A FILIPINO producer who’s been living in the U.S. since the mid-1980s, Arsi Grindulo Jr., has produced a feel-good movie perfect to usher in the coming holiday season, “A Mermaid for Christmas”.

Full of warmth, humor, whimsy, and just the right touch of yuletide cheer, the movie combines classic Christmas themes with an escapist fantasy element that only a magical “sirena” can provide.

The movie starts in Greece a long time ago. The beautiful Daphne (Jessica Morris), rejects a hunky Greek called Pericles and his mother puts a curse on her. She turns into a mermaid and she can only regain her feet if she’d meet Pericles and perform a selfless act for him. Centuries passed and Daphne finally finds Pericles, now a depressed widower named Travis (played by Kyle Lowder), who faces a lot of problems. He is about to lose his restaurant bar on a beach in Florida. Daphne then helps him and tries to redeem herself with him.

This fairy tale of a love story is about hope and redemption. Travis has lost his loved one and the struggles in his life are stressful, especially when one adds grief to the equation. Losing a loved one is tragic for anyone, but the lingering feelings of pain and loneliness can bring a person to an awful place.

This movie is more than just a tale of fanciful imagination as it also appeals to the feelings of romance and optimism every heart longs for. This is indeed a wholesome movie for the entire family.

Jessica Morris, who plays Daphne is a famous daytime soap star, being a regular in hit dramas like “One Life to Live” and “Party of Five.” On primetime, she did “Rosewood” and “Perception”, and the hit Lifetime movie, “The Wrong Teacher”.

In the zoom presscon for the movie, local writers are able to interview lead actor Kyle Lowder online. He started as a model for Speedo and Abercrombie. He’s originally from New York but relocated to Los Angeles to have a career in Hollywood.

He is cast as a regular in such hit soaps as “Days of Our Lives” and “The Bold and the Beautiful”. He also played the lead role in the stage musical, “Rock of Ages”.

Kyle says he was delighted to be invited to attend the premiere night of “A Mermaid for Christmas” in Manila on December 6. But as much as he really wants to visit our city and know more about our culture, his tight shooting schedule won’t allow it.

So how is it doing “A Mermaid for Christmas”? “I had so much fun as we shot it in various beautiful locations along the Pacific Ocean, like the Marina del Rey. I’ve been a competitive swimmer in school and also a lifeguard. I live near the beach in Malibu, so I really love the water. Jessica Morris is such a wonderful co-star, beautiful inside and out, and we had an enjoyable time with all the people on the set as they’re all just marvelous to work with.”

Don’t miss “A Mermaid for Christmas” to put you in the right holiday mood. It will open in theaters on December 7.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Mario Bautista