BIDDEFORD — Biddeford will have a starring role in a feature film this December.

Several area filmmakers have banded together to shoot “Holly Star,” a holiday-themed independent film in the works for more than 20 years.

The name of the film came to writer, director and producer Michael Nickles all those years ago, but at the time he didn’t know what the plot would be. Nickles said the movie was originally intended to take place in Chicago, but when he moved to Saco two years ago, he realized Biddeford would make the perfect setting.

“It was written for here,” he said. “When I moved here I was like, ‘This is where this movie should take place.’”

Nickles, known for his films “Swing Away” and “Just Peck,” said he chose the location because he sees the potential in Biddeford.

“Coming to Biddeford and looking at this town, initially you see it’s a town that’s about to take off, and it’s really clear,” Nickles said. “It’s got this tremendous amount of raw space. It’s got the bones of a great, great town that can grow.

“To come here and shoot a film makes sense to me, because that’s what I do,”  he continued. “I’m not a developer, but what I can bring is my craft and my skills as a filmmaker.”

“Holly Star” centers around a young woman who returns to Maine for the holidays. During her stay, she has a near-death experience that allows her to access a childhood memory long forgotten. She spends the length of the film looking for a treasure she remembers her grandfather burying somewhere in Biddeford.

Along the way, Nickles said, she learns the real treasures are the people one loves.

“You’re going after one thing but what really matters is the other,” he said.

The film will star Katlyn Carlson, known for her work in “Almost Genius” and “The Jim Gaffigan Show.” Starring alongside Carlson will be Brian Muller, of “The Good Wife” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” fame and Teya Patt of “Blind Date” prominence.

In addition to Nickles, the film is being overseen by production supervisor Erik Van Wyck; executive producers Mark Adam and Elaine Adan; and producer Scott Taylor.

Nickles said the film will highlight Biddeford, featuring it in a positive light. In addition, the production team plans on hiring local talent, including actors and crew. He said the team is meeting Monday with Saco’s Thornton Academy theater department to source extras for shoots.

Nickles said in an email Thursday he cannot disclose the budget for the film, but said the team plans on spending about $150,000 in the local economy, between hiring crew members and sourcing locations, renting equipment, purchasing props and buying food.

Through the production of the film, in addition to further downtown revitalization, Nickles and Van Wyck are hopeful that Biddeford can become an artist destination — a sentiment shared by many of its own residents and city officials.

“I really do believe there’s so many talented professionals and there’s so many artists here,” Nickles said. “If there are enough people bonding together, then in my mind Biddeford could be the new Austin (Texas),” a city he said that has experienced an artistic renaissance in recent years.

“The idea is to bring films and projects to Maine,” he continued. “It’s difficult to make movies, but it can be done. The community can change and you can create an artistic community for filmmaking.”

The plan, the producers said, is to film in several areas of the city, including at Mechanics Park and inside and in front of several downtown businesses. The crew will also shoot in Kennebunk and several other outlying areas.

Daniel Stevenson, Biddeford’s director of economic development, said Tuesday he is excited for the project to begin.

“It’s great to have feature films shot in the community,” he said. “Plus there’s a multiplier effect where (the crew) use goods and services,” adding money to the local economy.

Stevenson said the crew is currently in the process of acquiring permits to shoot in certain buildings, such as businesses and other city spaces.

The crew credits Tammy Ackerman, executive director of Biddeford arts nonprofit Engine, city officials and residents for welcoming them to town. He said the city has been enormously supportive, a crucial piece of making independent films.

“As a filmmaker you gotta go where the love is. You need a tremendous amount of support, and that’s what we got here,” Nickles said.

Part of the reason Biddeford and other parts of York County were chosen, Van Wyck said, was because there’s more passion for the craft of filmmaking here.

“I’m definitely having more fun putting a film together here,” he said. “In California, they’ve lost the meaning of why I do this in the first place. There are a lot of artists out here … we’re hoping doing a film like this really kickstarts a movement.”

Filming for “Holly Star” begins Friday, Dec. 2, and will conclude on Wednesday, Dec. 21. The crew hopes to have the movie out by November or December 2017, in time for the next holiday season.

The crew is also seeking extras to appear in select movie scenes. If you are interested in appearing in “Holly Star,” contact the crew at hollystarextras@gmail.com. 

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.