Stan has declared that the holiday season will be ushered in early this year with the premiere of the Stan Original Film Jones Family Christmas set for November 23.
The streaming service, known for championing Australian content, has unveiled the trailer, showcasing a star-studded local cast in a heartwarming comedy. The narrative, centred around an Aussie family’s Yuletide disrupted by bushfires, promises both laughter and pathos in equal measure.
The film stars the esteemed Heather Mitchell from Love Me, alongside a talented ensemble including Ella Scott Lynch (Love Child), Max McKenna (While The Men Are Away), Neil Melville (Brilliant Lies), and Nicholas Denton (Dangerous Liaisons). They bring to life the story of the Heather Jones family, tackling personal turmoil amidst a backdrop of natural disaster.
Mitchell plays the matriarch Heather Jones, who, in the face of wildfires threatening her holiday celebrations, must rally her disparate family members. The cast is bolstered by the likes of Dushan Philips (The Gloaming), Tahlee Fereday (Fisk), Jimmy Rees (Giggle and Hoot), Genevieve Morris (No Activity), Marg Downey (The Newsreader), Tegan Higginbotham (Oddball), Michael Logo (Colin From Accounts), Akhilesh Jain (Deendayal Ek Yug Purush), Fiona Choi (The Family Law), Bev Killick (Savage River), and Australian comedian Tanya Hennessy.
The film draws inspiration from real-life events and the experiences of Tegan Higginbotham, who not only stars but also penned the script. Under the directorial guidance of Stef Smith (It’s Fine, I’m Fine), Jones Family Christmas is produced by 2 Jons Productions, the team behind The Stan Original Series The Gloaming, with Richard Kelly and John Molloy at the helm. Executive production is credited to Cailah Scobie, Rachel Okine, and Donna Chang from Stan, and the project has received financial backing from VicScreen.
With global distribution rights secured by Mind Blowing Films, Jones Family Christmas adds to Stan’s growing portfolio of Australian Original Christmas features, following the well-received A Sunburnt Christmas, Christmas on the Farm, and Christmas Ransom. This latest addition seeks to reinforce Stan’s position as the foremost platform for local original holiday films.
