on Christmas Eve in Anne Wheeler’s Hallmark Movies and Mysteries picture “Heaven Down Here.” As his kid grows more and more distant, Felix, a pastor, finds it difficult to gather food for the devout.
Imani, a widowed waitress at the restaurant, took on the Christmas shift to help support her family financially, but she is now forced to work alongside Dan, her boss. As her daughter moves out, Clara, a hospice nurse, must deal with difficulties at work and home.
The four decide to make the most of the evening by decorating for Christmas after locking themselves in together. They warm up to one another, open up about their vulnerabilities, and, by some miracle occurring around Christmas, they manage to work things out among the communion. Mickey Guyton’s song of the same name served as inspiration for the movie.
You may be wondering where the filming of the Christmas film took place, given its intriguing backdrop. The entire movie, “Heaven Down Here,” was shot in Mission, British Columbia. The Hallmark film’s principal photography took place on-site in February and March of 2023.
Let’s examine the shooting site for the film more closely. Krystal Joy Brown and Juan Riedinger, who play Imani and Felix, are the main characters in “Heaven Down Here.” The most well-known role that Broadway and movie actress Krystal Joy Brown has played is that of Renée Timmons in “Power Book III: Raising Kanan.”
In addition, she has acted in television series and films. She played Mikaela Leighton in “Writing Around the Christmas Tree,” Charisse McCabe in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and Lena in “Magic Camp.” Talented actor Juan Riedinger has appeared in roles that cross genres in well-known productions.
He played Joe Dupree in Claws, Dodger Dickenson in Riverdale, Carlos Lehder in Narcos, and Rufus Decker in The Romeo Section, among other roles that you may recognize.
Ava Anton as Angel Gabriel, Isabel Birch as Roxy, Phylicia Rashad as Nancy, Tina Lifford as Clara, Richard Harmon as Dan, Jace Fleming as Bobby, Jorge Montesi as Frank, and Jayden Oniah as Julian are among the supporting cast members of “Heaven Down Here.”
Heaven Down Here Filming Locations
Mission, British Columbia
The whole “Heaven Down Here” filming took place in Mission, British Columbia, a small town tucked away in the Fraser Valley. Mission is a lovely location for Christmas movie filming because of its rustic charm and breathtaking natural splendor.
A touching holiday story like this one would have a perfect setting in the town’s gorgeous surroundings, which include verdant forests, undulating hills, and the placid Fraser River. We only get a few glimpses of the gorgeous surroundings around Mission, as the story is mostly inwardly directed towards the people, and a snowfall obscures their perspective of the outside world.
A cafe called Rocko’s 24-Hour Cafe in Mission provides the setting for most of the movie. Offering forty distinct milkshake options, this is one of the final free-standing 24-hour eateries in British Columbia.
The restaurant’s iconic photography style is difficult to miss; it has been utilized to depict charming customers in several well-known movies and television series, including “Riverdale,” “Percy Jackson the Lightning Thief,” “Horns,” “The Tortured,” and “Killer Among Them.”
A Timeless Christmas, Christmas on the Vine, and Making Something Great are just a few of the Hallmark movies that include The Cafe. The city was named for St. Mary’s Mission and Residential School, which were founded in this location in 1861.
A warm and welcoming setting for storytelling is produced by Mission’s small-town charm and its historic downtown, which is decked out for the holidays. Christmas spirit is best captured in the town’s picturesque settings, like Cascade Falls and Heritage Park, which arouse feelings of warmth and nostalgia.
Nevertheless, because the movie was being filmed in late February, the production team used Christmas decorations to set the mood for the festival. Although it isn’t well known as a popular Christmas filming location, Hallmark filmmakers have long been drawn to Mission because of its adaptable settings, welcoming population, and picturesque landscapes for their holiday storytelling.
Its festive yet tranquil atmosphere provides a backdrop for telling stories of Christmas magic, love, and happiness. Because of this, the undiscovered gem has been used as the setting for several Hallmark Christmas movies, including “Christmas on Your Toes.”
